Why Jason Whitlock Was More Impressed With Patriots Than 49ers In Week 12

The top teams in each NFL conference notched impressive victories this past Sunday.

The Patriots overcame a handful of key injuries and brutal weather conditions to beat the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium. The San Francisco 49ers also improved to 10-1 on the season by virtue of a blowout win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Jason Whitlock liked what he saw from both the Pats and Niners in Week 12, but he left the league’s latest slate of games more impressed with the reigning Super Bowl champions.

“The question today is, who was more impressive Sunday, the 49ers or the Patriots? I’m going with New England, and I say that knowing that questionable late-game officiating benefited the Patriots. But the tripping call isn’t the reason the Patriots beat the Cowboys,” Whitlock said Monday on FS1’s “Speak For Yourself.” “The Patriots won because their defense didn’t allow a touchdown. The Patriots won special their special teams dominated the Cowboys, including blocking a punt that set up New England for its lone touchdown. The Patriots won because Tom Brady outplayed Dak Prescott, because Brady made enough important plays in sloppy weather conditions to beat a team with more talent.

“Why am I more impressed with the Patriots than the 49ers? The Patriots were short-handed at receiver. Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett didn’t play. Brady still found a way. Brady played at a high level, he beat Father Time yesterday. His stat line is unimpressive, he completed less than half of his passes for just 190 yards. You can’t judge him by the stat sheet. Only the eye test could judge Brady yesterday. That was his best performance of the season. His touchdown pass to rookie N’Keal Harry was vintage Brady. A back-shoulder throw in the perfect place. But this was a team victory. Stephon Gilmore belongs in the MVP conversation.

“… Finally, I have to give credit to Bill Belichick. He dismantled a more talented team. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers did not do that. They beat up an overvalued Packers squad. Was I impressed with San Francisco? Absolutely. They beat a good team by 29 points. Jimmy Garoppolo was smart with the football. I have my doubts about his decision making. He erased some of them last night. Green Bay pressured him all night, he protected the football. However, I left Sunday more impressed by the Patriots.”

Stacking up the Patriots’ and 49ers’ latest wins effectively resorts to splitting hairs. But it feels safe to say the overall most impressive Week 12 victory came from the Baltimore Ravens, who stormed into Los Angeles and trounced the Rams by 39 points to push their win streak to seven.

It’s probably worth noting the 49ers will visit the Ravens this Sunday in what could be the best game of the regular season.