EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The 49ers looked headed for a stress-free win even before the fourth quarter began Sunday.
Music blared on the MetLife Stadium speakers during a television timeout, and 49ers tight end George Kittle encouraged fans behind the end zone to dance with him.
The crowd obliged, and the 49ers would eventually triumph 34-24 in this off-Broadway show hosted by the Giants.
The 49ers (6-3) have not lost back-to-back games all season, and their energy and efficiency here was polar opposite from last game’s 26-15 loss at Houston.
After playing four of their past five games on the road, the 49ers return to Levi’s Stadium next Sunday to host the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC West showdown. But first, the NFL trade deadline is 1p.m. Tuesday and the 49ers may want to add toward a seemingly inevitable playoff push.
Par for the course this injury-riddled season, the 49ers could not escape unscathed. First-round pick Mykel Williams sustained a right lower-leg injury with 4 minutes remaining. Williams, one of their few healthy defensive ends, walked off on his own power with trainers to the sideline tent for further examination.
On the bright side, Mac Jones set an upbeat tone from the outset by completing all 14 of his first-half passes, two of which went for touchdowns to Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings en route to a 17-7 halftime lead.
Fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Brian Robinson (on the drive starting with Kittle’s dance) and by Christian McCaffrey (4 minutes remaining) put the 49ers over the 30-point threshold for the first time this season, and those proved valuableinsurance points.
The Giants (2-7) had a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart running for one and passing for another.
While Jones’ 14 first-half completions went for 143 yards and two touchdowns, he led such a charmed half that not even a fumble deep in 49ers territory led to Giants’ points. After Jones fumbled on Brian Burns’ 11th sack of the season and Abdul Carter recovered at the 23-yard line, the Giants failed to convert the takeaway into points, as a 45-yard field goal attempt veered wide left.
It was Jones’ fifth straight start, and even though Brock Purdy was listed as questionable, the 49ers did not even suit him up as a potential emergency No. 3 quarterback. Backup Adrian Martinez took a knee in the 49ers’ victory formation to end it.
The 49ers’ lead climbed to 27-10 in the fourth quarter when Brian Robinson chugged 18 yards and bulled past a Giants cornerback for a touchdown 25 seconds. The Giants struck back with a touchdown drive, capped by Jaxson Dart’s 6-yard keeper past defensive end Mykel Williams and linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune.
Then came the 49ers’ counterpunch, and it came in the form of a 39-yard catch-and-run by Christian McCaffrey to the Giants’ 20-yard line, prompting some New York fans to leave up the aisles with 6 ½ minutes remaining. That set up a 3-yard touchdown run by McCaffrey for the 34-17 lead.
Both of Jones’ touchdown passes came on third-down throws on their first two possessions. He first found a wide open Christian McCaffrey with a 5-yard scoring strike before connecting with Jauan Jennings on an 11-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 lead 13 minutes before halftime.
Eddy Pineiro made his two field-goal attempts to pump the 49ers’ lead up to 20-7, extending his perfect field-goal kicking to 19-for-19 this season. He snuck a 54-yard field goal over the crossbar for a 17-7 lead 1:55 before halftime; that drive stalled when Jones got sacked by Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who got past Spencer Burford in his starting debut at left guard.
Pineiro made a 33-yard field goal to cap a 5-minute drive that opened the second half and widened the 49ers’ lead to 20-7.
Malik Mustapha’s open-field, third-down tackle of Devin Singletary at the 3-yard line forced the Giants to settle for a 22-yard field goal, cutting the 49ers’ lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.
The 49ers’ defense unveiled two new pass rushers in Clelin Ferrell and Keion White. Neither started, but Ferrell sacked Jaxson Dart for a 5-yard loss at the 5-yard line in the second quarter. Dart escaped another sack in the third quarter by scrambling for 18-yard gain after Ferrell collided with Jordan Elliott and Sam Okuayinonu in the pocket; that led to Graham Gano’s 22-yard field goal.
An Okuayinonu sack and a third-down pass breakup by Renardo Green halted a third-quarter drive near midfield.
Each offense opened with a touchdown drive, the Giants scoring first on a 15-yard catch by Theo Johnson, who stiff-armed Deommodore Lenoir’s tackle attempt at the 8-yard line. That 10-play drive brought up memories of last Sunday’s first-half woes at Houston, but the 49ers’ defense warmed to the ball its next series and got big hits from Upton Stout and Winters.
The 49ers nearly went three-and-out on their opening possession, but their punt unit got summoned back after a timeout and Jones converted on a fourth-and-1 sneak. A 19-yard catch by rookie Jordan Watkins was followed by a 14-yard run from McCaffrey, who would later break wide open on third-and-3 for a 5-yard, game-tying touchdown catch.