SF Giants and 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Though Jeremy Shockey and Michael Strahan had miserable memories of Candlestick Park, Eli Manning was still in college when the New York Giants’ last trip to the playoffs ended here in a historic collapse.

Giants drop Niners
Giants running back Tiki Barber speaks with FOX after New York’s 24-6 win over the 49ers. New York improves to 6-2 and remains in first place in the NFC East division.

The young quarterback thought the old building was an excellent place to get his first true road victory.
NFL Week 10

Manning passed for 251 yards and a touchdown, Brandon Jacobs rushed for two short fourth-quarter scores and the Giants’ defense yielded just 138 total yards in a 24-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Plaxico Burress had five catches for 79 yards in the third straight victory for the Giants (6-2), who maintained their lead in the NFC East by suffocating the 49ers’ offense, which hasn’t scored a touchdown in its last 13 quarters at home.

The Giants’ offense also floundered for long stretches against San Francisco’s solid defense, but a handful of big throws by Manning led to scores.

“We just had to get the ball in our receivers’ hands and let them be the athletes,” said Manning, who had been 0-5 in games outside Giants Stadium; New York beat New Orleans at the Meadowlands in Week 2, technically a Saints home game after Hurricane Katrina damaged the Superdome. “We had to figure out a way not to hurt ourselves, and mostly we avoided that. We had too many mistakes, but they didn’t end up hurting us.”

That wasn’t always the case in San Francisco. Just 11 Giants are left from one of the club’s most infamous postseason defeats: On Jan. 5, 2003, New York allowed San Francisco to rally from a 24-point deficit in the second half of a 39-38 wild-card victory.

It was the second-biggest collapse in NFL playoff history, and New York hasn’t been back to the postseason or Candlestick since. But while the 49ers are 10-31 since that win, the Giants have rebuilt themselves into a postseason contender behind Manning, who was 18-of-33 and threw a TD pass in his ninth straight game.

Shockey, who dropped a pass in the end zone during the second half of that playoff loss in San Francisco, stretched full-length to catch a 32-yard scoring pass 13 seconds before halftime.

“It was wide open, and there was no one there,” Shockey said of his TD catch - not the ball he dropped two seasons ago. “I have never seen that look in my whole career, and I probably will never see it again. It was a completely busted coverage.”

Burress made a stunning one-handed, 50-yard catch on the final play of the third quarter, and Jacobs rushed for a 1-yard score moments later. Amani Toomer then made a 23-yard catch near the goal line, setting up another 1-yard TD run.

Cody Pickett, the 49ers’ fourth starting quarterback in five games, made few mistakes in his first start. But he couldn’t spark anything behind San Francisco’s comically inept offensive line, which committed several penalties and rarely allowed Pickett a moment’s peace.

“Cody did a great job with the plays, but it’s tough getting the timing down when you don’t have the same quarterback in practice every week,” receiver Brandon Lloyd said of Pickett, who went 12-of-21 for 102 yards.

“(Pickett) didn’t cause any problems for us,” Strahan said. “It seemed like every time he dropped back, we were successful in putting some pressure on him and hitting him.”

Joe Nedney kicked two field goals for the Niners (2-6), who lost for the sixth time in seven games.

The 49ers’ offense briefly got going late in the first half, with Pickett scrambling for two first downs before Lloyd took the crowd’s breath away with a one-handed, behind-the-head catch inside the New York 5.

But struggling left tackle Anthony Clement was called for holding on the play - and after consecutive false starts by the line, Pickett’s long pass was intercepted by Brent Alexander.

Manning quickly hit Shockey twice for the Giants’ first TD.

“It is a lack of focus and concentration,” 49ers coach Mike Nolan said of the penalties. “Emotion is a huge part of the game, and you can’t let emotions get the better of you. There’s not a tremendous amount of noise at home. Today, (false starts are) inexcusable.”

San Francisco scored on Nedney’s 48-yard field goal early in the second half, ending nearly 108 scoreless minutes for the Giants’ defense, which shut out Washington last week. Nedney hit a 52-yarder several minutes later.

