Giants vs. 49ers: How San Francisco Used Poor Field Conditions to Its Advantage

In a game with less-than-ideal field conditions, the San Francisco 49ers had the right idea in their loss to the New York Giants. 

The 49ers immediately tried to run the ball. It's the golden rule of mud-pit battles: pound the rock.

And Frank Gore had some success. He gained 74 yards on 16 carries. Kendall Hunter and Alex Smith added another 73 rushing yards, giving the team an impressive total.

The team also made a noticeable effort to feed Gore the ball on passing plays. The former Miami Hurricane caught six passes for 45 yards.

Of the other three players to catch passes, two were tight ends. These bigger-bodied players don't struggle as much on the slippery field and can still gain traction. Vernon Davis certainly did so, as he caught three passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

San Francisco's biggest advantage came when they were on defense. The 49ers have a fantastic defense in perfect offensive conditions, but in this weather, it was even better.

Sure, Eli Manning was fairly successful, as he threw for 316 yards. But, he passed the ball 58 times. Of course he was going to gain some yards.

Ahmad Bradshaw wasn't nearly as successful. The New York offensive line struggled to gain any traction on the slippery field, and the 49ers benefited from it. Bradshaw rushed for a meager 74 yards on 20 carries and did not score any touchdowns.

The team's other running back, Brandon Jacobs, was even worse: rushing for only 13 yards on five carries.

The 49ers recognized New York's offensive limitations and attacked Eli Manning. San Francisco sacked Manning six times, partially because of their aggressive defense.

Manning faced constant pressure. If his wide receivers had been able to move more quickly, maybe he would have been able to make the 49ers pay for their blitzes. But San Francisco knew he wouldn't be able to.

Overall, San Francisco tried their hardest to use the weather to their advantage. Sometimes, that just isn't enough, though, and the 49ers still lost.