Giants Vs. 49ers Preview

Giants vs. 49ers Preview

San Francisco is coming into town this Sunday for another prime time event. This game will certainly show us what type of team the Giants are. Will this be a classic trap game or will the Giants continue to defeat opponents that they are expected to. Helping us break down this matchup is Peter Panacy, he is the co-editor of NinerNoise.com his opinion is that the Niners might squeak away with a win.

For the Niners.

If the 49ers Defense Replicates Its Week 4 Effort.
Holding quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to 17 points is no easy feat. San Francisco’s defense did a solid job of creating pressure, and a lot of that came from second-year linebacker Aaron Lynch. The 49ers’ questionable secondary did well in limiting Rodgers’ receivers as well. The coverage was pretty good all around. The Giants run a similar West Coast offense, as pointed out by safety Eric Reid on KNBR 680, so the 49ers defense should have some continuity here in its efforts to limit quarterback Eli Manning, wide receiver Odell Beckham and a dangerous New York offense.

If the 49ers Win the Battle Up Front.

San Francisco’s offensive line has been atrocious this season, and especially along the right side. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is on pace to surpass the 52 sacks taken in 2014. New York’s run defense is No. 1 in the league, so the 49ers might not have the best shot to establish a strong running attack. But the Giants pass rush isn’t exactly stellar, so the 49ers O-line may get a little breathing room when it comes to protecting its quarterback. On the flip side, the 49ers defensive front will need to impose its will against a Giants O-line currently doing a great job of protecting Manning.

If Colin Kaepernick Can Take Advantage of New York’s Pass Defense.

The Giants are dead last in the league in total yards allowed through the air with 1,265 yards allowed. Kaepernick’s 2015 efforts have been abysmal. And the 49ers quarterback could be losing his receiver corps. But a permeable secondary, combined with a questionable Giants pass rush, presents the opportunity for Kaepernick and the aerial attack to post some big numbers. The Giants do clamp down in the red zone though, so a big X-factor will be whether or not the 49ers can find paydirt within the 20-yard line.

For the Giants
Defensive stops & improving play.
Under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants have steadily improved over the first four games. Essential to this improvement has been their focus on stopping the run. Currently the Gmen hold the No. 1 rushing defense (69.8 yards allowed per game), including some clutch goal line stances.

The Giants will look to bottle up San Francisco’s running game and prevent Colin Kaepernick from making big runs outside the pocket.

Running Back Mix.

Distributing the carries between Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, and Andre Williams has proven to be a good strategy. The Giants running backs have remained fresh with the split workload. Against the bills the Giants rushed for 92 yards in 28 attempts. Both Jennings and Vereen have proved pivotal in the passing attack as witnessed by Jennings 50 yard catch and run for a score last Sunday. The Giants will look to dial up both inside and outside running plays just to keep the wounded Niners defense honest.

O-Line Protecting Eli & Creating Lanes. 

What was once seen as a weakness has proven many doubters wrong. The O-Line has played as a cohesive unit with multiple players pitching in. Eli Manning has dropped back  150 times this year and only saw pressure on 32 plays. Left Tackle & 1st Round pick Ereck Flowers looks ready to go for Sunday night.

Giants will search for help sealing the edge now that TE Dainel Fells was placed on the IR with an ankle infection. Fells primarily played on running downs, but the Giants expect the same effort from the remaining players to help the O-Line.

Summary
Even though the their record reflects 2-2 the Gmen have shown up to every game and play hard. Minus the two fourth quarter miscues The Giants have been in the driver seat of all their games. Let’s hope we get a loud MetLife stadium, & a big blue win.