The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Big Blue sinks to new low
49ERS 31, GIANTS 21 Previously winless 49ers cruise to win
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the clock ticked down, coach Kyle Shanahan got doused with some Gatorade on a celebratory sideline for the San Francisco 49ers.
This win had been a long time coming.
C.J. Beathard threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score to lead the 49ers to their first win of the season with a 31-21 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.
“You lose nine in a row, you learn to savor the moment and enjoy these,” Shanahan said. “It was tough work to get our first win and we got it. The guys knew how much it meant to me and I knew how much it meant to them.”
Beathard connected on an 83-yard TD to Marquise Goodwin and a 47-yarder to Garrett Celek in the second quarter as the 49ers (1-9) took advantage of another listless effort by the Giants (1-8) to win for the first time under coach Kyle Shanahan.
The performance will only heighten the questions about whether the Giants will need to change coaches. Ben McAdoo has been under fire after a report this past week from ESPN that quoted an anonymous player as saying the players have given up on the season and don’t view McAdoo as a leader.
The Giants have not fired a coach during the season since 1976 when Bill Arnsparger was let go after a 0-7 start and replaced by John McVay, who had more success as an executive who helped build the 49ers dynasty in the 1980s.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with anything,” McAdoo said of his job security. “We have to
find a way to win a game. We have to address what happened out here on the field today, take a look at the tape and be honest with each other.”
This was a historically bad matchup, marking the first time in 33 years that two teams with only one combined win met this late in a season. Then the teams committed three penalties before the second offensive play of the game.
The Niners were the only team to pick up their play from there, using the two big TD passes from Beathard to take a halftime lead and then dominating the second half.
Even the Giants special teams had issues with Aldrick Rosas setting up a San Francisco field goal by sending the opening kick out of bounds and then missing a 34-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half.
“We got schooled,” cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said. “I did not see enough relentless play, attitude. You name it, I did not see it. Everything we should have done, I felt we did not do it.”
GO-TO GUY
Giants rookie TE Evan Engram caught a TD pass for the fourth straight game as he has excelled after Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris were all lost for the season. Engram has five TD catches, tying the Giants record for a rookie tight end set by Bob Tucker in 1970.
GO DEEP
The 49ers used the deep pass to great success with the 83yarder to Goodwin the longest TD pass for San Francisco since Tim Rattay and Brandon Lloyd connected on an 89-yarder on Sept. 25, 2005, against Dallas.
ANTHEM PROTEST
Three players took a knee during the national anthem. Goodwin and Eric Reid protested for the 49ers while Vernon was the only Giants player to do it. No one else kneeled during the afternoon games on Veterans Day weekend.
“Our protest is against systemic oppression like we always say,” Reid said. “I didn’t feel the need to stand today. I have a military background in my family. I’ve spoken to family members who don’t feel disrespected.”
INJURIES
DT Damon Harrison (ankle), LG Justin Pugh (back) and LB Kelvin Sheppard (groin) left the game with injuries for the Giants.