NFL Playoff Prediction: San Francisco 49ers Punish the New York Giants

What should the over/under be on the number of Giants players carted off the field after a punishing hit by a member of the 49ers defense?

Official odds by the Vegas betting pundits aside, let’s establish the mark at 1.5

I’ll take the over.

Without sounding like a calloused, unsympathetic brute, knocking key players out of an NFL game creates a discernible advantage for the team doing the knocking.

We need not look any further than the Saints-49ers matchup last week at Candlestick Park to locate a glaring example.

The Saints mounted an impressive opening drive that lands them deep in 49ers territory. They were poised to take the crucial first lead of the game. The pressure was on. The home team had to get a stop.

At 3rd-and-6 from the SF 11-yard line, Drew Brees threw a quick pass to running back Pierre Thomas. He dashed toward the end zone until…

SPLAT!—he ran into the brick wall known on this particular play as Donte Whitner.

Thomas went limp. His soul ached.

After coughing up the football, Patrick Willis recovered. Thomas left the game, concussed.

Adios, Saints' best interior runner and three-headed rushing attack.

The Giants will experience much of the same come Sunday. Perhaps not Mr. Hulking-Caveman-Brandon Jacobs, but certainly one of the more dainty wide receivers, say, Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz.

You’re not salsa-ing your way out of this one, pal.

Ending this heartwarming tangent, a significant advantage—and catalyst for the Niners' win—will come by way of an injury to a Giants’ vital offensive playmaker.

I do not advocate malicious, injury-causing hits. Nor will I conjecture as to who exactly will leave the game or be severely hampered by a 49ers bone-jarring tackle.

I will say, however, that the Red and Gold’s use of devastating physicality will neutralize the eye-popping speed of the G-Men’s wideouts. That in turn will upset the timing of the routes and limit the widely (and deservedly) proclaimed elite Eli Manning and his options on offense.

The Niners will quash the Giants’ recently effective power run game with their front seven, consequently forcing Manning to operate a one-dimensional system with fewer weapons than he’s accustomed.

The purely athletic and sideline-to-sideline coverage abilities of the linebackers will takeaway much of the underneath routes by Ahmad Bradshaw and other possession receivers.

Combine the last few arguments and Eli has suddenly found himself face-deep in the mud n’ the muck of a sloppy Candlestick field, once again something more than he’s accustomed.

Aldon, Justin—play nice.

In the Week 10 matchup between these two teams, Manning took advantage of a chink in the 49ers’ defensive armor—DBs in coverage—with a deep scoring play to Nicks and nearly another to Mario Manningham.

On the flip side, he also threw two interceptions to Carlos Rogers on deep balls intended for the aforementioned Manningham and Victor Cruz. (Quick aside: redemption for Rogers and his days in the NFC East, to be sure.)

Count on more of those interceptions from the ball-hawking 49ers secondary—this time made easier after hammering the wide receivers with lethal, but legal hits.

Also count on those—along with the well-documented recipe of a healthy Frank Gore rushing attack, timely Alex Smith passes, dominant special teams and a positive turnover margin—to contribute to the W for the home team.

In the words of Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty, this most definitely will be a bloodbath.

Just one with the Niners doing less of the bleeding.

Prediction: 49ers 29, Giants 23