The only way the New York Giants were going to stay with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night was to control the clock with the running game and move the chains.
They didn’t.
Buy Giants TicketsCorrect that. They didn’t try.
The Giants rushed for 11 times in a game that was still winnable early in the fourth quarter. They gained just 29 yards without their star running back Saquon Barkley and their other weapon — quarterback Daniel Jones — only attempted two rushes for a total of five yards.
The 49ers were a little shocked after the Giants’ second-half assault of the Cardinals last Sunday in which Jones both ran freely and took deep shots down the field in the passing game.
Fred Warner: “I was surprised that they didn’t use more schemed-up quarterback runs on us. Maybe they were just trying to protect him. Obviously, you’re giving your quarterback up to get hit if he’s carrying the ball.”
Honestly, can't blame them if that was their thinking. https://t.co/0slKBgVkok
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) September 22, 2023
The offensive line was, once again, a makeshift one with left tackle Andrew Thomas and left guard Ben Bredeson inactive with injuries. The Giants simply did not allow Jones to be exposed to the extremely aggressive Niners defense. That’s a defeatist approach. No wonder they lost by 18 points.
Jones used a two-step drop and released the ball quickly to avoid being ravaged by the San Francisco front. He completed 22 of 32 passes for a mere 137 yards on the night. That’s just 4.3 yards per attempt. Jones came into the game averaging 6.5 yards per attempt.
If the Giants plan on making another playoff run this season, the offensive line has to be trusted so Jones can lead this team like he did in Arizona. If they can’t, co-owner John Mara will be facing the thing he loathes the most — meaningless December games.
