5 overreactions from SF 49ers win over NY Giants in Week 3

Niner Noise takes a look at some overreactions following the SF 49ers domination of the NY Giants Week 3.

The SF 49ers played against the NY Giants without their starting quarterback, starting and backup running back, starting wide receiver, starting tight end, starting center, starting left defensive end, starting right defensive end, backup defensive end, strongside linebacker, and starting cornerback.

Did you get all that?

During the game, the Niners lost their second starting cornerback, their new starting running back, their new starting tight end, and their long-snapper had the yips.

That’s more than a dozen injuries, if you’re keeping count.

More than a dozen injuries for the SF 49ers, playing on a field they disliked and against a team with an above-average run defense that could take away their primary offensive attack, and they absolutely decimated the Giants, winning 36-9 in decisive fashion.

Sure, the first half was a struggle. San Francisco’s offense lacked cohesion, and the offensive line was abysmal in both pass protection and run blocking. Backup quarterback Nick Mullens was jittery and off-balance, and the potent rushing attack had no teeth.

However, the 49ers managed to do enough to get to field-goal position every time, with kicker Robbie Gould making two of his three attempts in the first half. The defense played well enough against the Giants to slow them down. New York’s quarterback, Daniel Jones, didn’t have his best performance by any means, including an ugly fumble the 49ers pounced on.

The game flipped on a two-drive stretch where the Niners scored on a Jerick McKinnon rushing touchdown and then got an interception courtesy of linebacker Fred Warner.

After that, the momentum was firmly in the hands of San Francisco.

From there the SF 49ers dominated. The offense got loose, the defense tightened up, and everyone was smiling.

A game like this needs the obligatory “but it was only the Giants,” but the 49ers had less players than last week and were playing a better opponent than last week, yet won by more than last week. But with so many backups playing against such a bad team, and it being only one game, there’s a bevy of overreactions to be had. Some of them may even have merit.

So I’ll find five hot takeaways from this game and determine if they are overreactions or indicative of some greater truth.

Overreaction No. 1: Nick Mullens is the best quarterback on the SF 49ers

I don’t know who said it, but this line about football seems to ring especially true: “The most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback.”

The logic behind this statement, one partially in jest, does make sense. The most important position in football is the quarterback, and most of the time, people want more from their QBs. So the unknown quantity sitting behind him, the mysterious backup quarterback, will always be alluring.

The SF 49ers have a similar situation to this with Nick Mullens and Jimmy Garoppolo, though different in some very important ways. For starters, Mullens had an extended run as a starter following Garoppolo’s ACL tear in 2018, and he played decently, but not spectacularly. He did beat the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks that year, which gives him a high supply of Niner fan cred, but nothing from 2018 indicated that he was the answer at quarterback.

The play of Garoppolo, which can be volatile and at its lows can bog down the offense to a painful halt, has also made Mullens’ allure more and more. Despite Garoppolo’s superb winning record and ability to put the team on his back when he needs to, as he did in the “gauntlet” the 49ers faced last year, people see Mullens as a more secure quarterback for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s needs.

Which is why when Mullens throws for 343 yards on 25 of 36 pass attempts, people think to themselves that maybe it should be Mullens’ time to shine.

And make no mistake, Mullens was quite the sensation… in the second half.

The SF 49ers did not punt the entire game, and their first half was five drives with three field goals made, a missed field goal, and a touchdown. But what counting stats don’t consider is how painful their offense was during the majority of those drives: 10 plays for 41 yards, 12 plays for 28 yards, nine plays for 38 yards, 12 plays for 75 yards, and finally four plays for 24 yards.

That was the extent of the 49ers first half offense.

It’s a clip of 4.38 yards per play, which is not terrible but certainly not great. Mullens made some decent throws in that half, but by and large, he was not looking great. He was off, he was late, and he was not throwing with confidence. Some people talk about throwing players open; Mullens threw wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk covered in the end zone. The offensive line was struggling, and Mullens struggled along with them; he never seemed comfortable.

When, in the second half, the offensive line began to settle in as they wore down the Giants, it comes as no surprise that Mullens settled in and hit a stride. As NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco said:

"Quarterback Nick Mullens made his first start since the end of the 2018 season. At times, it showed. But, ultimately, Mullens managed the game just as coach Kyle Shanahan drew it up."

Compare that with the last half Garoppolo had, on his bum ankle. The Giants are a slightly better team on defense than the Jets, with the same strengths – good run defense.

