49ers grades vs. Giants feel deceiving (but we'll still take them)

Even though the 49ers ended up beating the Giants 30-12, it never felt like San Francisco fired on all cylinders. Niner Noise hands out grades from the Thursday Night Football bout.

The San Francisco 49ers have opened the 2023 NFL season on a torrid pace, starting with a dominant victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers that showcased how good they can look, and then continuing with a tough victory over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

That led the Niners into a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants, who were humiliated in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys and needed a remarkable comeback to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Missing running back Saquon Barkley and offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, arguably G-Men's two best players, this was a game San Francisco should have comfortably won.

And though the final score reflected that, with a 30-12 victory over New York, the game never seemed to settle as nicely as the 49ers would have wanted it.

The Niners dominated the time of possession and were able to sustain long drives, though they often needed either a dominant display of yards after the catch by one of their superstars or an ill-timed Giants penalty. In the red zone, the 49ers were often stymied by the Giants' aggressive defensive scheme, requiring them to kick a few too many field goals.

Luckily on defense, San Francisco came to play. Granted, the Giants were playing backups on the offensive line, but beyond a single short field that resulted in a touchdown and the first drive of the game, the defense delivered.

Thursday Night Football invites some weird results, mainly with the short rest. But overall, the 49ers took care of business.

Here are the grades from the contest.