49ers (

25) at
Giants (

22.5)

Game Overview ::

By hilow >>

• WR Ricky Pearsall remains sidelined through Thursday while Jauan Jennings, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey logged full practices Thursday.
• QB Brock Purdy remained limited through two sessions while Mac Jones was a full-go in each.
• CB Paulson Adebo remains sidelined for the Giants, as does Cordale Flott and Art Green. TE Daniel Bellinger has yet to practice this week.
• It is kind of sad to consider, but I think there is a legitimate chance that the 49ers sit Purdy and Pearsall with this game at MetLife Stadium (notoriously high injury rates on that turf), even if they progress well in practice.
• The 49ers have faced the second-lowest rate of man coverage, but the Giants have utilized man at the second-highest rate this season. Jennings has an elite 0.35 targets per route run (TPRR) against man in 2025.

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How san francisco Will Try To Win ::

The 49ers have seen the highest rate of two-high (59.1%) and second-highest rate of zone (79.1%) due to the injuries they have been forced to overcome this season. Purdy has played only two games, Jennings has missed two games, Pearsall has missed four games, Kittle has missed five games, and Brandon Aiyuk has yet to play. The offense looked like a Kyle Shanahan offense for the first time in Week 7 with the return of Kittle from injured reserve before they struggled to get anything going against the tough Texans team that leads the league in yards allowed per game. All of that to say, it is a true testament to Shanahan and the rest of this coaching staff that this team is currently sitting at 5-3 with a perfect 3-0 divisional record through eight games. They have averaged the second-most plays per game and the 13^th-most yards per game through all of that. Additionally, five of their first eight games have come on the road, with Week 9 making it six of nine. Something to keep in mind as far as their injured players are concerned is the turf at Met Life, something that could influence Shanahan’s decision to start or rest Purdy and Pearsall here. I tentatively expect Jones to start under center and for Pearsall to remain out.

McCaffrey’s opportunities through eight weeks: 32 // 20 // 32 // 28 // 31 // 25 // 32 // 14. He has seen six or more targets in every game and eight or more targets in all but two games. He has also averaged 3.2 yards per carry or fewer in all but two games. The good news for McCaffrey is that the Giants are currently allowing the most yards per carry (5.7) behind the most yards allowed before contact per attempt (2.88), making this a sparkling matchup on paper. Brian Robinson remains on hand for change-of-pace duties behind McCaffrey but has seen nine or fewer opportunities in every game since Week 1.

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PFP the OWS pennanT

Under the assumption that Purdy and Pearsall are inactive Sunday, we should expect another start from Jones while Kendrick Bourne maintains a featured role in the offense. The 49ers have carried low 12-personnel rates and high 21-personnel rates while being one of the more fluid offenses as far as personnel are concerned, likely leaving Kittle as the only near every-down pass catcher. Bourne and Jennings are likely to be in the 80-85% snap-rate range, while Demarcus Robinson is likely to fill in for whatever 11-personnel snaps are required. Jennings has led the team in targets in each of the previous two games while playing through multiple injuries of his own. He is priced all the way down at $4,300 and has managed full practices in each session this week, only the second time he has logged consecutive full practices all season (also did so last week). That’s important considering the Giants are likely to be without their top three corners in Week 9, play the second-highest rate of man coverage (41.3%), and Jennings carries an elite 0.35 TPRR against man this season.  

HOW new york WILL TRY TO WIN ::