Garoppolo, as I noted in my position grades from last week threw with great conviction and with high accuracy. He did all this while injured and dealing with constant pressure.

A chart used to detail quarterback efficiency and accuracy from Weeks 2-3 illustrates exactly what I’m trying to say:

Mullens on this chart is on the positive (the top right is where a player should be), but Garoppolo is at a level not even close to being touched.

Mullens is a good backup who could easily be a starter for a number of teams. But whereas Garoppolo has the potential, and has shown the ability, to elevate when he has nothing to work with and the opposite of a clean pocket, Mullens seems to be a high-floor low-ceiling player.

As Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy said in breaking down the “QB controversy”, “it is mutually beneficial to all three parties — Mullens, Jimmy G and the SF 49ers — to have Mullens playing well in Garoppolo’s stead.”

But Garoppolo has done well enough to show he’s still QB1 in San Francisco.

Verdict: Overreaction

Overreaction No. 2: Brandon Aiyuk is the most talented receiver on the SF 49ers

Last year, the SF 49ers wide receivers room had become functionally whittled down to three players by the time the playoffs started: Emmanuel Sanders, Kendrick Bourne, and Deebo Samuel.

When the Niners opened up against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, Sanders had signed with the New Orleans Saints, Samuel broke his foot in the offseason, and Bourne had been thrust in as the primary receiver.

The results were less than adequate.

Weeks 2 and 3 were much better for the SF 49ers, so good that it begs the question how did the offense, now without tight end George Kittle, open up so dramatically?

The truth lies in a mixture of better game-planning, better quarterback play, and worse opponents. But that’s not a fun overreaction. That’s boring reality.

The other notable addition was rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk getting his first NFL action.

In Week 2, Aiyuk wasn’t heavily involved, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t playing well. He got separation on several routes, and most importantly, he was aggressive to the ball, a trait not many SF 49ers receivers possess it seems.

In Week 3, though, Aiyuk was fed the ball, especially to start the third quarter, and good things happened. On eight touches, he had 101 total yards. He was open for two potential touchdowns, but both times Nick Mullens threw an inaccurate pass. He did, however, get on the board with a rushing touchdown on a play Kyle Shanahan used to punish teams with Samuel:

https://twitter.com/NBCS49ers/status/1310295791353753600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1310295791353753600%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fbayarea%2F49ers%2Fbrandon-aiyuk-responds-49ers-early-struggles-strong-finish

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wrote after the game “[Aiyuk]’s earned the right to remain a prominent part of the offense moving forward,” and given how explosive he was, I couldn’t agree more.

Aiyuk’s natural abilities are freakish, especially his wing-span. He reached a top speed of 18.92 miles per hour against the Giants, which is top-level speed. His aggressiveness has already been noted, and his frame is prototypical for a player like Sanders.

Off his physical gifts, and after seeing how much he popped when used in the offense, is it crazy to say Aiyuk is better than Samuel? After all, it wasn’t until Sanders came that Samuel truly emerged.

The short answer is: yes. The long answer is… also yes. While Aiyuk probably slots in as definitely a starting-caliber receiver as of now, and a player who should receive a featured role, he is only a rookie. Shanahan said after the game said Aiyuk had some “struggles” in the first half and that he needed to get more aggressive.

Does Aiyuk look like the real deal? Yes. Is he the best receiver on the SF 49ers right now? Not yet.

Verdict: Overreaction… for now

Overreaction No. 3: The offensive line will be what ends the SF 49ers season

If there has been a single damp spot for the SF 49ers during their destruction of New York football, it has been their offensive line. Left tackle Trent Williams continues to show why he is one of the biggest steals for the Niners in the offseason. And center Ben Garland, who himself is a backup for Weston Richburg, has played relatively well in his return.

That has been about it, though.

Left guard Laken Tomlinson had himself a rough game against the Giants, and it was his allowed sack that took out Jimmy Garoppolo’s ankle. Right guard Daniel Brunskill flashed as a jack-of-all-trades last year, filling in a pinch at any position the SF 49ers needed, but as a consistent starter, the production has not been there. And right tackle Mike McGlinchey, whose run-blocking was All-Pro level and whose pass-blocking was developing, has taken a step back in the early part of the season.

In the first half against the Giants, the pass blocking was bad, as was the run blocking. As a result, the 49ers offense stalled considerably. Perhaps the only thing that kept the game from getting out of hand was the ineptitude of the Giants offense.

