The New York Giants (1-1) and San Francisco 49ers (2-0) will square off on Thursday night in a Week 3 matchup at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Giants opened the week as 10-point road underdogs but that spread has only gotten worse. They are +10.5 as of this writing.
Buy Giants TicketsWith this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with 49ers Wire managing editor Kyle Madson.
Brock Purdy has yet to lose an NFL game (7-0). What does he bring to the table that has San Fran unbeaten in his starts?
Madson: There are certainly arguments to be made about how much credit Brock Purdy should receive for the team’s success since he’s taken over under center. However, the offense is undeniably more smooth with him running the show. A key reason for that is his success on intermediate throws (10-19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage). He’s completing more than 80 percent (!!) of those throws since taking over early in Week 13 last season. The league leader last year was Deshaun Watson at 68.4 percent. Purdy is also very good at navigating the pocket, throwing the ball away when he’s in danger, and avoiding interceptions. All three of those are things Jimmy Garoppolo was not good at, so Purdy turning negative plays into positive plays has played at least some role in the team’s success since he took over.
Christian McCaffrey is an elite back but are there any worries that the 49ers may be overusing him?
This is definitely a problem that caught some headlines after the 49ers’ win over the Rams. Christian McCaffrey in two weeks has missed only 10 snaps and all of them came in Week 1. San Francisco has invested a lot at RB and it might be the deepest position on their roster. That McCaffrey is taking virtually every carry feels like an unnecessary burden on their most important skill position player. Whether or not Thursday night’s game gets out of hand, I expect to see Elijah Mitchell getting some real work in the 49ers’ backfield.
In looking at Thursday's matchup, is there any one area you could pinpoint where the Giants have an advantage?
I have one on each side of the ball. On offense, it’s Daniel Jones’ legs. The 49ers have done an abominable job defending even mildly athletic quarterbacks the last few years and even a basic read option has given them fits. Brian Daboll and the Giants coaching staff doesn’t even have to be particularly creative to get Jones some running room. That should help them stay out of second or third-and-longs where the 49ers defensive front can tee off.
On defense, the stars on the Giants defensive front could be in for a big night. Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux should get favorable matchups against the right side of San Francisco’s offensive line, which hasn’t been awesome the first couple weeks. If they can keep the 49ers behind the sticks on early downs it will make it much easier to come up with some stops.
Which game bothers 49ers fans more? The 1990 NFC Championship Game or the 2011 NFL Championship Game?
I actually think the answer to this one is generational. I was less than a year old for that 1990 NFC title game so Roger Craig’s fumble doesn’t really bother me. Some of my buddies were very much around for that though and wince or shout obscenities when that game gets brought up. For me, I was there for the 2011 NFC title game. It was the first time in my really cognizant life that San Francisco was in the playoffs with a real chance to win a Super Bowl. I was freshly 21 and really peaking as a sports fan. All of the little things that went sideways in that game for San Francisco still eat at me, and while I’ve long forgiven punt returner Kyle Williams, I know plenty of 49ers fans for whom that name isn’t far from “Voldemort.” So, for me it’s the 2011 NFC title game by a not-even-close margin, but a large swath of older fans will say otherwise.
Who wins on Thursday night, what's the score and do you believe the Giants even stand a chance?
The Giants definitely have a chance. Thursday night games are weird and they might’ve unlocked a little something last week against Arizona. San Francisco struggles to defend running QBs so it might be a real problem for them if the Giants can wind up controlling the ball and forcing a couple stops. That said, I think the 49ers win this one. Back-to-back West Coast road games with one on a short week can’t be easy for a team, and the 49ers got a little bit of a gut check from the Rams in Week 2 that they’ll be aiming to bounce back from. San Francisco is just the more talented team and I think that ultimately gets them a W. 49ers 27, Giants 16