While you watched Sunday’s Giants-49ers game on FOX, ex-Jets great Wesley Walker provided instant analysis and answered your questions.
Also: Which quarterbacks need protection?

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PREGAME
Previewing the game …

WES: Hopefully the Giants won’t relax today. I played this game a long time and if you relax you can get beat. Sometimes coming after a big game you can have a letdown. The Giants are playing with a lot of confidence. Sometimes let downs really do happen. During my career that was always a situation, when things are going well you might have the tendancy to give in. Coughlin is a good coach though and has everybody on the same page.

The Niners have struggled. They’re going with their fourth-string QB. Sometimes when your back is against the wall you can rally. The one thing being at home can give them some confidence. It depends on how well the guys can come together.

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First quarter

WES: You havet to figure out during the course of the week what you’re going to exploit. Defenses are gonna give you different looks depending on what you like doing. Seeing how Tiki Barber had a huge week last week, the Niners are gonna try to stop the running game.
I don’t think the Giants have been pushed yet. There are still some questions I have about their defense. They give up a lot of yards. The next eight games will be very crucial for the Giants. Their defense has to stop the Niners.

Fourth string QB: I’m sure the Giants are going to blitz him and see what he has. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to him.

The NFC East is so close right now. From here on out, it’s gonna be topsy-turvy situation.

Giants go for it on fourth down: Sometimes coaches get real conservative and want to go for the FG. The Giants have a great kicking game, too. There were times when we argued with the coach to go for it on fourth down. I like coaches that can take some suggestions from the players.

What makes the Giants a double threat is that they’ve been able to run and throw the ball. Burress has done a great job this year of fitting in. He’s a great receiver who has added a new dimension to this team.

The Giants have to be licking their chops knowing they are going against the second-worst offense in the league. You know it as a player going to a game what you’re going against.

The Giants have been able to run the ball well early on and mix in the pass.

I wasn’t sure how the Giants would respond to Tom Coughlin early on, with his rules and stuff. But it appears they have adjusted well to the strict coach.

Good coverage by the Niners on third-and-goal. Spreading the field like the Giants did opens it up to man-to-man coverage. They played it perfectly. Giants have such a good kicking game, the way Feeley is kicking your gonna come away with points. Giants 3, Niners 0

It’s hard to imagine that San Francisco would struggle the way they are. They’ve always been such a good team.

Niners’ first possession

I never had any problems with a new quarterback. I always wanted the ball so my job was to get open and I trusted them to get the ball. I had the experience of working with a backup and sometimes the timing would be off. One time I missed training camp and the timing was off when I got back. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t between a QB and WR.

The key will be how the guys up front protect Pickett.

The big question will be if San Francisco stays conservative with their play calling. The coaches may be limited to what they can call because Pickett hasn’t had enough reps. I look for the Giants to bring eight guys up and put some pressure on Cody.

Pickett will be under pressure all day today. Someone has to make some plays.

On T.O. I just don’t like when people act the way he does. Maybe he needs medication or something. It seems to me he’s done this with every team he’s been on. I just don’t understand him, whether he’s trying to make more money or what. It’s not like anyone is gonna want to pay him more money. I could never, ever imagine bad-mouthing the organization. Some people have their own selfish ways. This is a team game. There’s no excuse to blast your teammates.

Giants get ball back

Giants are moving again. I hope Burress can keep his head on straight because he can be great. The Niners stunted from the outside on the first play, the RB picked up a block and it went for a big play. One little block like that can make a big play happen.

Teams getting tired midway through the season? When you’re winning you feel good and want to keeep playing. When you’re losing, like the Jets, you can get tired and frustrated. I’ve played with guys who had their bags packed before the season was over. I always wanted to play.

The Niners have to help Pickett out by making some catches. The TE dropped a ball that should have been caught.

The Giants are getting pushed around a little bit, especially Strahan.

