By: Joe Lami

AP photo: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shown in game against the Seattle Seahawks last Sun Nov 13th at Gillette Stadium

SANTA CLARA–The San Francisco 49ers are coming off their best performance since the week one shutout of the Rams. Still, it wasn’t enough for San Francisco, as the Arizona Cardinals were able to kick a field goal at the buzzer to win the game.

Even with the loss, the 49ers have stopped the bleeding, at least for now. Thus making Sunday’s contest against the New England Patriots an important game for San Francisco.

Now it’s expected that the 49ers will still lose on Sunday, but the question remains by how much. If they can keep it close, this team has a chance to be on the up-swing.

Now the big story of the week isn’t so much the 49ers having a chance against the class of the NFL, but rather the highly anticipated return of Tom Brady to the Bay Area. The one-time 49ers fan finally gets to go up against his childhood team after being injured the entire 2008 season, the last time the Patriots were in town.

Unfortunately for Brady, he won’t get to perform his magic at Candlestick Park, the stadium he nearly grew up in, but instead the new and very bland Levi’s Stadium will have to do. Brady also reported earlier this week that the game on Sunday is the most ticket request he’s ever received.

Brady will be without his number one target, Rob Gronkowski, after the star tight end sustained a chest injury against Seattle last Sunday night. It won’t matter for the Pats, as they’ll be able to roll San Francisco easy.

Expect another Bay Area product, Julian Edelman to be Brady’s number one target on Sunday with Gronk being sidelined.

The Patriots will be the 49ers ultimate test. If San Francisco can keep it close, there is still hope in Santa Clara for the red and gold to win at least a couple more games this season. However, if they are blown out, it will drain any confidence and momentum built from last week’s loss.