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NFL San Francisco 49ers

5 Takeaways From San Francisco 49ers’ Week 11 Win

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5 Takeaways From San Francisco 49ers' Week 11 Win

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It wasn't an easy victory for the San Francisco 49ers, but they were able to defeat the New York Giants 16-10 in their Week 11 matchup. Coming into this contest, there were some questions and concerns regarding the effectiveness of their pass rush and the underwhelming play of Colin Kaepernick. Some of those questions were answered after today, and these are the five biggest takeaways from San Francisco's road win.

5. Aldon Smith's Presence Immediately Felt

aldon smith san francisco 49ers de defensive end
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5. Aldon Smith's Presence Immediately Felt

aldon smith san francisco 49ers de defensive end
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A primary feature of the 49ers' excellent defense last year was their ability to rush the passer, and that had a lot to do with the play of Aldon Smith. Due to serving a suspension, Smith wasn't able to return until today's game and his presence was felt immediately. Along with the emerging play of LB Aaron Lynch and despite not starting, Smith helped keep the pressure on Eli Manning all game long. This led to Manning throwing five INTs today.

4. Chris Borland Proving a Suitable Replacement for Patrick Willis

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4. Chris Borland Proving a Suitable Replacement for Patrick Willis

chris borland san francisco 49ers lb linebacker
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As a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, the perception of Borland was that he would be a good LB to develop for when Patrick Willis started to become too old to be effective. But Borland's opportunity came earlier than expected as Willis has been placed on IR for the season due to injury. After Borland's eight tackles and two INTs today, it looks like the 49ers won't be missing a beat at the middle linebacker spot.

3. Colin Kaepernick's Play Must Improve

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3. Colin Kaepernick's Play Must Improve

colin kaepernick san francisco 49ers qb quarterback
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Kaepernick threw for only 193 yards and a touchdown today with a 52 percent completion rate. It goes without saying that production like that is not what the 49ers are paying him for and he will need to improve his play during the final stretch of the season. If it weren't for a 48-yard TD to Michael Crabtree, in which Crabtree did most of the work, Kaepernick's numbers would have been worse against a decimated Giants defense. He must improve.

2. The 49ers' Pass Coverage Remains Dominant

eric reid san francisco 49ers safety
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2. The 49ers' Pass Coverage Remains Dominant

eric reid san francisco 49ers safety
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into today's contest, the 49ers' pass coverage had a Pro Football Focus grade of 15.1 which had them ranked second in the league. They already had an easier matchup with the Giants playing without Victor Cruz and a corps of young receivers still learning how to succeed on the NFL level. With that being said, after picking off Eli Manning five times, it's safe to say that their pass coverage may have become the best in the league today.

1. The 49ers' Rushing Attack is Back on Track

frank gore san francisco 49ers rb running back
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1. The 49ers' Rushing Attack is Back on Track

frank gore san francisco 49ers rb running back
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During the earlier weeks this season, it seemed as if the 49ers were going away from the foundation of their offensive attack in the run game. Luckily they got to face the Giants, who have one of the worst run defenses in the league this year. This led to Frank Gore rushing for 95 yards on a total of 19 carries which equates to five yards per carry. It's safe to say that the rushing game concern may be a thing of the past now.

Roje Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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