Tiki Barber is great, but last week I wondered where the Redskins were. That was the worst game they have played in a long, long time. You have to respect Tiki’s ability, he’s a phenomenal athlete for his size.

Reader question: Will Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress become one of the elite qb/wr combinations in the NFL over the next few years? — Rob

I would say no only because this is a different league when it comes down to business. It depends on what their contracts say and their health. With free agency and stuff, it depends on who’s together. I don’t question their ability, I question if they will stick together. What makes Plaxico Burress good is that he’s a great athlete and he has a great supporting cast. Shockey does a good job of opening holes and I’m surprised Amani Toomer hasn’t seen more balls.

The Niners always had the offense everyone would try to copy. Now it’s kind of hard to watch them struggle like this.

The Niners are being real conservative. They have to be able to run the football and pass the football. You need someone who can run that offense. You need the coaches to have confidence in you.

The Giants should be teeing off on the Niners. The Niners can’t keep picking up penalties.

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Second quarter

WES: Giants ball Shockey should have caught that ball. You gotta get down on it and make a catch. These are the little things people don’t notice. The little things can really throw you off.
If you miss the blitz, Eli is going to eat you up. The Giants do a great job of picking up the blitz.

The Giants are being conservative. You run the clock down, but it gives the Niners a chance to stay in the football game. I think at some point there is going to be a breakout. If I’m San Fran right now I’m really happy that it’s 3-0.

Big play for the Giants called back for holding. These are the kind of plays that keep the other team in it for a little longer.

I wouldn’t have wanted to play for a guy like Tom Caughling. I liked discipline but I also liked to be allowed to have my own personality. I believe you can do that and still be successful. Just because you like to act a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t focus on the field. I want a coach that you would go through a wall for.

It seems to me the offense is struggling for the Giants so the defense feels like it has to pick it up a little bit.

Giants don’t bite on fake punt: That’s a sign of a good football team right there, not biting on a possible trick play like that.

More T.O. I’m surprised he lasted this long. How do teams keep picking up guys like this. They should send a message.

As much as I love Eli Manning, they haven’t really let him loose yet today.

The Giants are still in this real conservative mode. As an offensive guy, I wouldn’t like this.

No running in NYC Marathon, Wes? With my injuries I couldn’t even think of the pounding it would take to run something like. Running that distance is amazing. When I used to train I was a long distance guy.

San Francisco has 16 total yards and are only losing 3-0.

You start to play down to the level of your talent. If you want to be a champion, you can’t do that. I’ve been a part of teams like that before. It’s hard to maintain the enthusiasm. This should be an opportunity for San Francisco to take advantage of a team stuck in a lull.

The Niners finally go deep, but it wasn’t a great throw. The receiver could have gone back and made a play on it.

With San Francisco, you’ll probably only see two are three big plays today then they will slip back into a lull.

Pickett runs for first down: Nice pickup, but Pickett hasn’t shown me is a threat as a passer or runner yet.

This is the first sustained drive the Niners have had.

The Giants are not playing with the type of enthusiasm they should have.

Big play, Niners: Gets called back because of holding. This kind of play kills a team that has been struggling. You only get so many opportunities. Takes away a Hall of Fame type catch. The ball could have been picked off but the WR came back for it.

The Giants are penetrating the line, stunting and getting some pressure on the young guy.

The Niners don’t need to pick up dumb penalties. That does not help your team. You can’t fall into the trap.

Giants intercept Pickett: This is a classic example inexepierence. Pickett was running to the right and trying to throw back across the grain. Don’t, don’t, don’t make a mistake when you have an opportunity to make something happen. Throw it out of bounds. A play like that is a reason why I can’t coach.

Shockey has been open all day but Eli hasn’t been able to find him. TD Giants on fourth-and-one: That was a great, great catch. You have nothing to lose, I don’t know why San Fran wasn’t blitzing, trying to put some sort of pressure on Eli. Then Shockey was so wide open, so they had no coverage either. Giants 10, Niners 0

You never want to give a team any kind of momentum going into halftime.

