Quick hits as the 49ers improve to 3-0 with Week 3 win over Giants
The 49ers can enjoy something of a mini-bye week knowing they remain undefeated after they beat the Giants 30-12 on Thursday Night Football. It was a gritty performance from San Francisco, which was missing a key offensive weapon after Brandon Aiyuk was ruled out before the game with a shoulder injury, with the 49ers' uneven […]
The 49ers can enjoy something of a mini-bye week knowing they remain undefeated after they beat the Giants 30-12 on Thursday Night Football.
It was a gritty performance from San Francisco, which was missing a key offensive weapon after Brandon Aiyuk was ruled out before the game with a shoulder injury, with the 49ers' uneven first-half showing on that side of the ball reflective of his absence and the short week of preparation.
But the Niners got big performances from their non-Aiyuk stars, while the defense suffocated Daniel Jones and the Giants, who were not able to complete a comeback after cutting a 17-3 deficit to 17-12 in the third quarter. Here are my quick takeaways after San Francisco moved to 3-0.
Purdy's up-and-down 300-yard day
It will go down in the books as one of the best statistical performances of Brock Purdy's young career, but the 49ers' starting quarterback will know it could have been very different.
Purdy was consistently sped up by the blitz-heavy approach employed by New York defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and had two interceptable passes on the first drive.
The former seventh-round pick did eventually start to settle down, receiving significant help from the skill-position players around him as Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel did a continually excellent job of turning short throws into big gains.
As was the case in Week 2, this was in large part a game in which the skill players elevated Purdy. However, by the fourth quarter, he had found his touch, seeing one excellently placed throw to McCaffrey broken up in the endzone, before a 27-yard shot to Samuel ended the game as a contest.
Purdy will know he can play a lot better, and that's the exciting thing about a performance where he still helped the offense put up 30 points for the third straight week.
History for CMC
It was a duel to be the star of the show between McCaffrey and Samuel, and perhaps the edge should go to the former as he made 49ers franchise history.
His rushing touchdown in the second quarter marked his 12th consecutive game with a score, including the postseason, matching a franchise record set by Jerry Rice.
McCaffrey finished with 119 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, marking his third straight game with at least 100 yards.
Samuel, meanwhile, went for 129 yards receiving and a touchdown, delivering a superfluous reminder of his yards after catch ability while also showing he can be a deep-ball threat on his touchdown, he and Purdy making up for their missed opportunity on a downfield throw from last week.
Aiyuk's ability to win one on one was clearly sorely missed in the early stages of the game, but his absence allowed arguably the two most diverse playmakers in the NFL to deliver a primetime demonstration of what it looks like when they fire on all cylinders.
Red-zone improvement required
One area where the Giants' aggressiveness on defense appeared to really throw off the 49er offense was in the red zone.
San Francisco finished two of five inside the Giants' 20-yard line, though those numbers would have been better if not for Micah McFadden's pass breakup on an excellent Purdy throw to McCaffrey.
The 49ers will be delighted with the form of rookie kicker Jake Moody, who has yet to miss a kick after going three for three here, but they won't want to rely on him as a much on chip shots going forward.
Defensive holds Danny Dimes in check
The 49ers almost doubled up the Giants in time of possession and went nine of 16 on third down, not including the two they converted via penalty, compared to three of 12.
San Francisco averaged 5.7 yards per play to the Giants' 3.3. While that is illustrative of how well the Niners moved the ball after some early struggles, it also speaks to the dominance of a defense that has not lost a step despite a change in coordinator.
One of the key questions before the game surrounded the 49er defense's ability to prevent Giants quarterback Jones from doing damage with his legs.
Jones finished with only five yards on the ground, was sacked twice and was intercepted late in the fourth quarter by Talanoa Hufanga. Mission accomplished.
The only touchdown for the Giants came after a drive where they only had to go 37 yards after a penalty on the punt following some sloppy special teams penalties from the Niners.
San Francisco wasn't at its best, but the Niners were a cleaner special teams play and a couple of red-zone conversions away from a mammoth blowout. The 49ers are Super Bowl favorites for a reason, and it's ominous how comfortably they're beating teams without needing to perform at their highest level.
49ers star Trent Williams stays in the game despite punching Giants defender
He was very lucky.
Featured Image Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
