49ers vs. Giants score, takeaways: Deebo Samuel monster night fuels San Francisco to win, 3-0 start to season

The Giants pulled off a miracle against the Cardinals in Week 2, overcoming a 21-point second-half lead to avoid a winless start to the season. They were unable to muster that same magic on Thursday night, however, as New York couldn’t rally and fell 30-12 to the 49ers.

There was one main difference between the 49ers and Giants, and it was a glaring one. While the Saquon Barkley-less Giants are devoid of playmakers, the 49ers have several, including former All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel, who caught six passes for 129 yards on Thursday night that included the game-clinching touchdown.

Samuel’s brilliance was flanked by the 49ers’ other offensive stars. Christian McCaffrey tallied 119 total yards while tying Jerry Rice’s franchise record by scoring a touchdown in 12 consecutive games. George Kittle caught seven passes for 90 yards. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns while improving to 8-0 as the 49ers’ starting quarterback during the regular season.

The 49ers’ offense was good, but their defense was just as impressive on Thursday night. Led by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, the 49ers’ defense held the Giants’ offense to just 10 first downs and 150 total yards.

Here’s a closer look at how the 49ers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2019.

Why the 49ers won

As noted above, the 49ers’ star players took center stage. San Francisco also received solid contributions from less-heralded players in running back Elijah Mitchell and rookie wideout Ronnie Bell, who caught his first career pass — which was also the go-ahead touchdown on Thursday night — while helping fill the void left by Brandon Aiyuk’s injury.

The 49ers’ talent on offense allowed them to have significant success on third down. San Francisco was 8 of 10 on third down in the first half and a perfect 3 of 3 on third down on its go-ahead scoring drive. Conversely, the 49ers’ defense held the Giants to just 3 of 12 on third down. The defense put consistent pressure on Daniel Jones while not allowing him to complete anything downfield.

Why the Giants lost
New York simply couldn’t keep pace with the deeper 49ers, who haven’t lost a regular-season game since Week 7 of the 2022 season. Brain Daboll’s team battled, though, and were within striking distance of the heavily-favored Niners until Samuel’s game-clinching score with 5:58 left.

Offensively, the Giants’ offensive line struggled to give Jones extended time in the pocket, which contributed to the Giants’ struggles on possession downs. The Giants’ issues in pass protection can be attributed to the fact that they were without injured starters Ben Bredeson and Andrew Thomas. Their absence may also be part of the reason why the Giants ran the ball just 11 times, the fewest attempts for a Giants club since 1989.

Defensively, the Giants put on a clinic on how not to tackle, as they struggled to get Samuel, Kittle and McCaffrey to the ground after initial contact.

Turning point
Down 17-6 at halftime, the Giants made it a five-point game when Matt Breida barreled into the end zone less than four minutes into the third quarter. But after forcing a 49ers punt on San Francisco’s opening drive of the second half, the Giants’ defense allowed three consecutive scoring drives following Breida’s score.

While the 49ers added to their lead, the Giants’ offense went three-and-out on back-to-back drives.