The New York Giants (1-7) can still win! At Week-10, the G-Men beat the San Francisco 49ers (2-7) with a thrilling finish – and can count on Eli Manning to win their comeback in a wild final quarter. The battered Niners once again sell themselves dearly, but in the end make too many mistakes.
With 2:46 minutes on the clock, the 49ers had taken the lead through a field goal, followed by one of the wilder game winning drives of recent weeks. The Giants marched over nine (regular) plays down the field and Manning (19/31, 188 YDS, 3 TD) first managed a 31-yarder to the completely open Evan Engram, and later two big plays to Barkley for 23 yards and to Shepard finally to the game winning touchdown – but the way there was anything but clean.
A total of four penalties accumulated both teams within five snaps on a bad, slippery course, two for each team, before Manning lined up three completions and the Giants took the lead. It was Manning’s 36th Game Winning Drive; since 2004 only Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees have more (40 each).
But at first the gripping final phase was not over yet: Nick Mullens (27/39, 250 YDS, TD, 2 INT), who was allowed to start again instead of C.J. Beathard, led the Niners with a fast drive and some very good passes up to the 21-yard line of the Giants – with another second on the clock.
But his last pass sailed against the Giants flash across all players and even a completion would have been taken off the board anyway by a holding penalty. Game over.
Previously, Odell Beckham (4 REC, 73 YDS, 2 TD) had made his presence felt in the Red Zone on the Giants’ side. After Mullen’s first interception – an ugly pick across the middle on a late pass – Manning found OBJ from ten yards to touchdown and following a 51 yard kick-off return from Coleman, Beckham was back from 20 yards. It was the first time since Week 3 2017 that Manning and Beckham played two touchdowns together.
The G-Men turned the tables here in comparison to so many games this season: instead of being the team that puts itself in a bad starting position with critical mistakes, this time this fate overtook the opponent. New York only made a few long drives, but took advantage of a short field after Mullens’ Pick, Colemans Return and a Kick-Catch-Interference-Penalty against the 49ers due to a puncture.
Only Mullen’s second interception – a pass that bounced off Marquise Goodwin’s hand – did not punish the G-Men with points. Both picks were made by Linebacker B.J. Goodson. New York and Manning also profited from the fact that the 49ers presented a very inconstant face in the Pass-Rush in comparison to the victory over the Raiders in the previous week, and once again too many holes appeared in the Secondary.
As a result, Manning from the Pocket could act better than in most games this season, although many problems were still clearly visible. Thus, on the part of the experienced person, several clear underthrows came, while his receivers also dropped some passports at the same time. Manning was also very lucky with a near interception across the middle.
The 49ers on the other hand, which were battered by injuries, sold quite dearly on the bottom line. Matt Breida (17 ATT, 101 YDS, TD; 3 REC, 31 YDS, TD) had a very good game and Mullens showed, apart from more mistakes than at his surprising debut, again good approaches, especially the passes to the tight ends and the running backs, which were preferred by the Scheme, worked very well against the Raiders. The youngster was not afraid to serve the middle of the peloton and delivered some very good passes.
For the 49ers it’s Bye Week now, before the last part of a season lost in sports is on the agenda. Then San Francisco has to go out twice – in Tampa Bay and in Seattle – before the Broncos and the Seahawks come to visit. The Giants, for whom it was the first win since Week 3 and who leave the sole pole position on the number 1 pick to the raiders, will play against the Bucs next week, then go to Philadelphia.