clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

49ers vs. Giants: San Francisco gave up on run game too early

The 49ers threw the ball over double the amount of times than ran the ball Sunday afternoon which isn't usually a recipe for success for this team.

Jason O. Watson - Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers only ran the ball 17 times compared to the 37 pass attempts they logged in their humiliating 26-3 loss to the New York Giants Sunday afternoon.

Obviously the 49ers did get down early but David Fucillo of Niner Nation still believes that San Francisco gave up on their touted ground attack far too early. Here's what he had to say on the Niners' unbalanced play-calling:

"...this is the second game where it seemed like the 49ers abandoned their rushing identity to a certain extent. The Giants took a 17-3 lead on their first drive of the third quarter, and things seemed to fall apart from there. The 49ers ran for two yards on their ensuing first play followed by a seven yard pass by Colin Kaepernick to Mario Manningham. Leonard Davis was subsequently called for a false start, setting up a 3rd and 6 instead of a 3rd and 1. Cue Alex Smith interception."

Fucillo goes on to point out how the 49ers only had two running back rushing attempts following that Alex Smith interception, a fact that he finds absolutely unacceptable.

It's got to be concerning to fans that both the Vikings and the Giants have defeated San Francisco with the same game plan of making them one dimensional. And with other teams surely watching, this might not be the last time that 49ers fans see their opponents try to force Smith to beat them.