New York Giants Week 10 Preview: Road Game Against Winless San Francisco 49ers

The New York Giants are still settled at rock bottom, and they now have a true test ahead of them. The Giants head on the road to San Francisco to face the winless 49ers.

On paper, 49ers-Giants has all the makings to be an ugly football game. However, both teams have everything to lose in this one. Here are some things to keep an eye on this Sunday in regards to the New York Giants.

Make or Break for McAdoo

Giants head coach Ben McAdoo continues to dig his grave deeper and deeper each passing week. The second year head coach’s scrutiny has reached it’s boiling point, coming off a 51-17 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Two anonymous players even contacted ESPN to vent their discrepancies about McAdoo. Overall, not the greatest week for the Giants coach.

This upcoming game against the lowly 49ers is the true make or break test for McAdoo. The constant praise of “great practices” have not lead to success for the Giants this season. If McAdoo can manage to lead New York to victory this Sunday, he can alleviate the negative pressure that has hounded him for the past week. Another loss will see an increase in said pressure, and his job security will certainly take a hit.

How Short of a Leash Will Eli Be On?

Last week’s game against Los Angeles was history making for all the wrong reasons. One of the more intriguing records broken? quarterback Eli Manning’s consecutive snaps streak at 1,719, as he was pulled late in the fourth quarter last Sunday.

With a lowly 1-7 record, and with the rest of the division thriving offensively, there have been rumors in regards to the future of Manning. Sources have told Jordan Raanan of ESPN  that the Giants are looking at quarterback prospects in next year’s NFL Draft class. New York will look towards the future, as Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson are listed at the top of the quarterback rankings.

Manning has told the media this week that he wants to do everything in his power to help the team win some games. This indication from Manning, as well as McAdoo, confirms that the Giants will not bench Manning, at least for now. If the Giants find themselves down big against San Francisco, Geno Smith will likely enter. Fans and analysts have been calling for rookie Davis Webb to play some snaps this season. However, it appears these wishes are falling upon deaf ears, as the rookie is still listed third on the depth chart.

If this game falls out of hand too quickly, we may see Webb sooner rather than later at some point this season.

Jenkins is Back

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins indefinite suspension was a one week affair, as he is set to start this weekend in San Francisco. The six-year veteran was punished for returning late from the bye week without notifying the team. Now, Jenkins is back, and he has moved on from the whole situation regarding himself and McAdoo.

The Giants’ secondary was torched last week against Los Angeles, specifically by quarterback Jared Goff. Jenkins is New York’s shutdown corner, as he stifled Dez Bryant and Alshon Jeffery this season. Now, New York’s focus is on the 49ers receiving comprised of Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson, Trent Taylor, and Kendrick Bourne. While not deceiving on paper, the Giants pass defense has suffered this season, due to time spent on the field. New York hopes that Jenkins’ return can lead them to victory.

The Curious Case of Landon Collins

Landon Collins is coming off a sophomore season where he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Now, the strong safety has looked a bit shaky lately. The infamous Rams game was a prime example of that. Collins was burned in coverage on multiple occasions, specifically on the Robert Woods’ 52-yard and Sammy Watkins 67-yard touchdowns.

When watching the game film, Collins looked a bit confused in coverage, which Goff took advantage of. The third-year safety will now use this tape to avoid falling back into the bad habits he did against Los Angeles. The Giants will need the pass defense to turn back to their 2016 ways. This season, they have the fourth worst pass defense in terms of passing yards allowed per game (265.2 yards per game).

Final Expectations

New York versus San Francisco will be the most competitive game in Week 10. Between diminished receiving corps, injury-riddled offensive lines, and struggling defenses, both teams have through it all.

If New York ends up giving San Francisco their first win of the season, criticism will be at an all-time high. A loss may also be the straw that broke the camel’s back in regards to this current Giants regime.