Patriots Likely To Face 49ers Without Another Key Playmaker

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expects Deebo Samuel to "probably miss a couple weeks" due to an injury suffered in San Francisco's Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Shanahan told reporters Monday the 49ers star wideout strained his calf with two minutes left in the contest.

The 49ers are set to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday before hosting the New England Patriots in Week 4. And while "a couple" is not exactly a definitive timeline, it sounds as if the Niners will be without Samuel against New England.

San Francisco also will be without Christian McCaffrey, who was placed on injured reserve and will miss the next three games. Samuel and McCaffrey represent two of the Niners' top offensive weapons, and their respective absences give the talent-lacking Patriots a better chance to compete against the defending NFC champions.