Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE
Game Details
Stadium: Candlestick Park
Kickoff: 4:25 ET
Network: FOX
Weather: High – 71, Low – 57, 0 % chance of rain.
Preview
Week 6 is finally upon us, and with it the epic rematch of one of the most physical NFC Championship games in recent memory. In a league that is predicated so much now on passing and finesse football, the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers engaged in a epic slug fest that had old school fans feeling nostalgic.
This one of the best playoff born rivalries in all of football, with the two teams meeting eight times in the post-season, tied for the most in Giants history. Expect this matchup to be a hard fought battle, with neither team giving an inch.
This will be a classic matchup of offense versus defense. The Giants have the second best offense in the league in terms of both yards and points per game, and the 49ers are No. 1 in scoring defense and second in terms of yards allowed.
Typically, defense trumps offense in these games, especially when your defense is talented across the board like the 49ers. They have zero weaknesses, so offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will have to come up with a similar game plan as the one that allowed them to move the ball relatively well in their previous meetings.
Unfortunately for the Giants, the 49ers are no slouches on offense either, ranking sixth in yards and fourth in points scored. Counter that with the Giants middle of the pack defense, and the matchup would seem to favor the 49ers.
On paper, it looks like the Giants have no shot. They are banged up on both sides of the ball and are traveling across the country to play in one of the toughest stadiums. However, it’s hard to count the Giants completely out as long as they have Eli Manning.
For the Giants to have any chance, they have to play better against the run. The 49ers run the ball better than any team in the NFL, and the Giants have had trouble against the run with Chris Canty on the PUP. The 49ers are averaging an incredible 195 yards per game on the ground at a 6.1 yards per carry clip. It’s almost impossible to stop them, you can only hope to slow them down.
Prediction
With the 49ers being so dominant, aside from one blunder against the Minnesota Vikings, I cannot pick the Giants in this one. The 49ers have won their past two games by a combined score of 79-3. They are riding a wave of momentum and have a score to settle after the Giants defeated them in the NFC Championship. I’ll take the 49ers 27-16.
Jeff is an NFL Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Like Jeff’s Facebook Page here. Follow him on Twitter @Jeff_Shull
