49ers vs. Giants Week 9 Preview
Could this be a get right, or get left behind game?
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a brutal loss to the Houston Texans in a game they would like to forget quickly. Generating just 10 pressures on defense, and only putting up 15 points on offense, the 49ers were a shadow of themselves last Sunday. Now, in a back-to-back road trip, the 49ers will be traveling to Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the 2-6 New York Giants. This could be a get right, or get left behind game in New York.
Painting The Picture
As mentioned before, the 49ers looked abysmal in Houston. On the offensive side of the ball, 49ers bell cow RB Christian McCaffrey only saw eight carries for 25 yards in the loss, and added just three receptions for 43 yards. That is significantly less than what we are used to seeing out of the former OPOY. There weren’t many players who showed up on the stat sheet any better, though. The defense was a no-show, allowing one of the league’s worst offenses in the Houston Texans to control the game, possessing the ball for 41 ½ minutes and having their way in any scenario. The defense needed a playmaker, and it seemed that nobody was up for the task.
The Giants are coming off of a big loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, whom they dominated just weeks prior. Injuries play a huge factor in that loss, however, the Giants are a team that still need some core players. QB Jaxson Dart has definitely given his team a spark as he still finds his identity in the NFL. Leaning on their star-studded defensive line and talented rookie QB, the New York Giants are attempting to garner a decent season after losing their star WR and star rookie RB.
Injuries
Broken record incoming: the 49ers are still the most injured team in the NFL. They will again be without QB Brock Purdy, WR Ricky Pearsall, DL Yeter Gross-Matos, DE Bryce Huff, and C Jake Brendel. Players listed as questionable include OL Ben Bartch, OL Spencer Burford, DL Jordan Elliott, DL Sam Okuayinonu, and LB Dee Winters.
The Giants are dealing with some of their own injuries ahead of Sunday’s clash with the 49ers. Aside from missing WR Malik Nabers for the season with an ACL injury, and rookie RB Cam Skattebo missing the remainder of the season with a broken ankle, players who are listed as OUT include CB Paulson Adebo, CB Cor’Dale Flott, CB Art Green, and DL Chauncey Golston. Players listed as DOUBTFUL are RT Jermaine Eleumunor and TE Daniel Bellinger. Players listed as QUESTIONABLE include S Jevon Holland and CB Rico Payton.
Matchups to Watch
Christian McCaffrey vs. Giants Run Defense
Even though he couldn’t do much last week, I expect CMC to have a great game against the Giants, who are allowing 150 rushing yards on average this season. Aside from being a real rushing threat, McCaffrey will again be looked at in the pass game with QB Mac Jones starting his seventh game of the season, and the Giants linebackers being spotty in pass coverage. All-Pro DL Dexter Lawrence is having a down year to his level of play, so whether he shows up or not could dictate this matchup.
Giants Defensive Line vs. 49ers Offensive Line
The Houston Texans had their way with the 49ers offensive line, who could not contain Will Anderson Jr. Now, they will face the front of Dexter Lawerence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and rookie Abdul Carter. Again, their run defense has been in the bottom half of the league, but one thing this team is good at is getting pressure on the quarterback. Mac Jones will have to get rid of the ball quickly this week if he wants to stay off of the turf.
Mac Jones vs. Giants Secondary
The Giants will be without their two starting corners on Sunday, which usually cooks up a recipe for a big game for the opposing quarterback. Mix that with bad linebacker pass coverage, Mac Jones could see significant opportunity on Sunday, and I’m sure Kyle Shanahan is grinning ear to ear with what he may be able to do.
The Giants Win, IF…
If the Giants want to leave their home stadium with another digit in the win column, they will need to first contain Christian McCaffrey. Every time the 49ers have called his name, he answers barring the offensive line play. If they can stop the run, and make this an air raid game for the 49ers, they raise their chances of winning with the WR play we’ve witnessed in San Francisco. They must also make Jaxson Dart mobile, something that does not seem difficult for them. Robert Saleh’s defenses have always struggled against mobile quarterbacks, and the rookie Dart should not be overlooked in this matchup.
The 49ers Win, IF…
The path to victory for the 49ers is simple. Run the ball, control the clock, limit mistakes, and take advantage of opportunity. I say easy, but last week none of that was even possible for this team. Expect a heavy workload for Christian McCaffrey and hopefully Brian Robinson Jr. The 49ers will also need their defense to play to a standard miles ahead of what we saw last week. With the addition of Keion White and Clelin Ferrell, we should see more pressure on Dart, which will force him out of the pocket. If they can contain Dart and make him win with his arm, the 49ers will improve to 6-3 and have a great shot at the playoffs.
Final Thoughts & Prediction
This is a matchup that has almost evened out over its tenure. The Giants are looking to get back on track, while the 49ers are hoping to take a win and possibly bring a player back with them on the plane. Only kidding… maybe. The last time the 49ers went into an opposing team’s building, dominated, and left with a player, was when they traded for their star player Christian McCaffrey in 2022. Will we see something similar this year? They will have to win the game, first.
Prediction: 49ers 24, Giants 13