Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants passes against the Green Bay Packers during their NFC Divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 15, 2012 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(January 14, 2012 – Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)
(PhatzRadio / USA Today) — Analyzing the offenses, defenses and special teams that will decide the AFC title game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants.
When the 49ers have the ball …
The best way for the San Francisco 49ers to put the brakes on the New York Giants’ waves of pass rushers is to slam Frank Gore into the line and escort him through to the second level.
The Giants are wary of long trap plays — pulling the backside guard to lead Gore or Kendall Hunter— but won’t tone down their Gore-centric defensive plan used during a 27-20 loss vs. the 49ers in November.
On a sore knee, he rushed six times for zero yards vs. mostly eight- and nine-man defensive fronts, including consistent use of a five-man defensive line.
The 49ers feature tight end Vernon Davis and don’t have the playmakers outside to stretch the secondary vertically.
The Giants were effective Sunday in cluttering the middle of the field to push Green Bay Packers receivers to the sideline and funnel passes outside the numbers. Aaron Rodgers’ longest completion was for 21 yards.
The Niners coaching staff has instilled confidence in quarterback Alex Smith. His athletic skills were evident on a 24-yard touchdown run last weekend.
Smith can lock on to Davis but trusts him to come up with the ball using his muscle against cornerbacks and speed against linebackers. As matchups go, Davis is a ton. He’s as fast as any player the Giants have to cover him, with raw strength to boot.
The 49ers offensive line, which is built for power from tackle to tackle, can be limited in a high-tempo game.
If the Giants jump to an early lead, 49ers left tackle Joe Staley would be overmatched by defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora in San Francisco’s four-minute offense.
When the Giants have the ball …
The 27-20 loss at the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 13 should boost the New York Giants’ confidence.
Without running back Ahmad Bradshaw and limited by an offensive line pieced together because of injuries, the Giants drove to the 49ers’ 10-yard line in the final minute with second-and-2 and a chance to tie but couldn’t get the job done.
Since that game, the line has jelled, wide receiver Victor Cruz has put a case of the drops in his rearview mirror and Eli Manning has firmly established himself as the one of the NFL’s elite quarterbgacks.
The Giants can take plenty of lessons from last weekend’s film of the New Orleans Saints’ game plan.
The Saints found big plays in the middle of the field — and took multiple big hits from the 49ers’ hard-hitting, risk-taking safeties.
Manning won’t back away from working the ball between the hash marks with San Francisco’s wide-split safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner, but his trump card is Bradshaw.
Bradshaw is the team’s best blocking back, and he surprises with his power to gain yards after contact. If Bradshaw and big back Brandon Jacobs can get going, Manning should thrive in play-action.
Manning was 7-for-9 for 155 yards with two touchdowns working off play-action at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Cruz is a flash in the open field, and his burst off the line strains teams that bump receivers at the line without over-the-top help.
The 49ers regularly walk a safety into the box in their eight-man front, but tracking Cruz and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks might force a change in approach.
For all the attention the 49ers have received for dominant third-down defense, the Giants are just as impressive on first down offensively, averaging almost 8 yards a play in the postseason on first down.
When the Giants do face long-yardage downs, Manning gets rid of the ball if there’s nothing there, and the offensive line has allowed only 16 sacks in the last 13 games.
Special teams
The San Francisco 49ers special teams have been a game-changing unit, and coach Jim Harbaugh harps on the team’s ability to win the field-position battle.
In the regular season, the 49ers’ average starting field position was their 33.5-yard line, and they held foes to the 24.3.
Their kickers arguably are the best in the NFL. Punter Andy Lee had a 44.0-yard net average and kicker David Akers made a regular-season record 44 field goals with a touchback rate above 50%.
Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr.’s status was in question because of a knee injury at midweek. He’d be missed — Ginn has six career returns for touchdowns and averaged 27.6 yards on kickoff returns this season.
For a team with ball security concerns on returns, the New York Giants anticipate the 49ers being more physical than most on their coverage teams — they had two takeaways in the kicking game last weekend against the New Orleans Saints.
Punter Steve Weatherford has been an excellent directional kicker this season, and if he can master the winds — and potentially slick track — at Candlestick Park to force the 49ers to march the length of the field repeatedly, the Giants might be hard to beat.
The Giants return teams are below average, notably poor on punt returns, where their 6.1-yard average return should have Lee salivating.
Compiled by Jeff Reynolds of The Sports Xchange
Sizing up the NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs Giants is a post from: PhatzRadio.com
Be sure to check out other great articles at PhatzRadio – A New Voice In Sports Talk Radio With Rock, Jazz, Soul, R.
Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants passes against the Green Bay Packers during their NFC Divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 15, 2012 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(January 14, 2012 – Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)
(PhatzRadio / USA Today) — Analyzing the offenses, defenses and special teams that will decide the AFC title game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants.
When the 49ers have the ball …
The best way for the San Francisco 49ers to put the brakes on the New York Giants’ waves of pass rushers is to slam Frank Gore into the line and escort him through to the second level.
The Giants are wary of long trap plays — pulling the backside guard to lead Gore or Kendall Hunter— but won’t tone down their Gore-centric defensive plan used during a 27-20 loss vs. the 49ers in November.
On a sore knee, he rushed six times for zero yards vs. mostly eight- and nine-man defensive fronts, including consistent use of a five-man defensive line.
The 49ers feature tight end Vernon Davis and don’t have the playmakers outside to stretch the secondary vertically.
The Giants were effective Sunday in cluttering the middle of the field to push Green Bay Packers receivers to the sideline and funnel passes outside the numbers. Aaron Rodgers’ longest completion was for 21 yards.
The Niners coaching staff has instilled confidence in quarterback Alex Smith. His athletic skills were evident on a 24-yard touchdown run last weekend.
Smith can lock on to Davis but trusts him to come up with the ball using his muscle against cornerbacks and speed against linebackers. As matchups go, Davis is a ton. He’s as fast as any player the Giants have to cover him, with raw strength to boot.
The 49ers offensive line, which is built for power from tackle to tackle, can be limited in a high-tempo game.
If the Giants jump to an early lead, 49ers left tackle Joe Staley would be overmatched by defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora in San Francisco’s four-minute offense.
When the Giants have the ball …
The 27-20 loss at the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 13 should boost the New York Giants’ confidence.
Without running back Ahmad Bradshaw and limited by an offensive line pieced together because of injuries, the Giants drove to the 49ers’ 10-yard line in the final minute with second-and-2 and a chance to tie but couldn’t get the job done.
Since that game, the line has jelled, wide receiver Victor Cruz has put a case of the drops in his rearview mirror and Eli Manning has firmly established himself as the one of the NFL’s elite quarterbgacks.
The Giants can take plenty of lessons from last weekend’s film of the New Orleans Saints’ game plan.
The Saints found big plays in the middle of the field — and took multiple big hits from the 49ers’ hard-hitting, risk-taking safeties.
Manning won’t back away from working the ball between the hash marks with San Francisco’s wide-split safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner, but his trump card is Bradshaw.
Bradshaw is the team’s best blocking back, and he surprises with his power to gain yards after contact. If Bradshaw and big back Brandon Jacobs can get going, Manning should thrive in play-action.
Manning was 7-for-9 for 155 yards with two touchdowns working off play-action at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Cruz is a flash in the open field, and his burst off the line strains teams that bump receivers at the line without over-the-top help.
The 49ers regularly walk a safety into the box in their eight-man front, but tracking Cruz and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks might force a change in approach.
For all the attention the 49ers have received for dominant third-down defense, the Giants are just as impressive on first down offensively, averaging almost 8 yards a play in the postseason on first down.
When the Giants do face long-yardage downs, Manning gets rid of the ball if there’s nothing there, and the offensive line has allowed only 16 sacks in the last 13 games.
Special teams
The San Francisco 49ers special teams have been a game-changing unit, and coach Jim Harbaugh harps on the team’s ability to win the field-position battle.
In the regular season, the 49ers’ average starting field position was their 33.5-yard line, and they held foes to the 24.3.
Their kickers arguably are the best in the NFL. Punter Andy Lee had a 44.0-yard net average and kicker David Akers made a regular-season record 44 field goals with a touchback rate above 50%.
Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr.’s status was in question because of a knee injury at midweek. He’d be missed — Ginn has six career returns for touchdowns and averaged 27.6 yards on kickoff returns this season.
For a team with ball security concerns on returns, the New York Giants anticipate the 49ers being more physical than most on their coverage teams — they had two takeaways in the kicking game last weekend against the New Orleans Saints.
Punter Steve Weatherford has been an excellent directional kicker this season, and if he can master the winds — and potentially slick track — at Candlestick Park to force the 49ers to march the length of the field repeatedly, the Giants might be hard to beat.
The Giants return teams are below average, notably poor on punt returns, where their 6.1-yard average return should have Lee salivating.
Compiled by Jeff Reynolds of The Sports Xchange
Sizing up the NFC Championship Game: 49ers vs Giants is a post from: PhatzRadio.com
Be sure to check out other great articles at PhatzRadio – A New Voice In Sports Talk Radio With Rock, Jazz, Soul, R.