Colin Kaepenrick's first half was nearly flawless: 8-of-9 passing, 116 yards, one touchdown and a quarterback rating of 155.8. The quarterback's play kept the San Francisco 49ers within reach, 13-10, against one of the league's premier teams.
The 49ers offense, however, fizzled in the second half as the New England Patriots secured a 30-17 win in Week 11.
"They're a good football team. There wasn't anything that they caught us off guard with or anything of that nature," Kaepernick said. "Ultimately, it came down to our execution and being able to make plays in clutch situations."
Kaepernick finished the game with 206 passing yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback's first score was an 18-yard throw in tight coverage to tight end Garrett Celek. The second came late in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard pass to Shaun Draughn.
McDonald's three receptions for 46 yards led the team. Draughn also posted three receptions for 43 yards.
Kaepernick did not throw an interception. The signal-caller did fumble twice amid wet conditions throughout the contest, but the 49ers recovered the loose ball on both occasions.
The team's second-half struggles continue to be a concern as the 49ers have scored just 16 points in third quarters this season.
"We have to do a better job of executing," Kaepernick said. "We got into a little bit of a rut, we got out of rhythm and we weren't stringing plays together like we were earlier in the game."
The loss drops the 49ers to 1-9 on the season with six games to play, and the nine-game losing streak is tied for the longest in franchise history. Kaepernick showed confidence that no one in the locker room is ready to pack it in for the year.
"I think this team is continuing to fight – trying to figure out how to fix our problems and make sure we go out and compete every week and try to get a win," the quarterback said.
Four of the San Francisco's final six games will take place on the road.
Next up is a Week 12 matchup in Miami against Ryan Tannehill and the 6-4 Dolphins.