It’s 10-0. San Fran still has plenty of time to get back into. But now guys might be thinking, “Here we go again” instead of going out there and doing their jobs.

The Niners need to go in and make some adjustments.

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Third quarter

WES: The Giants continue to keep the 49ers in the game. Just looking at stats, I thought this game would be a good defensive battle and that the Giants would put them away. But the Giants are letting them stick around.
We’ll find out a lot about Pickett this half.

Big play for the Niners. A play like that can only be run a few times before the other team can see it coming. Trick plays only work so often.

Pickett can throw the ball but it’s not that easy. If it’s not there you gotta get it out of bounds.

Niners get three points and remain in the ballgame. The Giants need to stop playing down to the talent level of the Niners. You see it all too often. Giants 10, Niners 3.

This is an opportunity for San Francisco to tee off on Eli and make some things happen.

Poor throw by Eli. Didn’t look he can get it out there. I was so impressed with him early, the way he could throw of his back foot. But he hasn’t been on today. He seems somewhat confused today. If they weren’t able to break some of these runs to get some first downs, the Giants would be in trouble.

The Giants do a great thing by putting Shockey out wide. It changes the way the defense has to play and allows you to dictate what you want them to do and it opens up other areas of your offense. That’s a credit to Shockey’s ability.

Niners back in Giants territory: As much respect as I have for Lloyd, he needs to keep his mouth shut and just play the game.

Coughlin is gonna go nuts over all these penalties.

Here the Niners have an opportunity and they’re not getting it done up front.

Great screen pass by the Niners. Great effort from Barlow.

Niners hit 52-yard FG, Giants 10, Niners 6

You have to give San Fran some credit but the Giants are doing anything to help their case. They just don’t have that momentum and emotion you need to bring into a game if you want to be a playoff contender.

Tiki Barber is playing well, but they need more than one guy. The passing game hasn’t been there but all they need is one big play.

This would be a good time for the Giants to find some consistency and put the Niners in a bind. They have yet to do that.

I’m so surprised the Giants don’t throw the football on thrid-and-3. Tike Barber is great, but you gotta make something happen. They are so one dimensional now.

Niners need to make plays: Lloyd has to come back and make a play for Pickett.

San Fran has had plenty of opportunities to make something happen but they haven’t been able to capitalize. It’s still 10-6 and anybody’s game.

Burress makes amazing catch: That is what you call concentration. He was covered but the ball was right there and sometimes you get a little lucky. The DB should have knocked the ball out. Great effort and concentration. Sometimes it just happens, you don’t know how, but it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t know what it is that makes that happen.

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Fourth quarter

WES: These are not championship caliber teams. Even though the Giants are in first place, playing like the way they are today, they aren’t going to win a championship. They are lucky to even be ahead.
Why are they starting to mix up the plays now? What took so long for the Giants?

Tike Barber has always been a consistent player. Very modest. Why can’t we find that in more players these days.

TD, Giants They had four downs to get it in from the two-yard line, so it was a given. But I liked how they kept the same run formation and ran two different plays out of it. Nice job, because that confuses the defense. Make things look the same but be totally different. Giants 17, Niners 6

There’s still time for the Niners. They have to open up the offense and let it all hang out. I’d come out with a no-huddle offense. Something to get the ball moving. I would try to score as quick as possible. You don’t see that alot in the NFL.

Another errant throw by Pickett, just forcing it in.

It seems like the Giants have momentum now. A score here would pretty much lock this one up for the Giants.

The Giants are mixing it up pretty good in the second half.

The pass to Toomer could have very easily been picked off. Toomer has to come out of his breaks a little quicker and come back to the QB. I don’t know why they haven’t utilized Toomer more today.

A lot of times if you have a game that you have pretty much won, you want to rest your key guys. Shockey looks like he could use a break.

The DB will be thinking about that missed INT for a long time.

Good job by the Giants to pick up the blitz by the Niners. It was a pretty good throw and a good catch by Toomer.

