Niner Noise teamed up with fellow FanSided site, GMEN HQ, to chat the SF 49ers and NY Giants’ slew of crucial injuries ahead of Week 3.
In many ways, both the SF 49ers and NY Giants wish Week 2 never happened. Particularly from New York’s perspective, as the 0-2 Giants saw their early season prospects fall apart in a road loss to the Chicago Bears.
While the Niners pulled off a win at MetLife Stadium, the same venue where they’ll be playing the Giants in Week 3, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad ran the gauntlet of injuries, losing the likes of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (knee), running backs Raheem Mostert (knee) and Tevin Coleman (knee), nose tackle D.J. Jones (ankle) and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (knee).
The most devastating loss of all, however, was losing EDGE Nick Bosa. He joins Thomas with season-ending ACL tears, and San Francisco’s pass rush won’t look anything like what it was expected to be for the remainder of 2020.
But if you were to ask Giants fans, their biggest concern was the loss of superstar running back Saquon Barkley, who was carted off with an ACL tear of his own in Chicago last Sunday.
Brutal. Absolutely brutal.
This Sunday’s Week 3 bout between the Niners and G-Men might seem like an afterthought in the wake of such horrible injuries. Yet to preview the contest, Niner Noise went behind enemy lines to our sister FanSided site covering the Giants, GMEN HQ, and specifically one of their contributors, Danny Friedman, to break down the game.
Here’s what Friedman had to say in our friendly Q&A session.
On the NY Giants having to overcome Saquon Barkley’s injury in Week 3 vs. SF 49ers
NN: The Giants losing running back Saquon Barkley to a season-ending ACL tear is a devastating blow. With him out, how would you expect New York’s offense to adjust for the rest of the season? Who must the key players be in stepping up in Barkley’s absence?
"GMEN: The absence of Saquon Barkley is catastrophic to the Giants’ offense. There is no underestimating his importance to the offense and the whole organization. Without him, you are going to see a whole new approach to the run game with a platoon of Wayne Gallman, Dion Lewis, and probably somebody else not currently on the roster. The play of the offensive line, even with Saquon, has been completely unable to get any movement in the trenches or create holes for the running backs. Opposing defenders have made a consistent habit of living in the Giants backfield on run plays so far. The ball will have to be spread around much more. The ball will likely need to get out Jones’ hands fast as teams should key on the passing game. Darius Slayton, Evan Engram, and Golden Tate need to step up in Saquon (and Sterling Shepard’s) places this week. They will be key to keeping the offense afloat amidst their struggles right now."
If NY Giants’ Daniel Jones avoid turnovers vs. SF 49ers defense?
NN: Quarterback Daniel Jones did enough his rookie season to impress and suggest he’ll be a long-term answer. But with Barkley out, Jones loses a key weapon in the run game, and many a young QB needs that to succeed. What are your expectations for Jones going forward, and where would you like to see him improve?
"GMEN: Jones needs to show he can eliminate turnovers. We can only talk about it for so long. As long as fumbles and interceptions keep popping up, the concerns won’t shy away and will only loom larger. My expectation is that Jones will continue to struggle with turnovers especially behind an untrustworthy offensive line. Jones has looked sharp in the short and the intermediate passing game which is the vast majority of this offense. He needs to improve on his pocket awareness, feeling pressure, creating more plays outside the pocket/on the run, and cut down on the turnovers. He has the arm talent to make plays as seen by his perfect 41-yard throw to Slayton for a touchdown Week 1. He is a sneaky athlete, who can use his legs to get first downs, and he should probably utilize his running ability more often instead of waiting for the pocket to break down and collapse. He had a chance to win the game last Sunday but unfortunately couldn’t get the job done in crunch time. He has to show he can have a clean game, with few mistakes or as few to zero turnovers as possible."
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."
Who NY Giants’ focal points are on banged-up SF 49ers squad
NN: The SF 49ers are also banged up a lot, particularly after losing defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas to torn ACLs. But quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) could be out. Same with running backs Raheem Mostert (knee) and Tevin Coleman (knee). Tight end George Kittle (knee) is also a question mark. With those weapons out, which players on the Niners you think become focal points for the Giants?
"GMEN: The Niners injuries this week were ludicrous for any football team. Losing your quarterback, runningback, star pass-rusher, and more key guys is an overwhelming challenge to overcome. With these players out, the main focus becomes Nick Mullens on offense and Javon Kinlaw on defense. Nick Mullens is the Niners’ No. 2 quarterback, and I expect him to be fully up to the challenge of beating Big Blue this week. C.J. Beathard beat the Giants in 2017 as the backup and picked up the Niners’ first win of the season at 0-9, so there is a blueprint for victory here for San Fran. Mullens has looked shaky in his limited snaps to start his career and must settle down his game Sunday. His performance will make-or-break the game for the Niners. Kinlaw must replace Nick Bosa and Salomon Thomas’ production on the D-line this week. Kinlaw was a highly touted first-round draft choice this year and will be thrust into a larger role as the unit has been swarmed with injuries."
Week 3 X-factors for both teams, why the NY Giants or SF 49ers win
NN: What do you think are some key X-factors to Week 3 for both teams? If the Giants win, why? And if the Niners win, how do they go about doing it?
"GMEN: Some key X-factors this week will be Evan Engram on offense and Markus Golden on defense for New York. Engram must become a safety valve for Daniel Jones in a new pass-first approach to the offense without Saquon. Golden has been quiet so far and seen limited snaps through Week 2. The Giants defense needs him to produce like last season and go hunting after Mullens and force him to make plays under pressure. More from Niner Noise Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft My X-factors for the Niners is Trent Williams on offense and Fred Warner, along with Kwon Alexander, on defense. The 49ers offensive line has struggled to protect their quarterbacks so far, to a tune of six sacks allowed in two games. The Giants have six sacks in two games and will be sure to make an increased emphasis of getting to the quarterback this week. Mullens needs his left tackle, Williams, to steady the line’s play and give Mullens time to make plays downfield. Warner and Alexander command the team’s linebacker unit which is the only group on the defense not currently out of shape due to injury. Both very talented players, Alexander and Warner need to keep the defense intact and cause havoc to the Giants offense. If the Giants win, it’ll be because they don’t shoot themselves in the foot and miss opportunities given to them. They need to play a clean, sound game and take advantage of a severely depleted 49ers team that has major question marks all over the roster. On defense, they must make Mullens look like a struggling, backup player and force turnovers to win the game. With that, they need to score points off turnovers which they have struggled to do so far. If the SF 49ers win, it’ll be due to their ability to adapt and work with whatever they got on the team. The 49ers are still a better team than N.Y. and they have been much better in recent years. Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson must keep the run game as strong as it’s been lately. The defense has to harass Jones and keep his turnovers struggles a present issue. The 49ers must put on the same performance as last week and play without their team’s biggest guys all sitting out with injuries. They kept the Jets offense at bay all game and must do the same with the Giants this week."
We’d like to sincerely thank Daniel Friedman and our friends over at GMEN HQ. Please be sure to follow them on Twitter — @GMENHQ — and give Friedman a follow as well — @DannyFriedman28.
The SF 49ers and NY Giants kick off from MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.