49ers catch a break as Giants lose Barkley, maybe Shepard UP NEXT
What if we told you the 49ers have actually had some good fortune with injuries this season?
Would you call us crazy? Delusional? Maybe worse?
Before getting too worked up and rattling off the long list of the 49ers’ wounded, consider that this coming Sunday could be the second consecutive game San Francisco’s opponent will be without both its star running back and top wide receiver.
The New York Giants will welcome the 49ers back to their house of horrors — aka MetLife Stadium — without Saquon Barkley, perhaps the NFL’s best running back, who went down with a season-ending torn ACL during his team’s 17-13 loss to the Bears. Sterling Shepard, the Giants’ No. 1 receiver, limped off the field with a toe injury at the end of the first half and may not face the 49ers either.
The Giants’ injury woes not only stack up with some of those suffered by the 49ers, they mirror the pain endured by the Jets, who were walloped by San Francisco on Sunday with star tailback Le’Veon Bell (hamstring) and top receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring) nowhere to be found.
Three reasons for 49ers’ optimism
GIANTS’ LINE STRUGGLES CONTINUE >> After a rough Week 1, the Giants’ line play was only slightly better in their loss to the Bears on Sunday. New York’s offensive linemen have allowed an eye-popping 56 pressures through two games, just one fewer than the Texans’ NFL worst 57. The Giants line has only created enough room for 104 yards rushing, including just six from Barkley on Sunday. Most concerning for the Giants has been the play of rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas. He was regularly beaten in pass protection against the Bears. Of course, the Bears have Khalil Mack rushing the passer. Even the Raiders will admit he’s no ordinary guy.
TAKING A RUN AT THE GIANTS >> Should Nick Mullens get the start at quarterback over Jimmy Garoppolo (high-ankle sprain), we
Sunday: 49ers at Giants, 10 a.m., FOX can probably expect a heavy dose of running the ball for the 49ers.
The Giants’ defensive linemen — Leonard Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson, Dexter Lawrence and BJ Hill -- get solid grades as run-stuffers, according to ProFootballFocus.com. But the foursome couldn’t prevent the Steelers and Bears from piling up 141 yards and 135 yards, respectively, against the Giants this season.
But New York also had the league’s fourth-worst pass-rush grade last season among linemen. The general lack of pressure up front has made it easier for Ben Roethlisberger and Mitch Trubisky to attack Giants defensive backs not named James Bradberry — mainly Corey Ballentine and Isaac Yiadom.
Staying clear of Bradberry is probably wise for the 49ers, considering he’s coming off another outstanding game — he had an interception, three passes broken up and allowed just one catch on six targets against the Bears. GIANTS’ NOW-DEPLETED RUNNING ATTACK >> You obviously just don’t get over the loss of a premier back such as Barkley, and the Giants don’t seem equipped to be able to rebound from his loss.
The discouraging thing about the loss of Barkley is that New York already had enough trouble running the ball with him in the game. He only gained 34 yards in 19 carries over the 1 1/2 games he played this season. Overall, Giants have just 55 yards on 30 carries. Veteran Dion Lewis had just 20 yards on 10 carries. Lewis, has primarily been a third-down specialist for the Titans, Patriots and Eagles. It’s possible Wayne Gallman will be the man to step into Barkley’s shoes.
It was Gallman who took over an injured Barkley’s load in Week 3 last year and had 118 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
Three reasons for 49ers’ pessimism
IN MULLENS WE TRUST? >> Garoppolo’s high ankle sprain could very well prevent him from playing, which would mean it’s Mullens time again. Forced into second-half duty in the 49ers’ win over the Jets, Mullens looked like a man who hasn’t thrown a pass in two years, which was the case. His last real action came in 2018 when he started eight games after Garoppolo tore his ACL. Mullens started eight games — with just three wins — and threw for 2,277 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. On Sunday, Mullens completed 8-of-11 passes for 71 yards, but he threw an interception and didn’t appear confident in the pocket. He was sacked twice and if the 25-year-old isn’t able to settle down against the Giants, the 49ers may be in trouble.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE 49ERS’ INJURY LIST? >> The Giants will enter Sunday’s game as an underdog, but they also won’t have to worry about a lot of the 49ers’ top level talent. The 49ers’ talent advantage takes a hit if they’re without Garoppolo, Nick Bosa (knee), George Kittle (knee), Raheem Mostert (knee), Richard Sherman (calf) and Deebo Samuel (foot), as many expect. The 49ers who will suit up are probably dreading having to venture back onto the “sticky” artificial turf at MetLife Stadium.
“It was something our guys were concerned about right away,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “And the results definitely made that stronger. Unfortunately, it’s a place we have to go back to next week.”
A MATCHUP NIGHTMARE? >> When things went wrong, the Giants got creative. With both Barkley and Shepard knocked out of Sunday’s game with injuries, New York slid tight end Evan Engram way down the line to wide receiver. He played 35 snaps at receiver and 28 at tight end. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Engram was a tough matchup for Bears and he grabbed a team-leading six passes for a team-best 65 yards Sunday while flashing some of his rookie-season magic. He could very well cause similar issues for 49ers corners, should the Giants flank him out again. The Giants’ 2017 No. 1 pick has set 18 team records for a tight end, most of them as a rookie while catching 64 passes for 722 yards and six touchdowns. But injuries limited Engram to just 14 games the past two seasons — he was stellar when on the field, though, catching 44 catches in just six games last year.