The San Francisco 49ers may find a cure for their ailing running game when they meet the New York Giants on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
The 49ers (5-3) rank last in the NFL with 3.4 yards per carry this season, while the Giants (2-6) are giving up a league-high 5.7 yards per carry. San Francisco has scored only three rushing touchdowns; New York has allowed 10.
As 49ers star Christian McCaffrey was being held to a season-low 25 yards on the ground in last weekend’s 26-15 loss at Houston, the Giants were getting run over by Saquon Barkley (150 rushing yards) and backup Tank Bigsby (104 rushing yards) in a 38-20 loss at Philadelphia.
The Giants began the week not knowing which San Francisco quarterback to prepare for — Mac Jones or Brock Purdy — but they know exactly what McCaffrey can do as a two-time NFL leader in scrimmage yards (2019, 2023).
“He’s one of the better players in the league in his position. He’s a mismatch in the passing game, a mismatch in the running game,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “They run a wide variety of run schemes. He can run them all. They put him on a wide variety of routes, receiver routes that receivers would run. He can do pretty much everything. He’s a very valuable piece for their offense. He’s extremely good.”
Defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches said the Giants are focusing on doing “the simple things better.”
“That’s what it comes down to,” he said. “The fundamentals, the filling our gaps, getting off blocks — the simple things. And once you do those things, you can take care and eliminate those big runs or those explosive runs and things of that nature.”
New York’s own running game took a devastating blow in the loss to the Eagles, with rookie Cam Skattebo knocked out for the season with a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and ruptured deltoid ligament.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., who gained 1,123 yards from scrimmage as a rookie last season and began this year as the starter, will resume RB1 duties against the 49ers.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is 2-0 at home since taking over as the starter for the Giants, with wins against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4 and the Eagles in Week 6.
As for San Francisco’s QB situation, Purdy has not played since Week 4 with a toe injury that he originally sustained in the season opener. Coach Kyle Shanahan said he won’t make a decision until he sees how Purdy responds during practice this week.
“If he gets out there and he’s hobbling around and stuff, he won’t be out there,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “He’s got to go out there and go through the practices and let us know how good he feels. It’s hard to know what’s going on with the toe. …
“Last time we felt like he was feeling pretty good, looked pretty good in practice, and then in the game, one hit and it set him back five or six weeks, whatever this has been — four weeks. So it’s kind of a sensitive situation. Hopefully getting some reps in practice will give him that confidence that it’s better than it was last time.”
Jones is 4-2 as the starter in Purdy’s absence. Jones is 0-5 in his career against NFC East opponents.
Linebacker Dee Winters (knee) and rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins (shoulder) joined the 49ers’ injury list this week. Also out Wednesday were receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee), center Jake Brendel (hamstring) and defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos (knee/hamstring) and Bryce Huff (hamstring). Purdy was limited.
Not practicing for the Giants on Wednesday were right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (pectoral), tight end Daniel Bellinger (neck) and cornerbacks Paulson Adebo (knee), Cor’Dale Flott (concussion) and Art Green (hamstring).
