Get some of the quarter by quarter highlights and action from the 49ers loss to the Giants.
1ST QUARTER, 49ERS 3 – GIANTS 7
The 49ers started out at their 21-yardline but #21 was then stopped for a two-yard loss on 1st and 10. A screen pass to Michael Robinson counted for 7, setting up a 3rd and 5. JT O'Sullivan was sacked by Dave Tollefson, forcing a quick three and out.
The defense responded with a three and out series, forcing what looked to be an actual Plaxico Burress fumble on a 3rd and 21 pass. Officials ruled it incomplete and there was no challenge from head coach Mike Nolan. It was the second dropped pass on the drive with Brandon Jacobs dropping Eli Manning's 1st and 10 pass. Walt Harris and Aubrayo Franklin teamed up to stop Jacobs on his 2nd and 10 carry, meeting him immediately at the line of scrimmage and then forcing a fumble for a loss of 6.
Jeff Feagles' 58-yard punt was initially muffed by Nate Clements. Clements secured the ball but was quickly stopped at the 21-yardline.
Gore gained some nice yards on the ground on first down, but it was wiped out because of an illegal motion penalty on Delanie Walker. Gore's next carry picked up 3, but he was then stopped for a loss of 1, leading to a 3rd and 13. The series ended in another sack, this time by Fred Robbins.
Following the punt the Giants had the ball at their own 46-yardline.
Jacobs needed just one carry to cross into 49ers territory with a 6-yard run. Manning then moved the chains with a 14-yard completion to Amani Toomer at the 49ers 34. Another completion to Toomer earned 8 yards, setting up a 2nd and 2. Jacobs found a crease in the left side of the 49ers defense and headed to the end zone for a 26 yard score and a Giants 7-0 lead. The 4-play drive covered 54 yards.
*Allen Rossum suffered a left groin sprain on the ensuing kickoff return.
JTO had a wide open Vernon Davis for about 15-yard completion but the tight end dropped the pass. On 2nd and 10, JTO found Gore for a 26-yard completion into Giants territory. An offsides penalty against New York set up a 1st and 5 at the 35. Following an incompletion, Gore picked up a blitz up the middle, buying JTO time to get out of the pocket and complete a first down pass to Isaac Bruce for 11 yards. The drive stalled from that point, with the 49ers bringing on Joe Nedney for a 40-yard field goal. The 8-play drive covered 44 yards.
Nate Clements lost his cool at the end of a play, shoving Michael Matthews, who gave a heck of an acting performance with his backwards fall to the ground as Clements was charged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Another penalty handed the Giants a 1st and 5 at midfield, and was followed by a pass interference on Clements which cost the 49ers 36 yards, and set New York up at the 19-yardline. The Giants continued to march down the field, and eventually went for it on 4th and 1 at the 8-yardline. Ahmad Bradshaw converted the 4th down, gaining two yards on the ground, leading to a 1st and goal from the 6. A 6-yard run by Jacobs ended the first quarter, and set New York up at the 2-yardline.
2ND QUARTER, 49ERS 10 – GIANTS 17
Jacobs punched it in for a 2-yard score to increase the Giants to a 14-3 lead with 14:55 to go in the second quarter. The 8-play drive covered 73 yards.
With Rossum out, Delanie Walker fielded the kickoff and got the ball out to the 26-yardline.
Josh Morgan caught a pair of 14 yard passes, followed by a 30-yard touchdown reception with 11:25 to go in the quarter. Gore had two carries for 8 total yards on the drive, while Bruce caught an 8-yard pass. The 6-play drive covered 74 yards.
The Giants moved into 49ers territory but a pass interference call on Burress pushed them back to their side of the field and set up a 3rd and 19. A throw to Ward picked up about 6 yards to force a Feagles' punt that was backed up even farther because of an unsportsmanlike penalty against Burress after the play. Clements caught the punt as he headed out of bounds at the 19-yardline.
*Ray McDonald suffered a right knee strain on the drive. His return is questionable.
Gore caught a short pass, and broke one tackle to get the first down, but a personal foul on Morgan after the play lost 15 yards. The Giants quickly closed on Gore on the next run play for only a 1-yard gain. Bruce was open on the next play but O'Sullivan overshot him. On 3rd and 9, O'Sullivan's intended pass to Morgan sailed into the Giants bench area.
Walt Harris stopped Jacobs for a 3-yard loss, and then immediately got him down after a 6-yard catch on the next play, setting up a 3rd and 7. Joe Staley batted Manning's pass down, forcing a quick three and out with 3:35 left in the first half.
The Giants immediately got the ball back with JTO throwing the ball straight to Michael Johnson. Michael Robinson finally got the safety down at the 9-yardline.
Two runs by Jacobs set up a 3rd and goal from the 3. Manning's third down fade pass was well covered by Clements, forcing the Giants to settle for a John Carney 21-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining.
