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Giants (2-6) San Francisco (5-3)
Last Sunday San Francisco fell behind early
on in their game with the Houston Texans. They never caught up and ended with
a 26-15 loss.
The Giants got off to a slow start in their rematch with the
Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants won in their first game, but the Eagles evened
things up with a 38-20 win in the second. San
Francisco 49ers
It's
been awhile, and the 49ers have knocked on the door a number of times to get at
what they're really looking for. That was back in 1994 when they finished off
their 1994 season with a Super Bowl XXIX win. The knocks fell short since then,
losing NFC Championship games in 1997, 2011, 2013, 2021, and 2022 that would have
had them playing in the Super Bowl. The years they won Championship games, 2012,
2019 and 2023, they went on to lose in the Super Bowl.
Kyle Shanahan, in his
ninth season as the head coach of the 49ers, has been there for some of the highs
and lows. Last season, coming off a three point Super Bowl loss to the Kansas
City Chiefs, the team followed up with a 6-11 record. This year they're off to
a better start with a 5-3 record, and have won all three games with their division
opponents. San Francisco
49ers Offense
Quarterback Brock Purdy is still dealing
with a turf toe injury he suffered in the season opening game. He missed two games,
and the injury didn't let up in the next one he started. Backup quarterback Mac
Jones has been the starter in those other games, and will be again in this one
with the Giants. Purdy has been recovering, is listed as questionable and maybe
the backup.
Christian McCaffrey is a real big part of the 49ers offense, and
when they had him play in only three games last season, they took a big hit. McCaffrey
currently leads the team in carries and receptions, total yards in both categories,
and has scored 6 touchdowns, half of their total 12. He's also responsible for
over half of their first downs, 57 of 110. Tight end George Kittle was the top
receiver last year, and having him on the field with McCaffrey makes things real
tough for opposing defenses.
The 49ers haven't had that as much as they'd
like, as he's missed five games with a hamstring injury. Kittle has been back
for the last two and will be playing this week. The 49ers like their tight ends,
and Jake Tonges leads the receiver group with 4 touchdowns on his 26 catches.
They'd like to have wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the field, but he'll miss
his fifth straight game. San
Francisco 49ers Defense
Despite
their poor win loss record last year, their passing yardage defense was ranked
5th in the league, and that has slipped to 22nd. The 49ers ranked 23rd with their
sacks, and are now next to last with 9 sacks in these first eight games. They
also have come up with only one interception. The defense has been struggling
with injuries. Defensive end Nick Bosa led the team with 9 sacks last year, and
had 2 in the first three games he played before he tore his ACL. It doesn't help
that Leonard Floyd, who was just behind Bosa with 8.5 sacks, is now playing with
the Atlanta Falcons.
Linebacker Fred Warner, who is second on the team with
51 tackles, was just put on injured reserve. Defensive end Bryce Huff currently
leads the team with 4 sacks, and he will miss his second straight game dealing
with a hamstring strain. The 49ers are working with injuries to other players,
and are in need. Defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell, who just signed with the team
this week, has been elevated from the practice squad for this game. Giants
Offense
Despite the Giants losses, Jaxson
Dart was named the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Month for October. Offense is the
name of the game, and Dart will try to bring it, working without wide receiver
Malik Nabers, and running back Cam Skattebo, who are both out for the season.
Last week Dart made some really nice throws. He completed 14 of his 24 passes
for 194 yards, which included a touchdown pass to Skattebo. Dart also had 1 rushing
touchdown. Losing Skattebo on the Giants third possession of the game, certainly
had a big impact on the offense.
The offensive line played well, and some
of Dart's five sacks were on him trying to make plays work. They'll be up against
a defense that's dealing with more than a few issues. Tyrone Tracy is back to
being the starting running back, and the Giants need him to show the spark he
had in his rookie year, working along with Devin Singletary. Wan'Dale Robinson,
unlike some others on the team, has shown that he has sure hands, and he has 38
receptions for 494 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end Theo Johnson has caught 4
touchdown passes. Giants
Defense
The Giants catch a break as they
will not be up against a quarterback who can beat you with his feet. In his last
3 games, Mac Jones has run with the ball 12 times for 47 yards. The Giants have
good pass rushers, and in those three games, Jones has thrown 2 touchdowns with
4 interceptions, and been sacked 9 times. They''ll still be up against an offense
that knows how to work well with each other, even if it's with a backup quarterback.
Tight end George Kittle can stay on the line and use his highly regarded blocking
skills, or quickly get by you for a catch. Brian Burns is tied for the most sacks
in the NFL with 10. Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter will have to play
smart and not be too eager or Kittle will burn them,
The Giants haven't done
well against the run, but Christian McCaffrey isn't having one of his stellar
years that are his norm this season. Coming off last years injury, his 3.5 yards
a carry is the lowest he's had in his 11 year career. None of this means the Giants
can expect to continue with poor tackling and missed assignments, and expect to
win. They have to do a lot up front to keep Jones from having time to throw, and
both starting cornerbacks will be out. Paulson Adebo will miss his second straight
game, and Cor'Dale Flott was injured last game. Overall
Both teams have had their share of injuries, and are working hard to get by them.
The 49ers would like to be the first team in their division to have six wins.
The Giants will be happy just to get a win, no matter where they stand in the
division. There's no guessing as to which team is favored to win, but upsets do
happen. NFC East Games
Sunday at 1:00pm 49ers (5-3) at Giants (2-6)
Sunday
at 8:20pm Seahawks (5-2) at Commanders (3-5)
Monday at 8:15pm Cardinals (2-5)
at Cowboys (3-4)
The Cowboys are the only NFC East team favored to win in
these games.
Check out.
Giants
On The Air. Listen to the Radio Broadcasts.
TeamGiants on Twitter.
Next Games
Nov
9 Giants at Bears
Nov 16 Packers at Giants
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