NY Giants take considerable steps backward in non-competitive loss to undermanned 49ers

EAST RUTHERFORD — The 49ers were the team without at least one star player at seemingly every position, including quarterback and their best defensive player. 

The Giants ended up looking like the team that was dramatically undermanned, and they were outclassed in every facet. Joe Judge is still searching for his first victory as head coach, and he had to watch his team take considerable steps backward in Sunday's defeat to the 49ers, overwhelmed for much of the afternoon as San Francisco picked up its second win at MetLife Stadium in as many weeks.

The 49ers are the defending NFC champions and, even though a lot of names that contributed to the Giants' latest misery started the season as backups, the performance left no doubt as to which side is built for a playoff run and which one is still woefully caught in a frustrating rebuild with no clear end in sight.

The Giants (0-3) made Nick Mullens, starting in place of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, look like Joe Montana. He completed 25-of-36 for 343 yards and a touchdown. Big Blue was overmatched in their first game without Saquon Barkley, and quarterback Daniel Jones had two more turnovers, leading to more questions about his ability to take care of the football. He has thrown four picks in three games, but this one late in the first half on an errant pass to Evan Engram was a bad decision.

The Giants' offense reached the red zone just once in the game, and that was on a Jones' completion to Darius Slayton, who promptly fumbled after the catch late in the fourth quarter.

49ers 23, Giants 9

Kyle Shanahan's mind is avoiding injury inside MetLife Stadium, that's for sure. Such a great play call after the 49ers marched methodically down the field against the Giants' offense with a jet sweep to rookie Brandon Aiyuk, who had his choice of blockers on the way to the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown run.

It's as if the 49ers realized Aiyuk is their most talented offensive player in the game. He caught three passes for 39 yards on the drive. The Giants trail 23-9.

49ers 16, Giants 9

The Giants had possession for just over seven minutes in the first half, and they kept the ball for only about a minute fewer on their opening drive of the third quarter.

They mixed in some zone read option with Daniel Jones again, and converted a fourth down when Evan Engram made a nice catch away from his body to move the chains.

Offsetting penalties negated a long Jones run into the red zone, ultimately forcing the Giants to settle for Graham Gano's third field goal, pulling within 16-9.

Halftime: 49ers 16, Giants 6

The heat is cranked up on Daniel Jones, and there's no escaping it at the moment. The Giants' quarterback was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner on a pass that was behind Evan Engram, allowing San Francisco to tack on Robbie Gould's third field goal of the first half.

The Giants have followed a similar script at the end of the second quarter for three weeks now, and the results have been all bad.

They gave up touchdowns to the Steelers and the Bears just before halftime, and with momentum in their favor against the 49ers, following a sack by Leonard Williams, San Francisco faced a third-and-22. So surely, the Giants couldn't give that up, right?

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Well, yeah, think again. Rookie Darnay Holmes was called for illegal contact in coverage, and instead of stopping the 49ers, which they did, the penalty moved the chains and gave San Francisco a first down. 

Then Kyler Fackrell missed a tackle that allowed Ross Dwelley to squirt free for another long gain and a first down. Jerick McKinnon did the rest, dancing into the end zone four plays later and an eventual 13-6 lead. Gould's third field goal put the Giants down by double digits.

The Giants lost Jabrill Peppers in the first quarter when he sustained an ankle injury on the field goal defensive unit when Robbie Gould hit the first of his two field goals.

Daniel Jones' errant pitch that Evan Engram failed to handle on an end around resulted in another fumble for the Giants in the first quarter. The defense held the 49ers to a field goal, though.

James Bradberry and Logan Ryan have played well in the secondary, each with a pair of pass breakups. 

Pregame

The Giants are seeking their first victory of the Joe Judge era against a depleted 49ers team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last season.

This is hardly a layup for Big Blue, which will play its first game since losing Saquon Barkley to a torn ACL, an injury sustained last Sunday in Chicago.

There will be pressure on Daniel Jones to avoid the turnover bug that has bit four times in the last two games (three interceptions, a fumble lost). He'll be without Sterling Shepard, who will be out for a minimum of three games with turf toe.

Running back Devonta Freeman, who joined the Giants on Wednesday, is active and he'll be in the backfield mix with Wayne Gallman and Dion Lewis.

The 49ers will start Nick Mullens at quarterback and they'll be without numerous starters, including QB Jimmy Garoppolo and DE Nick Bosa, among others.

Giants inactives: DB Brandon Williams, DB Adrian Colbert, LB TJ Brunson, OT Jackson Barton, TE Eric Tomlinson, DL RJ McIntosh

49ers inactives: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, RB Raheem Mostert, DE Dee Ford, LB Dre Greenlaw, OT Tom Compton, TE George Kittle

Art Stapleton is the Giants beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Giants analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and sign up for our NFC East newsletter.  

Email: stapleton@northjersey.com Twitter: @art_stapleton