Halftime notes

Passed along by the Patriots' media relations staff ...

CASSEL BOMB TO MOSS
On third and eight from the 49ers' 34-yard line in the first quarter, Matt Cassel rolled to his right hit Randy Moss, who had split the defense down the middle, on a 66-yard touchdown, tying the score at seven. The catch was Moss's longest reception as a Patriot and his longest reception since Oct. 2, 2005, when he snared a 79-yard catch while playing for Oakland against the Dallas Cowboys. The touchdown toss was the longest of Matt Cassel's career, the longest play of the year for the Patriots and the longest since Donté Stallworth's 69-yard touchdown reception against Dallas on Oct. 4, 2007. The touchdown was Moss's 126th career scoring reception and his 25th touchdown grab since joining the Patriots via trade prior to the 2007 season. Last season, Moss had touchdown receptions of 65 yards (at N.Y. Giants, 12/29/07) and 63 yards (vs. Pittsburgh, 12/9/07).

FAULK SCORES
Kevin Faulk scored on a two-yard run to give the Patriots a 17-14 lead with six seconds remaining in the first half. It was Faulk's first touchdown of the season. Faulk's score capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive for the Patriots. Faulk's touchdown was his first rushing score since Dec. 17, 2006, when he had an 11-yard scoring run against the Houston Texans. Last season, Faulk scored one touchdown, via a 13-yard reception at Indianapolis on Nov. 4, 2007. For his career, Faulk now has 12 rushing touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns and two touchdowns via kick return.

MERIWEATHER PICK
Brandon Meriweather recorded his second interception of the season and the second interception of his career when he made an acrobatic play to intercept a J.T. O'Sullivan pass at the San Francisco 4-yard line in the first quarter, tipping the ball in the air and corralling it with his back on the ground. Meriweather, who also had an interception in the Patriots' week two victory over the New York Jets, leads New England with two interceptions in 2008.

SEYMOUR'S 100th GAME
Richard Seymour is playing in his 100th career game this afternoon against the 49ers. Seymour was selected by the Patriots with the sixth overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft.

FAULK FIFTH IN CAREER RECEPTIONS
With a 2-yard reception in the first quarter, Kevin Faulk passed Terry Glenn for fifth place on the Patriots' all-time receptions list. The reception was the 330th of Faulk's career, passing Glenn's mark of 329 career catches in a New England uniform. Irving Fryar ranks fourth in team history with 363 career catches. Faulk is the Patriots' all-time leader in receptions by a running back and trails only Fryar, Ben Coates (490), Stanley Morgan (534) and Troy Brown (557) on the Patriots' all-time receptions list.

GOSTKOWSKI'S FIELD GOAL STREAK
Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the San Francisco lead to 14-10. The field goal was Gostkowski's 15th consecutive successful field goal, extending a streak that dates back to Dec. 9, 2007. Gostkowski has now made 28 of his last 30 regular-season field goals (93.3 percent) and is a perfect 8-for-8 this season.

INFREQUENT VISITS
This is the first Patriots visit to San Francisco since Sept. 17, 1995, a 28-3 loss to the 49ers at 3Com Park. Prior to today, the 13-year period between away games with the 49ers was second only to the Seahawks, who the Patriots last visited on October 24, 1993. The Patriots visit the Seahawks on Dec. 7.

WHITE JERSEY STREAK
The Patriots are wearing their road white jerseys today for the fourth consecutive game after wearing them in each of their first three games, including two home games. The Patriots typically wear their blue jerseys at home, but home teams have the option of choosing which jersey to wear.

QUICK HIT
The Patriots won the opening coin toss, but deferred to the Niners, who chose to receive.