TD, Giants: Great move by the RB there to get in. But I could do without the extra celebration. I would never do anything like that. There are certain guys who do these things and it’s embarrassing to watch. It’s not acceptable. You just did your job. You did something that was pretty simple and then you dance? I don’t like that. He made a great move to get in the end zone but it was simple play. Giants 24, Niners 6.

I just don’t get the feeling that the Giants are one of the elite teams in the NFL. They are good in their division but I’m not so sure they are one of the best in the league.

These penalties are typical for teams that aren’t playing good football. You just have a lack of focus.

Some times you win ugly, and that’s OK, but I want to see teams who win easily each week.

San Fran has to figure out where it’s going.

The Giants still have a lot of work to do. Eli needs to keep improving. I like how they were able to win ugly. If the Giants want to get to the Super Bowl, they have to be a lot more consistant. Still, they have to be happy about going back to the East Coast with a win. This league is so close, they have to know each week is so important. But what I saw today, I’m not so sure the Giants are the great team that everybody is talking about. Once you get to the playoffs its not going to be that easy.

GAME: New York Giants (5-2) at San Francisco 49ers (2-5).

TIME: Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST.

The New York Giants rode a wave of emotion from the death of owner Wellington Mara to a near-perfect performance last week.

The challenge now for New York is to avoid a letdown against the last-place San Francisco 49ers, the kind of effort it had with an identical record last season that started an eight-game losing streak.

Mara, one of the NFL’s most influential owners, succumbed to cancer at age 89 last Tuesday. Two days after a touching farewell, the Giants routed the Washington Redskins 36-0 in their best game of the season.

Tiki Barber ran for a career- and NFL season-high 206 yards and a touchdown, and New York’s usually spotty defense forced four turnovers and sacked Washington’s Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsey five times. It was the team’s first regular-season shutout since 1998.

Barber, who got things started with a 59-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, surpassed his previous single-game high of 203 yards set against Philadelphia at the end of the 2002 season.

“It was a big day and a special day for me, especially considering the events of the past week,” said Barber, one of the Giants who was especially close to Mara. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Washington managed just 34 yards in the first half and finished with 125. The Giants didn’t allow the Redskins to cross midfield until the last minute of the third quarter.

Prior to last week, New York had managed 11 sacks in six games.

“We had good pressure, and that’s where it started,” said coach Tom Coughlin, whose team has rebounded from an overtime loss at Dallas with impressive back-to-back wins.

New York’s performance did have a few flaws, as Eli Manning had his poorest game of the season. He missed badly on a number of throws and finished 12-for-31 for 146 yards with one touchdown.

Any negative at this juncture of the season, even one off-game by the fast-developing Manning, is likely to concern Coughlin. New York was also 5-2 last season and faced weak opponents in Chicago and Arizona in their next two games. The Giants lost both contests, prompting the change from struggling veteran Kurt Warner to Manning as the starter, and also dropped the next six before Manning led them to a victory over Dallas in the season finale.

San Francisco is surrendering a league-high 31.7 points per game and is second-to-last in the NFL with 213.7 yards allowed per game. The 49ers, however, are a better team at home, going 2-2 at Monster Park this season. Plus, the Giants have lost six in a row to the 49ers and 11 of their last 13 in San Francisco.

If Coughlin needs any other compelling reasons to show his team why it shouldn’t be overconfident, he can look to the 49ers’ stunning home upset of first-place Tampa Bay last week. San Francisco was facing the league’s top-ranked defense and used fourth-stringer Cody Pickett at quarterback, but knocked off the Bucs 15-10.

“It’s two different years and two different teams,” Coughlin said of last season’s Giants compared to this year’s. “After yesterday’s game, I feel very good about where we are. But every week is a new week in this league, and every team can beat every other team. You have to go back to basics, keep things in perspective and keep away from the highs and lows.

“If you stub your toe and don’t follow that direction, you’re going to have problems in this league.”

The Giants are averaging a league-best 29.9 points per game, but are 0-2 on the road this season. Manning is looking for his first career road win in five tries.

