Dissecting the Critical Matchups in the SF 49ers' Week 11 Contest with NY Giants
The San Francisco 49ers host the New York Giants Sunday, November 16. The 49ers improved their record to 5-4 with a hard-fought road victory in New Orleans. Meanwhile, the Giants have lost four straight and currently stand at 3-6.
The 49ers welcome the return of Aldon Smith after serving his nine-game suspension. However, the return of one star has been muted because of the news that Patrick Willis has been lost for the season, per Tyler Emerick of the 49ers' website.
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There are several key matchups to focus on when the 49ers meet the Giants this Sunday.
The first one features Chris Borland against the interior of the New York offensive line. Borland has 35 tackles to lead the team in the past two games. He has been all over the field making plays and has helped to minimize the loss of Willis.
The next matchup to focus on involves Smith, who will likely play primarily on passing downs. He will be matched up against left tackle Will Beatty. It will be interesting to see what kind of football shape Smith is in and if he can get pressure on New York quarterback Eli Manning.
Over the past two seasons, Beatty has started every game for the Giants. If he is able to stymie Smith's pass rush, it will give Manning an opportunity to find his top two receivers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle.
The next crucial matchup to watch is Beckham Jr. against the San Francisco cornerbacks. Depending on the formation, Beckham will likely be guarded by Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox or Tramaine Brock.
Beckham was selected 12th overall in the 2014 NFL draft. It is essential for the 49ers to contain him, as the rookie has come on strong. In the Giants' past two games, Beckham has 15 receptions for 264 yards and an average of 17.6 yards per catch.
When the 49ers have the ball, everything starts with the offensive line. The line has played very poorly this year, especially in pass protection. The 49ers have allowed 31 sacks already this season. Only the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed more.
Right tackle Anthony Davis will battle defensive ends Mathias Kiwanuka or Robert Ayers, who often plays on passing downs. Davis missed all of training camp due to injury and has only played in four games this year. He has often looked slow and has been beaten off the line on far too many instances.
Davis will need to keep Kiwanuka and Ayers, who leads the Giants with four sacks, out of the backfield.
Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will go up against three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley. Pierre-Paul has 47 total tackles, including 3.5 sacks.
If Staley and Davis cannot keep the Giant defensive ends off of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, it will be another long day for the 49ers offense.
The 49ers went back to a more run-oriented approach last Sunday against the Saints. The results were positive, with the 49ers racking up 144 yards on the ground.
The commitment to the ground game was evident, as Frank Gore had 23 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown. Carlos Hyde was very effective with 36 yards and a touchdown on only four carries. Kaepernick chipped in with another 24 yards on four attempts.
At 404.9 yards per game, the Giants defense allows more yards than any team in the league. They are also the worst against the run, allowing 144.7 yards per game. This should bode very well for the 49ers, as they were much more diligent with the ground game last week.
Watch Gore against linebackers Jacquian Williams and Jameel McClain. The concerns about whether Gore has lost a step are largely unfounded, as the offensive line has not consistently opened holes for him.
Williams leads the Giants with 78 tackles, and McClain is second with 59. Look for offensive coordinator Greg Roman to once again be persistent with the run, and we should see good performances from both Gore and Hyde.
The final matchup pits Kaepernick against the defensive secondary of the Giants. The Giants have three solid defensive backs in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Antrel Rolle and Quintin Demps.
However, with starting cornerback Prince Amukamara suffering a season-ending injury last week against the Colts, Jayron Hosley will assume the starting role. Hosley is in his third season in the league but has only nine prior starts. When the 49ers pass, look for them to challenge Hosley.
With two games remaining against the Seattle Seahawks and one with the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers cannot afford to stumble against the Giants. The 49ers still face an uphill climb to make the playoffs, so every victory is precious.
Individual players stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com
Team stats courtesy of NFL.com
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