Giants vs. 49ers: 7 Players Who Must Step Up Most for New York on Sunday

The NFC Championship is just days away, and you can already feel the excitement that will be emanating from Candlestick Park on Sunday evening. The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers will do battle for the eighth time in the playoffs, the sixth in San Francisco. 

Many are giving the Giants the slight edge so far, and some are even surprised the Giants are not favored by the odds makers. 

I would be careful. The 49ers are a very dangerous team with a coach that can motivate with the best of them. 

That said, here are seven players that will need to step up for the Giants to pull off the upset on the road. 

Linval Joseph

The 49ers offense is predicated on the ability to establish the run and physically dominate throughout the entire game. 

The last time these two played, the Giants shut down Frank Gore and that vaunted running game to the tune of just 77 yards on 20 carries. 

In order for the Giants to win this time they need a repeat performance, meaning Linval Joseph needs to step up. 

He has been one of the more underrated defensive players on the Giants this year, mostly because he comes out in passing situations. 

But against the run he had a very solid second half of the season and is continuing that success in the playoffs. 

Chris Canty

Chris Canty is just as important in the running game as Linval Joseph, but he also has another job—getting pressure up the middle on Alex Smith. 

Quarterbacks hate pressure up the middle, and if Canty can bother Smith enough it will allow the dynamic quartet of pass rushers (Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka) to get to Smith and bring him down. 

Justin Tuck

I could have put any of the pass rushers on this list, but I get the feeling that when Justin Tuck is playing well, the defense responds. 

They know how much Tuck played hurt this season, and when they see their captain putting it all on the line for his team, it elevates the play of everyone else around him. 

Tuck is also very important to the run game. When he was missing this year due to injury the run game clearly suffered. 

Hopefully he can stay on the field against the 49ers. 

Mathias Kiwanuka

Another one of the many unsung heroes on this Giants defense, Mathias Kiwanuka will be even more important against a team like the 49ers. 

This keeps the theme of stopping the run going, as Kiwanuka has been far and away the best linebacker against the rush for the Giants. 

He continues to make plays and gives the Giants flexibility to bring him down on the line to rush the passer on known passing situations. 

Kiwanuka may be the most important player for the Giants' defense on Sunday. 

Kareem McKenzie

Kareem McKenzie has been a staple at right tackle for a long time for the Giants, and in the most important game of the year the Giants need him to step up. 

He will have his hands full with rookie outside linebacker Aldon Smith.

Smith had 14 sacks this season despite being a pass rushing specialist, playing mostly on third downs. He is a monster off the edge and McKenzie will have to be on top of his game to protect Eli Manning. 

The Giants will likely not be able to run the ball very effectively, so the offensive line has to keep Eli upright in order to move the ball through the air. 

David Diehl

Ever since the Giants lost Will Beatty for the season in early November, David Diehl has been doing a good job filling in at left tackle.

This weekend he has the daunting task of blocking Justin Smith, who is widely regarded as one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in football. 

The last time these two teams met, the Giants offensive line did a great job protecting Eli Manning, allowing just one sack and three hits on him. 

They need a repeat performance if they want to win on Sunday. 

Eli Manning

You are used to this slide by now right? The only way the Giants can win this game is if Eli Manning continues to play at a high level. 

The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL, so the Giants better hope they get the good Eli this weekend. 

It should be a great game.