JTO scrambled for 18 yards and then found Gore for a pass over the middle with room to run for a 13-yard completion to the Giants 42-yardline. A false start by Gore lost five yards and ten seconds off the clock since the 49ers opted not to use a timeout. A 28-yard completion to Bruce set the 49ers up at the 19-yardline with 22 seconds left and two timeouts, but the 49ers never got a chance to use them as O'Sullivan was picked off in the end zone by Johnson again.
3RD QUARTER, 49ERS 17 – GIANTS 24
Keith Lewis drew an unsportsmanlike penalty after the opening kickoff of the third quarter, allowing the Giants to start with the ball at their own 41.
A play later, the Giants were in 49ers territory with Jacobs enjoying a 12-yard gain. Two Jacobs runs earned three yards, setting New York up for a 3rd and 7. Harris was there to break up Manning's pass to Burress.
Arnaz Battle called for a fair catch at the 11-yardline.
Gore gained 3 yards and then 5 yards on the ground to set up a 3rd and 2. Gore never had the football on the exchange, which was officially ruled as an aborted play. The loose ball was recovered by New York at the 18-yardline by Mathias Kiwanuka.
An incomplete pass was followed by a decent run up the middle by Jacobs that was negated because of an illegal shift. On 2nd and 15, Manning found Steve Smith over the middle for about an 8-yard gain. On 3rd and 7, Manning delivered the ball to Toomer for a 9-yard gain and a 1st and goal from the 6. Manning threw a quick strike to Burress for the TD and a 24-10 Giants lead with 9:01 on the clock.
Walker had a return out across the 35-yardline, but a holding call instead had the offense starting off at their own 19.
On 3rd down, JTO got the ball to Battle, who found room to run and then broke free from one tackler for a 21-yard gain. JTO immediately moved the chains with a 12-yard completion to Morgan, but Gore was then dropped for a 3-yard loss. Facing a 3rd and 12, JTO threw the ball behind Battle.
Lee's 52-yard punt bounced around the 2 and then sailed into the end zone.
Manning's pass to Ward was never secured with Willis there in coverage to pull the ball out. Parys Haralson batted down the next pass, leading to a 3rd and 10. Manning got the ball to Ward, who picked up a great block to scurry up the field for a 35-yard gain into 49ers territory.
Facing another 3rd and 3, Manning pump faked and then threw to Toomer, who had Harris over his back for a pass interference call, giving the Giants a first down at the 25. Ahmad Bradshaw got a nice burst up the middle for a long run, but safety Mark Roman stripped the ball out which was recovered by Kentwan Balmer, who then pitched it to Clements. Clements returned it out to about the 22, but NY was flagged for unsportsmanlike on the play. Tom Coughlin challenged the ruling and the Giants got the fumble overturned. The penalty backed the Giants to the 23-yardline, with a 1st and 10. The defense held from there, forcing a 35-yard Carney field goal try.
Linebacker Manny Lawson blocked the field goal, which was scooped up and taken 74 yards for a score by Nate Clements with 1:50 to go in the quarter.
The kickoff was returned 29 yards by Bradshaw, aided by another five since the 49ers were off-sides on the kickoff, giving the Giants starting field position at their 41.
Facing a 3rd and 2, Lawson was flagged for jumping off-sides. The quarter came to an end with a deep ball try for Burress that was well covered by the 49ers.
**4TH QUARTER, 49ERS 17 – GIANTS 29
**The Giants converted another 3rd and 9 with a 10-yard completion to Smith at the 49ers 35-yardline. On another 3rd and 5, Manning had his pass dropped and this time Carney's 48-yard try was good.
Kentwan Balmer got a 9-yard return out to the 32-yardline.
Justin Tuck dropped Gore in the backfield for a 2-yard loss. Following a few penalties, the 49ers faced a 2nd and 7. JTO tried to escape the pocket and eventually fumbled the ball. The 49ers recovered, but back at their own 22, leading to a 3rd and 22. O'Sullivan completed a pass to Battle to move the chains. The 49ers then took a shot deep to Morgan, who couldn't hold on to the catch inside the 20-yardline. A pitch back to Gore lost another yard, setting up a 3rd and 11. O'Sullivan opted to scramble on the down and came up short of the first down marker.
With 7:24, the Giants started off at their own 24. A nice stop on first down and a holding call had the Giants facing a 2nd and 24 from their own 10. Two plays later the Giants had to punt.
With 5:08 the offense started off at their own 20. JTO fumbled the ball which was touched multiple times before Morgan kicked it out of the back of the end zone. The 49ers were flagged for two penalties, including an illegal kick by Morgan for a Giants safety.
After the free kick, the Giants kept the ball on the ground on three straight run plays that the 49ers hemmed up to force a punt.
Back on offense with 2:24 to go, O'Sullivan was sacked and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Adam Snyder after a 10-yard loss. A holding call negated a completion to Morgan and put the 49ers at a 3rd and 30. O'Sullivan threw a short pass to Michael Robinson who picked up 18 yards. On 4th and 12, O'Sullivan scrambled out of bounds after a 3-yard pickup.
The Giants took over on downs, took two knees and ended the game.
