Giants 26, 49ers 3 – Giants Take Down 49ers With A Balanced Attack (Recap)
The Giants came into San Francisco prepared to face an angry and focused 49ers team looking for revenge from last year’s NFC title game. What ended up taking place was the best all-around effort of the season so far by the Giants as they cruised past the 49ers with a 26-3 victory.
The Giants were clicking on all cylinders today. The offense and defense both came to play with stellar efforts on both sides of the ball.
The Pass Rush Lives
The Giants pass rush showed signs of life today against the 49ers with 6 sacks, including 2 for Jason Pierre-Paul. Quarterback Alex Smith didn’t look sharp at all today and that was evident with the 3 interceptions he threw. The 49ers could never maintain any consistency with their offensive gameplan and the Giants were able to capitilize off of that. Cornerback Prince Amukamara had one of those three interceptions and he continues to play well, giving the Giants a much-needed lift in their secondary. Safety Antrel Rolle picked up the other two int’s and played a key role in changing the momentum in the favor of the Giants.
Bradshaw Paces The Run Attack
Recent history has shown that it’s nearly impossible to run the ball with success against the 49ers defense. Ahmad Bradshaw didn’t seem to get that memo today. Bradshaw didn’t get a second straight 200-yard game, however he did get 100 yards against what’s normally a very stingy 49ers defense. Bradshaw finished up with 27 carries for 116 yards and a TD.
The Giants were able to take it to the 49ers in the first half with the passing game and then came right out and set the tone for the second half with a smashmouth approach to the ground game with Bradshaw that pretty much took the life out of the 49ers and effectiviely put them away.
Eli Elite Again
Eli Manning picked apart the 49ers defense with pinpoint passes in the first half, then managed the offense the rest of the way to a victory.
Notables
David Wilson continues to give the Giants great field position with his explosive kick returns … Hakeem Nicks returned to the starting lineup at wide receiver for the first time in 3 weeks and came up with 3 catches for 44 yards. It now remains to be seen how his knee and foot that’s hampered him will respond going forward.
The Bottom Line
The Giants dominated the tempo of this game and didn’t allow the 49ers to get comfortable with their gameplan. They beat them in the first half through the air and then went to the ground game in the second half. That kind of gameplan helped keep the 49ers pass rush from getting to Manning as they may have wanted to. The 49ers on offense couldn’t get their run game going and Alex Smith played poorly. This was a big win for the Giants simply because of how tight the standings are beginning to shape up to be in the NFC and their upcoming schedule.
What’s Next?
The Giants get to travel back across the country and prepare for the Washington Redskins at home. This means the Giants will get their first look at quarterback Robert Griffin III. RGIII has been as advertised so far and he’ll be coming off another highlight-worthy game, this time at the expense of the Minnesota Vikings.