Still, this San Francisco club is far less formidable than the one that staged the second-biggest comeback in playoff history for a 39-38 win over New York in a 2003 NFC wild-card game, the teams’ last meeting.

The Niners snapped a five-game losing streak last week despite gaining only 208 yards of offense, including 101 rushing from Kevan Barlow.

Joe Nedney kicked five field goals, including a 28-yarder with 1:56 left to cap the decisive drive, and Pickett performed admirably in the final 11 minutes in place of Ken Dorsey.

Dorsey started in place of top overall draft pick Smith, who was inactive with strained knee ligaments, and was 7-of-18 for 40 yards before spraining his ankle in the fourth quarter. Pickett came in and marched the Niners 42 yards in 11 plays to set up Nedney’s last field goal.

San Francisco’s opening-day starter Tim Rattay was traded to the Buccaneers, leaving Pickett as the Niners’ fourth starting QB in five games.

“Cody has been here,” coach Mike Nolan said. “The guys know him. They like him. They know what he stands for. He has strengths that are different from the other guys.”

STANDINGS: Giants - 1st place, NFC East. 49ers - 3rd place (tied), NFC West.

GIANTS LEADERS: Offense - Manning, 1,560 passing yards and 13 passing TDs; Barber, 689 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs; Plaxico Burress, 40 receptions, 577 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs. Defense - Michael Strahan, 6 1/2 sacks; Antonio Pierce and Shaun Williams, 2 INTs.

49ERS LEADERS: Offense - Smith, 200 passing yards; Barlow, 420 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs; Brandon Lloyd, 21 receptions, 387 receiving yards and 3 receiving TDs. Defense - Bryant Young, 8 sacks; Tony Parrish, 2 INTs.

GIANTS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 130.4 yards per game (7th in NFL); Passing Offense - 209.4 ypg (17th); Total Offense - 339.8 ypg (13th). Rushing Defense - 104.9 ypg (11th); Passing Defense - 266.0 ypg (30th); Total Defense - 370.9 ypg (30th).

49ERS TEAM RANK: Rushing Offense - 99.7 yards per game (21st); Passing Offense - 114.0 ypg (31st); Total Offense - 213.7 ypg (31st). Rushing Defense - 112.6 ypg (18th); Passing Defense - 314.7 ypg (32nd); Total Defense - 427.3 ypg (32nd).

LAST MEETING: Jan. 5, 2003; 49ers, 39-38. At San Francisco, the 49ers erased a 38-14 second-half deficit, as Jeff Garcia threw the winning 13-yard TD pass to Tai Streets with 1:00 left. New York still had a chance to win with six seconds left, but a botched snap on a 41-yard field-goal attempt by Matt Bryant ended the Giants’ hopes.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Giants - Manning is second in the NFC and seventh in the NFL with a 94.5 passer rating. He has a TD pass in eight consecutive games, tied for the longest active streak in the league. … Barber needs two TDs to join Frank Gifford (78) and Joe Morrison (65) as the only Giants with 60. … DE Strahan has 124 1/2 sacks and needs 2 1/2 to pass Derrick Thomas for 10th place all-time. 49ers - Barlow became the first player to rush for 100 yards against the Bucs this season. … DE Young is tied for the NFL lead with eight sacks and needs two for the third 10-sack season of his 12-year career. … The Niners are eighth-best in the league with 3.8 yards allowed per carry.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Giants - 1-2 on the road; 49ers - 2-2 at home.

INJURIES: Giants - OUT: CB William Peterson (back). QUESTIONABLE: LB Carlos Emmons (pectoral); RB Brandon Jacobs (quadricep); DE Justin Tuck (ankle); WR David Tyree (elbow). PROBABLE: S Williams (hamstring). 49ers - OUT: LB Saleem Rasheed (knee). DOUBTFUL: RB Maurice Hicks (knee); T Jonas Jennings (shoulder); CB Ahmed Plummer (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: WR Otis Amey (ankle); WR Arnaz Battle (knee); RB Chris Hetherington (hamstring); RB Terry Jackson (hip/knee); C Jeremy Newberry (knee/ankle); QB Smith (knee) PROBABLE: QB Dorsey (ankle).