In the second half, the blocking took over as the Giants defense was gassed, and the offense hummed beautifully. It’s quite clear: the 49ers offense lives and dies with their offensive line.

If the SF 49ers do end up losing in the playoffs or lose enough regular season games to not make the playoffs, a major theme will be an inability to block opposing rushers, leaving the Niners disjointed and disheartened.

The offensive line does have the capacity to end the SF 49ers season in a flash.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

Overreaction No. 4: The SF 49ers don’t need Nick Bosa or Dee Ford to dominate the trenches

EDGE Nick Bosa is out for the year. Fellow EDGE Dee Ford is out indefinitely with a back issue. The definitive strength of the SF 49ers is now a major question mark.

Yet against the Giants, the defensive line put on quite a performance. They engulfed the Giants rushing attack, sans Daniel Jones scrambles which is a mess of its own, and although they only had two sacks, there was constant pressure.

It looked like the defensive line of last year at times.

An NFL NextGen statistic called average separation from QB essentially cites the presence of defensive linemen to a quarterback. It might not be a pressure or a sack, but it is a push from the defensive line that can cause mistakes.

Against the Giants, the 49ers across the board were better than league average.

Now the Giants offensive line is not good, really at any position. But Kerry Hyder Jr, the premiere edge rusher with all the injuries, still was active and put forth a good showing. EDGE Dion Jordan, picked up from the practice squad, played quite well and added a sack. Defensive tackle Arik Armstead may not be statistically showing the same dominance as last year, but his play has been above average. The rookie, Javon Kinlaw, is doing his part as he continues to learn on the fly. The other depth pieces of the 49ers defensive line are chipping in when necessary.

Their run defense, at least when not dealing with quarterbacks, has been great, and the pass rush hasn’t fallen to pre-Bosa levels of terrible. However, in this situation, context is the most necessary. The 49ers may be able to field a competent defensive line rotation and garner some pressure, but this is not a dominating unit.

Bosa creates pressure almost instantly. Ford, when healthy, finishes off plays the Niners aren’t finishing right now.

The effort is valiant, but this SF 49ers defensive line won’t be dominating like last year.

Verdict: Overreaction

Overreaction No. 5: Jason Verrett will be the SF 49ers’ stingiest cornerback

When the SF 49ers signed cornerback Jason Verrett last year, it was the quintessential buy-low move from a team looking to potentially strike gold. After all, Verrett, when healthy, was legitimately an elite cornerback. But the last time he was healthy, the 49ers had just mutually parted with head coach Jim Harbaugh, and then-Niners running back No. 1, Carlos Hyde, ran roughshod over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

Last year, Verrett played two snaps in total: a pass interference and an absolute undressing for a touchdown given up. He went on injured reserve, and that was it. Luckily for the 49ers, Emmanuel Moseley filled in admirably, and that second cornerback position was taken care of.

This year, Verrett was rehabbing a hamstring injury during training camp, missing the first two games while Richard Sherman went on injured reserve and Ahkello Witherspoon hurt his own hamstring after a tough performance. That put Verrett in a pretty high-stakes situation where he was essentially the last competent pure cornerback on the roster.

Things got even worse when Moseley left the game with a concussion, leaving the Niners with no backup option if Verrett struggled.

But Verrett not only made it through the game, he played pretty well, all things considered.

The biggest takeaway from Verrett’s performance was his twitchy nature as well as his speed and aggressiveness.

It was like the player back in 2015.

With such a performance with some rust, there is obvious speculation over how well Verrett can play this year. And even though Sherman is still a talented player who can get it done, his age has begun to limit his ceiling.

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Verrett could legitimately be the best cornerback on the roster.

Like all things regarding Verrett, everything is dependent upon his health. Moseley did not play poorly enough to warrant being benched, and based on the past, the Niners have not taken away a player’s starting job due to injury. The upcoming Week 4 game versus the Philadelphia Eagles will be without Sherman, so it could very well become a tryout for the two corners.

How that will end up is uncertain, but Verrett’s ceiling is the highest on the roster’s. And if he stays healthy, it’s not a stretch to say he will be the stickiest corner for the Niners. The question is all in the health.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

Beating bad teams big-time is what any good team should do, and the performances from them have to be taken with a grain of salt. That doesn’t take away from the fact the SF 49ers took care of business in a big way and showed that, at least for now, they’re very much still in contention.