Giants vs. 49ers: Why Offensive Line Play Will Determine Fate of Both Teams

Both the Giants and 49ers have been consistent in a few areas. The Niners have been one of the most solid teams across the board in in terms of defense and special teams, while the Giants have been getting great play from Eli Manning week in and week out. 

However, both team have had ups and downs on their offensive line all season long.

The 49ers' line has struggled in pass protection for most of the season, specifically in blitz pickup. Joe Staley, despite his outstanding block on Alex Smith's long touchdown run, has been a bit disappointing this season. On the other side, Anthony Davis has been a liability all season at right tackle. 

San Francisco will need their line to hold up against the likes of Pierre-Paul, Umenyiora, and Tuck to give Alex Smith time to attack the Giants' average secondary. If they struggle, they will need to keep Vernon Davis in to block more, which takes away a big-time target from the 49ers. They will also need their line to establish a running game with Frank Gore to slow down the Giants' pass-rushers and take pressure off of Alex Smith. 

The issues on the Giants' line have been masked by the terrific play of Eli Manning all season, but they will face their toughest task yet against the front seven of the 49ers. They are running the ball better as of late, but they struggle against good defenses. 

We all know about the amount of talent they have in guys like Justin and Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. But the 49ers are one of the best stunting teams in football and will create a lot of confusion for the Giants. To give Eli enough time to create the big plays the Giants have lived on will be the key to generating offense against the excellent front of the San Francisco 49ers.

The forecast of rain will play a significant factor in this game. While it may seem like the rain would favor the "close to the vest" offense for the 49ers, I believe it actually will favor the Giants more. The rain will slow down the 49ers pass rush, as their best edge rusher, Aldon Smith, is reliant on his speed and quickness off the ball to run around tackles. 

Should the Giants hole their own against the speed of the 49er defense, they will have enough success to outscore the likes of Alex Smith.