San Francisco 49ers (3-0) – New York Giants (1-2): 30-12
43rd meeting in history between the 49ers and the Giants. The results at the start of the match: 21 victories everywhere. If the Californians are favorites against the Giants humiliated against Dallas and miraculously defeated in Arizona, a major change could have been made by head coach Brian Daboll. San Francisco considered that Daboll would have taken over offensive play calls on the New York sidewho would have been at the origin of the comeback.
If the Giants sometimes showed a less abysmal face than their first seven quarters of the season, the merciless and well-practiced Niners found the flaws to achieve victory and maintain their invincibility.
The CMC Show
Without Brandon Aiyuk, the team’s best receiver and a shoulder injury, San Francisco forces Christian McCaffrey in the first half. Rightly so, because the ex-Panther is a problem for the Giants: 18 carries, 85 yards, 1 touchdown on the ground, 5 receptions, 34 yards.
Another game with more than 100 yards, but above all, with this new touchdown CMC equals the franchise record for consecutive games with a touchdown held by legend Jerry Rice: 12 games in a row with a visit to the opposing goal ( the NFL record is held by Emmitt Smith: 14).
However, San Francisco fails to significantly widen the gap against the Giants who bend but do not break like in past weeks: Only 11 points difference at half-time (17-6).
The Giants a notch below
Faced with the 49ers who are ticking away the clock with endless drives of which they have the secret (39 minutes of possession), New York once again finds itself running behind the score and having to abandon the running game. Best runner on the team with 17 yards, Matt Breida is struggling to forget Saquon Barkley!
While the Niners abuse CMC, Kittle (7 receptions, 90 yards) and Deebo Samuel (6 receptions, 129 yards, 1 touchdown), the G-Men scuttle themselves by accumulating penalties on both sides of the ball (6 penalty handkerchiefs), which lengthens the opposing drives and shortens theirs.
The New York offensive line only concedes 2 sacks, but Daniel Jones is constantly under pressure, with Nick Bosa finally unlocking his counter this season: 1 sack, 2 QB Hits.
Jones is not atrocious (22/32, 137 yards, 1 interception), but his receivers do not hold their rank and do not manage to stand out either: Darren Waller, Parris Campbell and Darius Slayton combine 12 receptions for 86 yards to the three of them.
On yet another pass attempted on a covered receiver in the fourth quarter, the ball was deflected and the opportunist Talanoa Hufanga made an interception which sounded the death knell for New York’s hopes. In the final minutes of the match, we even see Tyrod Taylor and Sam Darnold at quarterback.
Final score: 30-12
The following
Falling to a 1-2 record, the Giants are already struggling in the NFC East where the other three teams (Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders) will have an opportunity this weekend to improve to 3-0. Terrible statistic: the Giants only conceded more than 27 points twice last season (28 against the Cowboys, 48 against the Eagles). In three matches, this bar has been passed three times this season.
On the 49ers side, it is once again a clean copy of a team that plays to its strengths. As in the first two games, San Francisco scored exactly 30 points. The machine is well set for the Californians who have 13 consecutive victories in the regular season (their last defeat dates back to October 23, 2022 against the Chiefs).
