What they're saying across the country after the Patriots' ugly loss to the 49ers

The New England Patriots suffered another loss, this time a 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Patriots are now 1-3 on the season, with much of the optimism generated by a promising win in Week 1 seeping through, much like pass rushers did through the team's patchwork offensive line.

New England was never really dangerous during Sunday's game in Santa Clara. How bad does it look? Here's a roundup of reactions from across the NFL to Sunday's game:

Tom Jenson, Sports Illustrated

Beating the Patriots is nothing special, they are one of the worst teams in the league with the worst offensive line.

Chris Mason, MassLive

“San Francisco's superior roster and New England's self-inflicted problems were both catalysts for a 30-13 Patriots loss in which the 49ers also outgained them, 431 yards to 213.”

Eric Branch, San Francisco Chronicle

“The game comes with a disclaimer. The Patriots (1-3) came with the NFL's 32nd-ranked offense, had an injury-plagued offensive line that already had four starting left tackles and appear capable of repeating last season's 4-13 record to ask question.

Dan Saughnessy, Boston Globe

“Reputable football experts insist we shouldn’t talk about playing Drake Maye over Jacoby Brissett because the rookie quarterback would be permanently damaged if he were forced into the starting role at Gillette on Sunday against Miami. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft will have to learn by watching and it's too much of him to start his NFL career behind the Swiss Cheese Five, aka the Patriots' offensive line.

“We don’t care. We've seen enough. And it's getting worse.

Chris Gasper, Boston Globe

“You cannot voluntarily subject Drake Maye to this type of football unless the aim is to violate the Geneva Conventions.”

“Letting Maye fall into this firestorm of offensive futility voluntarily, rather than due to an inevitable injury to Jacoby Brissett, would be like dropping a toddler into a raging river that overflows its banks.” It wouldn't be a baptism of fire, at least that you sink or swim. It would be tantamount to intentional drowning.”

Matt Vautour, MassLive

“For the second week in a row, there was significant incentive for fans to do something different, or at least watch something different, as the second half unfolded. Not only is New England bad, it's almost as hard to watch as the New Hampshire political commercials that populate the breaks on every show.”

Taylor Wirth, NBC Sports Bay Area

“It’s Drake Maye time. It's Drake Maye time. What are we doing here? This offense is unwatchable.”

Karen Guregian, MassLive

“After being embarrassed in back-to-back games, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the 1-3 Patriots — even with Drake Maye still waiting in the wings.”

Matt Barrows, The Athletic

“It was a muddy win against a Patriots team that lacked offensive talent and was plagued by injuries. The 49ers suffered a number of injuries of their own – including defensive starters Fred Warner (ankle) and Jordan Elliott (knee) – and had another costly special teams fumble, a third-quarter kick-return fumble by Isaac Guerendo that led to New England’s only touchdown.”

Mark Daniels, MassLive

“It's not good enough. That’s a good way to sum up the state of the Patriots offense.”

Steven Buckley, The Athletic

“Nobody knows if the Patriots have hit rock bottom yet, but there was a hint of it in this game. Their inability to move the ball was hampered by some breakdowns on offense, with a touch from Mayo showing he was unwilling to be aggressive early on.

Nick Wagoner, ESPN

“Pats would be crazy to add Drake Maye into the mix with the current NE offensive infrastructure.”

Ben Volin, Boston Globe

“The fact is that the Patriots stink, especially on offense. They’re probably the worst team in the NFL, even if they don’t have the worst record.”

Henry McKenna, FOX Sports

“I still don’t think the Patriots should play Drake Maye. Jacoby Brissett wasn't good. But it’s so damn hard to imagine Maye being any better given what we’re seeing from this offense.”

Chris Curtis, WEEI

“The Patriots don’t deserve your time, your attention, or your money. Robert Kraft should stop worrying about coming to Canton and start fixing his football team. A disgrace.”

Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated

“The Niners' win over the Patriots wasn't a big surprise to anyone. That shouldn't have been the case – San Francisco is obviously the much better team. But by being able to control the game the way the Niners did, nearly doubling New England's number of scrimmage yards (431 to 216) and adding more to the final score, they showed their resilience in impressive fashion .”

Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald

“I understand the temptation. I do. But starting Drake Maye now would be like scratching poison ivy to make it feel better. The Patriots' problems go much deeper than shaky QB play, even after Brissett bombed today. And Maye doesn’t fix any of them.”

Doug Kyed, Boston Herald

“The Patriots were expected to have a top-10 defense this season. They currently rank 25th in EPA (expected points added) per game. And after trading Matthew Judon to the Falcons, losing defensive tackle Christian Barmore to blood clots and Bentley to blood clots. With a torn pectoral muscle and the absence of Dugger, the Patriots must prove the talent is still there to be a top contender -To maintain unity.

Four weeks of results say otherwise.”

Vinnie Iyer, Sports News

“The Patriots defense is not what it was with Bill Belichick as it has many holes under Jerod Mayo. They need to think about signing Drake Maye as QB as the season looks lost for the offense after the Week 1 upset in Cincinnati.”