Hours Before Kickoff: Week 5

OK defense, show us what you're made of.

The defense knew they had to be the backbone of this team as QB Matt Cassel felt his way around leading the offense. They did for two wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets, including impressive goal line stands in each game.

They pressured KC's passers and forced Jets' QB Brett Favre into an interception that led to an offensive touchdown.

All that good disappeared against Miami as the front seven was gashed repeatedly for large gains on the ground, the whole team tackled poorly, and Miami Dolphins soft-tossing QB Chad Pennington exploited a zone in the middle of the field over and over. he was able to do so because Pennington had all the time in the world to find wide open targets.

So will the defense play to their potential? They will have their hands full against a Niners offense that has the ability to score. San Fran crossed the 30-point threshold twice this season. New England has to figure out how to slow down a running game averaging 118.5 yards per game. They can't be victimized by a passing game designed to create big plays. Miami's tight ends combined for 87 yards on five receptions, mostly over the middle. How will the Pats contain the very athletic Vernon Davis?

This game will be won or lost in the trenches, which is cliche, but always applies. The pass rush will have plenty of chances to make plays because the 49ers average 37 pass attempts per game. That means a lot of chances to sack QB J.T. O'Sullivan, which O'Sully felt 19 times. The receivers are disciplined route runners in a timing-based offense. If the Pats stick to playing mostly zone, they need to recognize the plays to create turnovers. And they must keep an eye on RB Frank Gore out of the backfield. He's tied for the team lead in receptions with 15.

With that being said, here's a few things I'm looking for:

Hold the Line: Cassel is having a hard enough time getting the team into the endzone. Miami's five-sack assault killed the offense. The blockers can't let it happen this week.

Seeing Red: The Pats have problems in the red zone on both sides of the ball. The worry is S.F. doesn't need to get close to punch it in. The offense must produce touchdowns and the defense can't give them up or a shallow hole gets deep quickly.

Nice Tight End: The Niners' Davis is averages 17.4 yards per reception on five catches. N.E.'s tight ends average less than 10 yards per catch. Who will have a bigger game?

I do think the loss to Miami was an aberration. The offense must become aggressive while the defense plays up to its ability. It will be close, but I'll go with a four-point win.