4 bold 49ers predictions for Thursday Night Football showdown vs. Giants
The 49ers have started the season strong with two road wins in the first two weeks. Niner Noise breaks down some predictions for Week 3 against the Giants on Thursday Night Football.
Slow starts to the season might have been a problem for the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan, but 2023 has started positively with two wins on the road against decent opposition in the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams.
With these wins boosting the confidence of both the fans and the team, the Niners are looking to build on the opening fortnight when they have their home openers on a short week, hosting the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.
The 49ers have every reason to be confident heading into this game.
Read More: Brock Purdy, 49ers should feast on Giants' worst-ranked defense on Thursday
The Giants are in a tricky situation, having been blown out 40-0 by a rampant Dallas Cowboys team in Week 1 and then barely escaping the Arizona Cardinals 31-28 where they had to dig themselves out of a deep hole being 28-7 down in the third quarter.
In addition, star running back Saquon Barkley is likely to miss the game with a sprained ankle, although the Giants haven't ruled him out yet and are making him a gameday decision.
Despite the advantages the 49ers have in this home opener, however, Thursday Night Football has a habit of throwing funny curveballs at teams. San Francisco will need to make sure it doesn't underestimate the Giants and fall into a hole of its own.
With the short week, meaning 49ers football is shortly upon us, Niner Noise is having fun and making bold predictions for the game. Let's start.
Bold 49ers prediction No. 1: Brock Purdy will throw for 3 touchdowns
Quarterback Brock Purdy had arguably his worst game in his 49ers tenure in Week 2. He went 17-of-25 passing for 206 yards, a 93.1 rating and a rushing touchdown. A passing touchdown was later taken off him after his pass to wide receiver Deebo Samuel was found to have gone backward.
Yes, that has been Purdy's worst game for the Niners. That and some missed deep throws that he will hit with more experience and more throws with his healed elbow.
With that in mind, look for a bounce-back performance against a Giants defense that just made Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs look like a superstar.
The Giants don’t rush the passer well, failing to notch a single sack in the first two weeks despite facing a Cardinals team that's heavily considered to be the worst team in football. This, in turn, puts extra stress on a secondary that's given up nearly 70 points in two weeks.
The Niners will, of course, try to run the ball as much as possible, but Purdy will still have plenty of opportunity to tear the Giants to shreds. Look for him to be lethal in the red zone and hit multiple touchdowns.
This leads to another bounceback prediction...