The San Francisco 49ers upcoming "Thursday Night Football" game versus the New York Giants has the team on a sped up schedule for Week 3. Game prep began Tuesday with the typical practices replaced by walkthroughs to give the team enough time to recover from Sunday's victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
"You feel extremely rushed. I saw the players a few hours ago, and it was the first time I saw them," Shanahan said. "I told them it was Wednesday morning and by the end of our first meeting, it was Thursday. That's how we explained it.
"Tomorrow morning is Friday but by 10 o'clock it's the day before the game. It's weird. We're throwing four days into two days, as a coaching staff we throw two days into one day."
Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy had similar feelings about the four-day work week.
"You have two days really," Purdy said. "For us today, you do your base, first, second down and third down, put it all together, go through a couple walkthroughs and meetings. You're just trying to pack everything in within a couple days and then get your body right to play on Thursday. It's different. The preparation is just more intense for both teams."
The short turnaround also creates a smaller window for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee) to make progress through their respective injuries. Although technically there will be no full speed practices this week, both Aiyuk and Thomas will be listed as limited on Tuesday's practice participation report.
Giants Scouting Report
The Giants are one of nine playoff teams the 49ers will face in 2023, and despite their slow start, Shanahan and the 49ers aren't in the business of underestimating their opponent. The head coach highlighted Giants quarterback Daniel Jones' mobility as the biggest threat to San Francisco's defense.
"(He's a) huge challenge. It starts with his legs - anytime you have that speed and you can run the ball like he does," Shanahan said. "They're willing to run him. He's willing to run. He's physical when he runs. He has the skill set to run away from people.
"Anytime you have a quarterback like that, the challenge that does schematically, unlocking your defense and making you have to play a certain way is always a pain. Then, he has the ability to play in the pocket and beat you that way too. He's getting better each year."
While the 49ers will have to contend with a dual threat quarterback in Jones, the availability of New York's star running back Saquon Barkley remains unclear. The Giants RB suffered an ankle injury on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, and head coach Brian Daboll has yet to rule him out for Thursday night.
