Beginning in Week 4, the New York Giants have had a weird stretch of losing games they probably should have won and winning some games when they were expected to lose. What will happen Sunday when they return
home to MetLife Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers, a 5-3 team expected by oddsmakers to win?
Let’s find out what the Big Blue View staff thinks in our NFL Week 9 picks and predictions.
Chris Pflum
This is yet another game that I think the Giants can win.
But I just don’t know who the Giants will even have available. Their injury report is approaching the point where it’s getting difficult to describe. By my count the Giants have 10 starters (or key role players) who are either on IR or not practicing — a quarter of their game-day roster and half of their best players.
Its a mark of just how impressive Jaxson Dart has been that I can still see this team pulling out a win. I do believe that this is “must win” game to maintain the morale of the team, and one of their more winnable games thanks to the 9ers’ own injuries
But I just can’t bring myself to pick the Giants.
Pick: 49ers
Tony DelGenio
At full strength, the 49ers are the better team, though they are not what they used to be. The problem is that neither team is at full strength at key positions, making any prediction even more of a dart throw than usual.
SF is solid at the tackles, though Trent Williams hasn’t been dominant. They are vulnerable in the middle, so the Giants’ pass rush could have a lot to say about the outcome…if the Dexter Lawrence of old returns. At QB, we don’t know if Brock Purdy’s toe will allow him to play; if not it will be Mac Jones again. Both QBs have been interception-prone (9 total). Of course the Giants’ secondary can’t intercept balls, and who even knows who’s going to play? Adebo, probably no. Holland, maybe. Flott, no idea, he didn’t practice on Wednesday. SF’s wide receivers don’t scare anyone except Ricky Pearsall, who also missed practice Wednesday after being out a month and Brandon Aiyuk, who hasn’t played this season. The two scary offensive threats for the 49ers are Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, which could be a nightmare for the Giants’ leaky run defense and matador tackling.
The 49ers defense when healthy can be fearsome…but it’s not healthy, with Fred Warner and Nick Bosa out for the season and Bryce Huff probably not playing either. The rest of SF’s defense has not been impressive, although they don’t miss tackles the way the Giants do. So speaking of dart throws, I predict that even without Cam Skattebo, Jaxson Dart will be the best QB on the field, and with a week to prepare, Mike Kafka and Brian Daboll will have a plan to exploit the injured 49ers’ weaknesses. Look for lots of throws to the tight ends and Wan’Dale Robinson and for Dart to keep that Superman costume on even though Halloween will be over.
Pick: Giants, in a squeaker
Nick Falato
The 49ers are beat up defensively, and they just surrendered 475 yards to the Houston Texans. Now, they’re traveling across the country for their second consecutive road game for a 1 p.m. start. Jaxson Dart should be able to move the football out of the 12 personnel package that New York is leaning on; the 49ers struggle to generate pressure, had several miscommunications against the Texans (presumably due to injury), and are — again — one of the more beat up units in the NFL. The Giants should score points, but I’m worried about the Giants’ defense and their inability to stop the run.
I can see Shane Bowen adopting a heavier approach on the defensive line, which was similar to what he employed after Dexter Lawrence’s injury in 2024. New York needs to gap out with more five-man fronts against the 49ers’ 12- and 21-personnel packages. This will put more pressure on the Giants’ secondary, which makes me nervous, but may contain Christian McCaffrey — at least as a runner (he ranks eighth in the league as a receiver). Slowing down a Kyle Shanahan offense is difficult with Brock Purdy or Mac Jones, but I’m going with the Giants and Dart here.
Pick: The Giants in a close game.
James Hickey
This is the week I believe in the Giants.
Yes it is a small sample size, but the Giants are 2-0 at home with Jaxson Dart starting and those wins were against teams (Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles) that are better than San Fransisco. And you can feel a big Dexter Lawerence game coming after the questions about his play have swirled around the New York this week.
While the Giants defensive backfield has its issues, the 49ers are trading for bust draft choices and bringing in guys off the street that were bigger bust draft choices because of injuries that have depleted their defensive line. As the Niners Nation site wrote “The San Francisco 49ers are feeling the lingering effects of multiple injuries at several positions…there is no replacing Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk. There isn’t a “next man up” after Bryce Huff.”
But most of all I am the biggest believer of going against the West Coast team on the road for a 1 p.m. start time (and this is a friendly reminder that our clocks fall back this Sunday) where the shadows will be creeping over the stadium midway through the third quarter that coincides with the arrival of the cold November air. Big Blue pulling away late on Sunday.
Pick: Giants 27, 49ers 17
David Hartman
The Giants limp home this week after one of the most disheartening two-game road trips in recent memory. First, they gave us a historic fourth quarter collapse in Denver, and a week later they lost one half of their offensive rookie dynamic duo to a horrific leg injury, while also losing by double digits to the Eagles and the refs. Bad times.
The Giants have looked dead and buried several times this season, and that’s when they’ve surprised. And I think they’ll do just that this weekend. The 49ers sitting at 5-3 is one of the best duct tape jobs you’ll ever see. Hats off to Kyle Shanahan. They’ve been playing most of the season without their starting QB, starting receivers, and All-Pro tight end. Their O-line is banged up. Their defense is missing not only its two best players in Fred Warner and Nick Bosa — those are two of the premier defensive players in the entire league. They got beat up in Houston last Sunday and now they have to travel to the east coast for a 1 p.m. game which is never easy. Just ask the Chargers.
I’m slightly worried that Christian McCaffrey will beat the Giants all by himself. Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby ran wild last week and stopping the run has been an issue all season. The Giants rank 30th in the NFL at right around 150 rushing yards allowed per game. McCaffrey is also a beast in the receiving game and the Giants’ linebackers aren’t exactly rangy.
But Jaxson Dart hasn’t lost a home start yet, and I think the troops will gather and rally at home to pull off the upset and once again leave Giants’ fans wondering: Is this team actually good?
Pick: Giants by 4
Valentine’s View
It is hard to know what to make of the Giants. They turn victories into defeats, then find ways to win games they aren’t expected to win.
This week, weirdly, is one I have felt good about for the Giants ever since the schedule was released during the offseason. I am not a big believer in this San Francisco team, despite its 5-3 record. The offense has not been great. The defense is without stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
Which version of the Giants will show up this Sunday? I will choose to believe it is the one that emerged with victories in its last two home games.
Maybe I am kidding myself, but I think the offense will be fine on Sunday and the Giants’ defense will show some pride after surrendering 71 points in the last five quarters the Giants have played.
Pick: Giants
