Giants vs. 49ers: Comparing San Francisco's Two Performances Against New York

What a great day of NFL playoff action on Sunday.  My nervous system is still out of whack and my heart rate is still in overdrive.  In an article I published yesterday, I did an analysis of the New York Giants versus the San Francisco 49ers matchup from Week 10 and pointed out the five key areas in which the 49ers needed to improve in order to beat the Giants in the NFC championship game. 

Now unless you’re living under a rock—and if so I suggest you find better real estate, as interest rates are at record lows—you know that the 49ers lost the game.  The game was hard fought on both sides, but in the end it came down to one of the biggest in-game buzzwords: TURNOVERS! 

Looking back at yesterday’s game, let’s evaluate the five areas of improvement needed and see how the Niners measured up yesterday.

Time of Possession

Week 10: Giants - 34:37, 49ers - 25:23

NFC Championship: Giants - 39:36, 49ers - 28:18

The Giants once again dominated the time of possession battle.  The Giants had three drives longer than four minutes while the 49ers produced only two. 

The 49ers’ woes can be traced back to one thing: third down inefficiency.  The Niners finished one- for-13 on third down (more on that later).  Although the defense held the Giants down for much of the game, by the middle of the fourth quarter the defensive line started to look a little worn down. 

Why wouldn’t they? The Niners’ defense spent almost 60 percent of the game on the field.

Defensive Third Downs

Week 10: Giants - 7 of 14

NFC Championship: Giants - 7 of 21

Initially, the Giants picked apart the 49ers’ defense on third down.  The Giants started off five-for-seven on third down, led by Victor Cruz’s three catches for 65 yards during that span.  Their average third down distance was five yards. 

The 49ers’ defense held them to two-for-14 the rest of the way and Cruz didn’t have another catch on third down.  They also forced the Giants into some longer yardage situations, pushing the distance to eight yards. 

Four of the Niners’ six sacks also occurred on third down.

Red Zone Efficiency

Week 10: 49ers - 1 of 3

NFC Championship: 0 of 1

The 49ers inability to sustain drives on third down resulted in a single red-zone opportunity. 

The drive started off promising with the offense converting three straight first downs, led by Alex Smith’s 17-yard run and Kendall Hunter’s 18-yard run.  After Frank Gore’s five yard gain on 1st-and-10 at the Giants’ 15-yard line, the offense stalled gaining only three yards on the next two plays. 

Although Vernon Davis has been outstanding this postseason, the Niners lack a true No. 1 or big-play receiver they can look for in the red zone.  This will most certainly need to be addressed in the offseason—Vincent Jackson anyone?

Third Down Efficiency

Week 10: 49ers - 3 of 11

NFC Championship: 49ers - 1 of 13

Aside from Kyle Williams' turnovers, I would imagine that this was hands down the most anger-inducing component in the game for 49ers fans. 

This stat line should actually read “0 of 12” considering that the lone third down completion occurred on a pointless play at the end of regulation.  The 49ers’ overall performance on third down was probably one of the worst I have ever seen, or at least in a playoff game.

With an average down and distance of 3rd-and-8, clearly first and second downs weren’t very successful either.  Poor third down play affects so many aspects of the game:

• Shorter drives; defenses are on the field longer
• Less red-zone opportunities
• Pressure on the special teams to ensure bad opposing field position

San Francisco must find a consistent option or go-to-guy on third down; a Victor Cruz, Wes Welker or Antonio Brown-type of player.

Rushing Attack

Week 10: 49ers - 20 carries, 77 yards

NFC Championship: 49ers - 28 carries, 150 yards

The 49ers ran the ball more effectively this time around, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.  Frank Gore led the way with 16 carries for 74 yards—a 4.6 yards per carry average. 

The running game was good statistically, but due to the 49ers opting to throw on many of their second and third down plays it limited the opportunities for the rushing game to be more effective. 

Had the 49ers continued running the ball, it would have allowed the offense to choose better situations to throw the ball and would have possibly resulted in more first downs.

The Niners’ offense is built around running the football.  Although Gore’s 16 carries were near his season average—17 carries per game—with the weather conditions as bad as they were, it could only have helped the team.

Follow Walt J. as he gives his no-holds-barred opinions on the NFL and other sports topics on his blog, "Live From AREA 49." You can also follow him on Twitter @area49sports.