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

49ers Offensive Grades

Despite putting up 30 points and walking away with a nearly 2-to-1 time-of-possession advantage, it never felt like the 49ers offense was able to get truly comfortable against the Giants defense.

49ers Rushing Offense

The Niners finished with 141 yards rushing on 39 attempts, a paltry 3.6 yards per carry that is skewed by a few quarterback sneaks and kneel-downs.

That said, the overall statistics aptly paint San Francisco's rushing attack as inefficient but ultimately effective.

Christian McCaffrey was successful in his 18 carries, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown, but much like last week, his yards were a mixture of chunk plays and ineffective 2-yard spurts. His overall usage was much lower, though, in part due to the nature of playing on Thursday night and a likely response to Elijah Mitchell's non-usage last week, something head coach Kyle Shanahan directly referenced.

Mitchell finished with 42 yards himself, as he would spell McCaffrey for stretches. It never seemed like Mitchell was completely comfortable in the game, though, but he was able to take limited advantage of his opportunities. More will come as the 49ers season progresses.

Overall, the rushing attack did the job, keeping the time of possession firmly in the Niners' corner and allowing them to put the G-Men on their heels as the game continued.

Grade: B

49ers Passing Offense

Brock Purdy threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, one on a jump ball to rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell for his first-ever NFL touchdown, and one absolute dart against zero coverage to Deebo Samuel.

Yet, despite his stat line of 310 yards on 37 attempts and 25 completions, the pass offense felt off.

Much of that came from the Giants' constant pressure. Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale is renowned for his aggressive defensive schemes, and the 49ers offense was forced to act quickly. Yet, that is no excuse.

The 49ers passing offense relied upon Samuel and George Kittle, who combined for 219 yards.

Samuel, in particular, exploded for 129 receiving yards on six receptions, and he gained his yards in the most typical Deebo style, bowling over defensive backs and breaking tackles. Kittle's 90 yards were much of the same.

The 49ers returned to a passing formula that had been present throughout the Brock Purdy era but had never wholly taken center stage. But against New York, the Niners worked through screens and drags to get the ball to their playmakers, and in the face of pressure, Samuel's touchdown was perhaps the only true deep threat they posed.

It worked against the Giants, who were unable to tackle, but how sustainable an offense that requires their superstars to make something out of nothing every play can be remains to be seen.

For Thursday night, though, it was more than enough.

Grade: B

49ers Red-Zone Offense

A special mention to San Francisco's red-zone offense, which reared its ugly head after being dormant for many many months.

It has been a long time since the 49ers struggled to score in the red zone, but against the Giants, they only had a 40-percent touchdown conversion rate (two touchdowns in five trips to the red zone).

Some of those resulted in absolute chip-shot field goals for Jake Moody, but they should have been touchdowns. Despite the Giants bringing blitz after blitz, the Niners offense, with all its talent, should get six points nearly every time they get inside the 20-yard line.

Against New York, execution was lacking.

Grade: D