In Short
Just as in the Week 10 success at the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers' defense showed up big to secure San Francisco's sixth win of the season with a 16-10 victory in New York. Vic Fangio's unit intercepted Giants quarterback five times, with rookie linebacker Chris Borland snagging two.
Borland's second pick came in an impressive goal-line stand in the fourth quarter and effectively sealed the game for the Niners, whose offense struggled to points on the board in a disappointing display.
Colin Kaepernick's 48-yard strike to Michael Crabtree was the Niners' only touchdown of the day in an offensive performance that saw San Francisco consistently struggle to finish drives down in the red zone.
The failings of the offense kept Manning and the Giants in the game right to the end but thankfully this depleted defense, which welcomed back outside linebacker Aldon Smith, stood firm to preserve a result that takes the Niners to 6-4.
The good
Most of the good this week came from the defense and in particular Borland, who continues to exceed expectations in filling the role vacated by the injured Patrick Willis.
Borland once again displayed his outstanding nose for the football by building on his pivotal overtime fumble recovery with his pair of interceptions, undercutting the route of the Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for his first in the second quarter and then diving to catch a tipped ball from cornerback Dontae Johnson to make the game safe in the fourth.
The former Wisconsin Badger also had 13 tackles, including two for a loss, taking his tally to 47 in just four stars as he furthered his case for the Defensive Rookie of The Year award.
Fellow inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite also picked off Manning, as did safety Eric Reid and corner Chris Culliver.
Culliver's interception was just reward for his best showing of the season, in which he allowed just three receptions for a mere 35 yards. The former South Carolina Gamecock also gave the ball he picked off to Jim Harbaugh on the sideline in a show of support for his head coach.
On the edges the returning Smith and rookie Aaron Lynch gave the New York offensive line all sorts of problems, the pair combining for 15 quarterback hurries while Lynch posted his third sack of an impressive first year in the league.
Up front Ray McDonald, who has earned more attention for his off-the-field difficulties, was the highest rated 3-4 defensive end by Pro Football Focus, however, there were some strong performances on the other side of the ball.
Crabtree, after complaining last week about being "a third-down receiver", had by far his best game of the campaign, his touchdown serving as a fine example of his abilities after the catch as he caught a slant pass and broke a couple of tackles to sprint into the end zone.
For the second straight week the offense was controlled largely by running back Frank Gore as the Niners focused predominantly on the ground game.
San Francisco's all-time leading rusher put up 95 yards on 19 carries, yet on the whole it was another disappointing day for the offense.
The bad
Gore's fumble on the opening drive set the theme for the day for the 49ers from an offensive standpoint.
Indeed, it was a day of miscues and missed opportunities down inside the Giants' 20-yard line for Kaepernick and crew, for whom punching the ball into the end zone proved an extremely difficult task.
Four times the Niners were held to field goal attempts, one of which ended in failure due to a botched snap, by one of the worst defenses in the NFL and at this stage of the season that is unacceptable.
The New York defense played well with their backs against the wall versus a San Francisco offense that did not always execute perfectly.
But, in my view, the problem once again surrounded the play-calling.
Despite Gore's success in running on the Giants, offensive coordinator Greg Roman seemed unwilling to stick with the rushing attack in the red zone even with his starting running back averaging five yards a carry versus a run defense that gave up 350 yards on the ground to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10.
Gore continues to show time and again that he still has the legs to carry the ball 25 to 30 times a game but was afforded less than 20 attempts, while deputy Carlos Hyde was handed the rock on just nine occasions in spite of his key contribution to the defeat of the Saints.
I understand the need for a balanced gameplan to keep defenses honest. However, there was an obvious formula to beating the Giants on Sunday and Roman did not commit to it fully.
San Francisco's undermanned defense has played phenomenally well this season and continues to bail out the offense. But if Roman's group does not turn things around then there will come a time when it will prove too much for the Fangio's unit to overcome.
The Ugly
It was a scrappy game at MetLife Stadium but the ugliest thing on display was the attitude of outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks.
Brooks reportedly "benched himself" after just 12 snaps in protest against playing as part of a rotation with Lynch, who has outperformed him this season, and Smith.
Harbaugh has since insisted that the issue has been resolved and Brooks will play in Week 12. I sincerely hope that is the case as Brooks is a solid run defender, however, he may have to resign himself to the fact that the Niners' pass rush is far better with Lynch and Smith on the field.
The incident does not say much for the mentality of a player who was said to have reported back after the offseason overweight and one who was apparently the subject of trade talks between the 49ers and the Cleveland Browns.
San Francisco need as many healthy bodies on defense as it can get but it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Brooks - slated to earn $6million in 2015 - beyond this season.
Next Up
The Niners return home in Week 12 to host a Washington Redskins team that dropped to 3-7 with a 27-7 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11.
Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey is likely to feature for the 49ers after being activated to the 53-man roster at the expense of Ian Williams, who has been sent to injured reserve due to a fractured fibula.
San Francisco have opened as eight-point favourites for this encounter and will be expected to further their playoff hopes against an opponent slumping to another disappointing campaign.
But Levi's Stadium has been far from a fortress in the Niners' opening season at their new home and Harbaugh will probably need more from his offense versus a defense ranked 10th in the league if they are to avoid an upset akin to the losses to the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.
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