If the San Francisco 49ers want to stay in the fight to win the NFC West division, they will need a road win on November 2 against the New York Giants. Moreover, the Niners know that to accomplish this, they must keep Jaxson Dart quiet on offense.
Dart and the Giants are coming off a 38-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. The rookie quarterback went 14 of 24 with his passes while recording 193 passing yards and one touchdown.
The Eagles’ defense didn’t allow Dart to go off on them, and the 49ers’ unit will look to do the same. Moreover, the reason San Francisco want to keep the young signal-caller quiet is because they know the damage he can cause, as 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh stated on October 30.
“He’s uber-talented,” Saleh told reporters (h/t 95.7 The Game). “I understand why [Giants head coach Brian Daboll] went to the blue tent — I probably would have gone too. I mean, the kid’s good, man. He’s a really good kid. I think New York hit on this one big time. He’s dynamic, he’s decisive, he’s accurate. He’s been a joy to watch just studying his tape over the last—he’s got five starts now—and they’re doing a really good job with him.
“There are certain things they’re asking of him, but they’re doing a good job of hiding it within their weekly game plans. I’ve always thought Daboll and [Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka] have done a really good job. They put a lot of strain on defenses, and this kid—he’s going to be special.”
49ers Offense Needs to Bounce Back
Furthermore, while Saleh has to worry about the Giants’ offense, the Niners need to get their offense going. After the loss to the Houston Texans in Week 8, George Kittle didn’t hold back on calling out the 49ers’ attacker.
“I thought our defense played really well,” Kittle told reporters after the loss. “They were flying around, hitting people. If you’re holding the team to four field goals and just two touchdowns, our offense has to score points.
“When you’re three and out repeatedly, we’re not really doing anything to help our young defense that’s adjusting and figuring out the way they want to play football. I think this is really on the offense. I was really proud of how our defense played today.”
49ers Continue to Have Injuries
San Francisco will come into this game dealing with injuries as the injury bug continues to bite the 49ers’ roster. Linebacker Dee Winters (knee), defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (ankle), and defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) are the latest players to deal with an injury.
Nonetheless, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that these injuries aren’t long-term issues, per The Athletic. Still, Christian McCaffrey isn’t dwelling on it, saying it’s simply part of life in the NFL.
“It’s the NFL and everybody has a jersey for a reason, and everybody’s on the team for a reason,” McCaffrey said postgame. “They can help us win football games. Obviously, it sucks losing guys—just transparently. You never want to lose anyone, especially core players, but it’s a next-man-up mentality. When that happens, you have to be really detailed.”
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