SF 49ers vs. NY Giants: Looking at all those injuries with GMEN HQ

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Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

How Kyle Shanahan, SF 49ers attack the Giants defense

NN: Let’s talk the Giants defense. It’s been only two games, but what are the biggest strengths and weaknesses you’ve seen from this side of the ball? And if you were the SF 49ers, how would you go about attacking New York’s defense this Sunday?

"GMEN: The Giants defense has been a pleasant surprise to start off the season. The defense has kept the offense in both games and has given them multiple opportunities to win or take leads that they could not take advantage of. Right now, the concerns with the defense come at cornerback, where depth is a major issue behind James Bradberry, No. 24. Corey Ballentine has struggled mightily through two games as the No. 2 cornerback and he let up a costly touchdown last week. Blake Martinez has been a key addition to the team and has been a rock in the middle as the team’s MIKE. Lorenzo Carter has had a nice start to 2020 and has played well. The defense’s biggest struggle has been getting off the field on third-downs, getting support from their cornerbacks behind Bradberry, and fixing the run defense. The Giants’ run D has looked stellar for large chunks of both first halves of the season so far. Unfortunately, both games have seen the Giants defense get gashed up late in the game leaving the opposing offense on the field and losing valuable time while trailing. Also, the Giants have run a unique “amoeba” package where they have several guys near the line of scrimmage all standing up to confuse the offense and not reveal who’s rushing and who will be dropping into coverage. If I’m Kyle Shanahan, I am attacking the Giants with pre-snap motions, deceptions, and unique looks on offense. The defense has struggled in zone coverage and letting guys get loose in the open field. The secondary is misaligned with several young players and newcomers all mish-moshing together. The Niners should focus on attacking the linebackers in the flats and challenging the secondary in the deep middle third of the field."