PASSING OFFENSE
C — QB Eli Manning threw four interceptions, and not one of them could be blamed on someone other than himself. He badly miscalculated on the pick that turned into a 92-yard TD by FS Darren Sharper and freely admitted his culpability. On the other hand, it did not appear that WR Plaxico Burress was running crisp, sure routes. The team’s leading receiver caught just three passes for 50 yards. RB Tiki Barber was the game’s leading receiver with eight for 111 yards. Manning was sacked twice, but the O-line’s chief fault was its penchant for penalties.

RUSHING OFFENSE
B-minus — Barber had 23 carries and gained 95 yards (giving him 855 for the season). But he accounted for all but 29 of the team’s rushing total — and QB Eli Manning was second with two scampers for 24 yards. Run-blocking, which has been outstanding so far, broke down. RG Chris Snee and C Shaun O’Hara were mainly at fault, and LT Luke Petitgout revisited his problems with false starts.

PASS DEFENSE
B — The Vikings were limited to 144 passing yards, and QB Brad Johnson was sacked four times. The Giants had no interceptions but did knock down four Johnson attempts. Johnson was also sacked four times, twice by DE Osi Umenyiora (who added nine tackles). The crucial lapse of the game happened in the final seconds, when WR Travis Taylor caught an 11-yard pass and was allowed to run out of bounds. The clock showed 39 seconds left, and the Vikings were bereft of timeouts. It gave them the chance to set up three plays later for the winning field goal by Paul Edinger.

RUSH DEFENSE
A — In all, the Vikings gained 12 net rushing yards on 21 carries. It was as suffocating a rush-defense performance as the Giants have put together all season. MLB Antonio Pierce had 10 tackles. Combined with DEs Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, CB Curtis Deloatch and SS Gibril Wilson, that group accounted for 38 of the team’s 58 tackles. The Vikings’ “leading rusher” was Michael Bennett, who managed 16 yards on 19 carries.

SPECIAL TEAMS
F — It was unsatisfactory from the moment Willie Ponder fumbled the opening kickoff to the coverage units that allowed both a punt and a kickoff to be returned for touchdowns. There were only five special teams tackles by the Giants all game. Chad Morton returned five punts for 93 yards, while Ponder took back four kickoffs for 81 yards. Jeff Feagles punted five times for a 42.6 average (and a 25.2 net). Jay Feely made two of three field-goal tries, missing the shortest (28 yards).

COACHING
D — With nine penalties, lack of special teams preparation and general malaise that affected the passing game, the coaching staff should be sharply criticized. The final play of the game comes into question, since with no timeouts left and the Giants on their 40-yard line with 10 seconds remaining, head coach Tom Coughlin and/or offensive coordinator John Hufnagel decided to throw a short dump pass over the middle to Barber. All that did was run out the clock. The longer sideline pass, if completed, might have allowed two or three seconds for Feely to attempt a 50-plus-yarder to send the game into overtime.

The 49ers awarded left tackle Jonas Jennings a $12 million signing bonus in the off-season. He played only three games in his first year with the club before seeing his season end due to shoulder surgery this week.
Also, the club’s best lineman, Jeremy Newberry, might miss this week’s game against the Bears due to a chronic knee problem that is getting worse and worse.
This might be the time for the 49ers to begin looking at some of their younger players. If Newberry sits, the 49ers could start second-round draft pick David Baas at center. Or, they could go with Eric Heitmann at center and put Baas or Adam Snyder at right guard.
Snyder is also beginning to see some work at left tackle, where Anthony Clement has played since Jennings was first sidelined for the Oct. 2 game against the Cardinals. “Anthony needs to step up his game,” Nolan said.
Clement was called for two holding penalties last week against the Giants, including a costly one that nullified a spectacular Brandon Lloyd catch that would have placed the ball at the 2-yard line.