The 49ers on Thursday night open their home schedule with a showdown against the New York Giants.
It’s been a roller coaster season for New York, which was blown out 40-0 by the Cowboys in their season opener. Then they fell behind 20-0 and 28-7 to the Cardinals in Week 2 before storming back in the second half for a 31-28 victory.
Buy 49ers TicketsWe wanted to get a little insight into what the heck is going on with the 49ers’ Week 3 opponent, so we tapped in with our buddy Dan Benton from Giants Wire and had him answer some of our questions about the G-Men.
Here’s what he had to say:
Who can we expect to see in the Giants' backfield Thursday with Saquon Barkley out?
Dan Benton: If Barkley sits this one out, which is likely even if Brian Daboll suggests otherwise, I’d expect the Giants to go with a three-headed monster of Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and rookie Eric Gray. All three are talented, tough rushers but they are obviously limited in comparison to Barkley. Ironically, they also each average a higher yard-per-carry average than Barkley. Still, it leaves the Giants lacking a bit in the big-play department and in check-down scenarios, where Barkley is clearly a better receiver despite his four drops (two leading to INTs) this season. His absence also likely means Daniel Jones will be doing more running, which isn’t necessarily a horrible thing. The Giants’ offense seems to be at its best when DJ leads the team in rushing.
Did the Giants figure something out vs. the Cardinals or is Arizona just bad?
DB: I actually don’t think Arizona is that “bad.” They’re obviously a rebuilding team but they’ve fought hard in back-to-back weeks and played well above expectations. That being said, the Giants should have figured things out much sooner. That was a pretty rough six quarters to start the season. What ultimately ended up happening was that Daboll, Mike Kafka & Co. decided to open things up a bit more. They allowed Jones to take shots deep which, contrary to popular belief, is one of the best parts of his game. With Jalin Hyatt taking the tops of things, it allowed Darren Waller to exploit mismatches underneath and then the running game got going. That sort of balanced offense is exactly what the Giants need to succeed.
How have New York's pair of rookie CBs Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins looked so far?
Does NY need a big Kayvon Thibodeaux game or a big Leonard Williams game more?
DB: They really need Kayvon Thibodeaux to break out. He’s been an invisible man through two weeks and was locked down by tight end Zach Ertz one-on-one last Sunday. That can not continue to happen. And some may point to him frequently dropping into coverage as a reason he’s not making an impact, but there’s more to it than that. Yes, he’s being moved all over the place and that will limit his opportunities, but the reality is he’s not taking advantage of the ones he has. He’s supposed to be the team’s elite edge rusher and he simply hasn’t shown that. Leonard Williams, on the other hand, hasn’t exactly shown up in the box score and doesn’t have any stand-out big plays, but he’s been sound. Not nearly as concerned with him as Kayvon.
Grade Daniel Jones through the first couple games of this season.
DB: DJ has three INTs on the season but two of those, including a pick-6, came off the hands of Saquon Barkley. Both should have been caught for positive yardage but instead, they skew Jones’ numbers and that leads to some believing the “turnover machine” is back. That hasn’t been the case at all. In fact, through two weeks, Jones has been the only thing keeping the offense moving forward. His historic performance in Week 2 is the sole reason the Giants even have a win. This, of course, is not to say Jones has been perfect because he certainly hasn’t been. He had some rough throws in Week 1 and had an ugly underthrow against the Cardinals, but that’s about it for negative plays. What everyone saw in the second half last week is who Jones truly is. I’d give him a B grade through two weeks (A+ for last week) but he’s trending upward.
Let's get a prediction for Thursday Night Football.
DB: There’s really no reason to believe the Giants win this one or even keep it close given how they played over the first six quarters this season. The potential loss of Saquon Barkley may not be as damning as some suggest, but it’s the defense that sits atop the list of genuine concerns. If they can’t pressure Brock Purdy and continue their poor tackling, this game can get out of hand in a hurry. But the Giants traditionally play up to the level of their opponents and their prime-time curse aside, I can see that playing out on Thursday. I even see an avenue to victory — I’m just not predicting it. Still, I anticipate this one will be much closer than many expect. 49ers 30, Giants 26.
