The San Francisco 49ers had their eyes set on revenge against the New York Giants following their heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship Game last season. Instead, the Niners were completely overmatched for four quarters and lost by a score of 26-3.
Giants vs. 49ers, Week 6: San Francisco’s lack of running game costs them
SB Nation's 49ers blog, Niners Nation, was disappointed in a lack of touches for tailbacks Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Similar to their other only other loss this year, lead editor David Fucillo felt like the team simply decided not to run the ball, even though they could.
The two 49ers running backs combined for 11 rushes for 60 yards. They each benefited from a long run (Gore - 13-yard run, Hunter - 15-yard run), but even still the 49ers were finding some success in the run game. It reminded me of the Vikings game where the team was having success on the ground, but for some reason decided it made sense to go away from the run.
Many thought San Francisco would turn to the ground game due to quarterback Alex Smith's banged up middle finger, but that was not the case on Sunday. Given the team was down 17-3 early in the third quarter, perhaps coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff felt they had to throw the football in order to get back into the game. Regardless of what they decided, look for the 49ers to change things up a bit in Week 7 when they take on the Seahawks this Thursday night.
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