The 1-7 New York Giants will travel to San Francisco to play the 2-7 49ers in this week’s Monday night matchup. Both teams started this season with high hopes and have each underperformed. They entered last week on lengthy losing streaks but played very different games. The 49ers snapped a 6 game losing streak with an impressive 34-3 victory over the Oakland Raiders at home. Nick Mullins replaced injured quarterback C.J. Beathard and delivered the most productive game by a quarterback making his NFL Debut in league History. The Giants however lost their 5th in a row 20-13 home defeat to the Washington Redskins. Their offense has been particularly bad during this streak as they scored over 20 points just once.
Eli Manning finished with a quarterback rating of just 23.5 against the Redskins but got no help from the offensive line as he was sacked 7 times for a loss of 50 yards. He completed 30 of 47 passes for 316 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Odell Beckham Jr. led all receivers with 136 yards on 8 catches. Saquon Barkley led the team with 9 receptions and had 73 yards. He also led the team in rushing with 38 yards on 13 carries. Barkley and Beckham have been the only bright spots on a team that averages 18.8 points and 382 yards per game. Defensively, they did not sack Alex Smith but did recover 1 fumble. They had difficulty stopping the run as the Redskins gained 182 yards on 33 carries which is an average of 5.5 yards per rush.
Mullins finished with a passer rating of 151 in his first career start. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 262 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the 49ers had 405 yards of total offense. His favorite target was George Kittle who had 4 catches for 108 and a touchdown. They also ran the ball well as they gained 143 yards on 32 carries. Raheem Mostert led the team with 86 yards and a touchdown on just 7 carries. Defensively, they did not force a turnover but did have 8 sacks and 8 tackles for losses. They allowed the Raiders to gain 102 rushing yards on 23 carries. For the season, they have allowed their opponents to average 26.6 points and 367 yards per game.
San Francisco will have home field advantage in this game and are favored by a field goal. They have gone 3-6 against the spread so far this season including 1-3 at home. They are on their 3rd starting quarterback of the season but have reason for hope after Mullins amazing first start. The Giants have gone 3-5 against the spread this season including 3-1 on the road. Their offense has big weapons in Barkley and Beckham who both have great numbers but it hasn’t translated into points. Neither team has any chance at the playoffs but the fans at Levi’s Stadium will be ready to see if Mullins can repeat his first performance
