49ERS 27 GIANTS 20
A year ago on this date the Giants walked into Giants stadium with a 6-2 record in a match-up against the Dallas Cowboys. A victory in that game and the Giants would be in cruise control for the rest of the season. Of course the Giants lost that game in hideous fashion, and the game marked the beginning of the end of their playoff hopes.
The Giants better hope that Sunday's hideous 27-20 loss to the 49ers doesn't spell doom once again. While losing to the 49ers is not embarrassing, the Niners are 8-1 for a reason; the Giants had every opportunity to win this game, and they couldn't do it.
After a fairly uneventful first half that saw New York trail 9-6, Big Blue knew they had this game. San Francisco running back Frank Gore was out of the game with an injury after rushing for zero yards on six carries. Alex Smith had done nothing through the air, and Big Blue's defense had smothered the Niners ground game.
Late in the third quarter, the Giants put together an inspired 10 play 89 yard drive that ate 5:39 culminating in a 13 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham to give the Giants a 13-12 lead.
One would figure that the Giants fire power on offense combined with New York's powerful defense would be too much for the youthful 49ers, but mistakes did in Big Blue.
First a horrible punt by punter Steve Weatherford set up the 49ers inside the 50 yard line. From there, Smith and Niners' offense did the rest. Kendell Hunter's two seperate six yard runs brought the ball up to the Giants 31. Then Smith, while backpeddling away from an on-coming Giants defender, dumped the ball off to Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis who chugged 31 yards for the touchdown, highlighted by his leap over Kenny Phillips for the score to give the 49ers a 20-13 lead.
Then seconds later, Manning was picked off by Carlos Rogers and ran it back to the Giants 17 yard line, setting up a 17 yard touchdown run by Hunter to extend the lead to 14, 27-13.
The Giants responded immediately. Manning hit Jake Ballard twice for gains of 17 and 15 yards, before Manning hit Hakeem Nicks in stride for a 32 yard touchdown to pull the Giants within seven.
After a 49ers' three and out, the Giants had a great opportunity to tie the game but blew it. On second and five at the 49er 42, Manning heaved up a bomb to a wide open Manningham, who dropped the football at the goal line. If he caught it would have been six points.
The Giants did move the football to the 49er 10, but two straight incompletions by Manning ended it with 34 seconds to go. This was a game the Giants should have won, and they didn't do it. Terrible loss for the Giants.
The Giants (6-3) are only a game ahead of Dallas (5-4), and now face Philadelphia at home (3-6) in a game that is a must win for Big Blue. They have a chance to bury the Eagles, and they must deliever big time next week. If not, panic mood will start all over again for the Giants.
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