Check here early and often for a live blog from today’s 49ers-Giants game in East Rutherford, N.J. The Internet connection has not been good, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to blog today.
INACTIVES
49ers: Jamie Martin (third QB), CB Marcus Hudson, CB Reggie Smith, FB David Kirtman, LB Ahmad Brooks, C Cody Wallace, T Jonas Jennings and T Kirk Barton.
Giants: K Lawrence Tynes, CB R.W. McQuarters, RB Danny Ware, LB Antonio Pierce, LB Gerris Wilkinson, T Adam Koets, WR Sinorice Moss and DE Jerome McDougle.
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Made it out to the the parking lot to meet up with Marc-NJ49er and the 12C gang. Thanks to those guys for being such loyal followers of the blog. There was a lot of passion for the 49ers on display out there.
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Josh Morgan might start at split end, as Bryant Johnson is still banged up. Jason Hill might also get some extending playing time. The only official lineup change is Barry Sims for Jonas Jennings at RT.
For the Giants, Chase Blackburn will start at MLB for Pierce, and Bryan Kehl starts at WLB for Wilkinson.
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In today’s game program here at Giants Stadium on Page 1 is the table of contents. For Page 42, is this listing: “49ers Head Coach Mike Holmgren.”
The Seahawks were the last team to play the Giants here. But, still, ouch.
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Click here’s my article for today’s paper, “Next two games could decide Nolan’s fate.”
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Vernon Davis, Donald Strickland and Nate Clements are out at midfield for the coin toss. The 49ers win the toss and elect to receive.
FIRST QUARTER
–Niners take over at the 23. Michael Robinson starts in the backfield, along with Gore. Niners had two TEs with Davis and Bajema. Gore thrown for 2-yard loss.
–On second down, Bryant Johnson and Josh Morgan enter. . . . On previous play, Staley lined up at end of formation and did not report as an eligible receiver. The penalty is declined . . . Eight-yard pass to Robinson.
–Here’s the first third-down, and O’Sullivan is sacked.
–Lawson starts, as the Giants take over at the 34. Niners line up in 3-4. Manning short pass to Jacobs is incomplete.
–On second down, Jacobs fumbled and Clements should’ve recovered, but he tried to run and fumbled himself. After penalty, the Giants face a third-and-21.
–Burress looks to catch the pass and make the first down, but he can’t keep the handle on the pass. It’s ruled a incompletion.
–Niners take over at their own 21 with 12:01 left in the quarter after Feagles’ punt. (Man, that guy is old.)
–The first trickery on first and 15. Robinson takes direct snap at hands it to Gore for 3 yards.
–JTO sacked again on third down. That’s two straight three-and-outs . . . ugly three-and-outs. Lee on to punt.
–Lee with 39-yard punt, with Tarell Brown making the immediate tackle of return man Domenik Hixon. Giants take over at their own 46 with 9:41 left in the quarter.
–Giants get first first down of the game on 14-yard Manning pass to Toomer. And they come right back to Toomer for 8 yards.
–And just like that. Jacobs around right end (Sopoaga’s side) for a 26-yard TD run with 7:52 left in the quarter. It’s GIANTS 7, 49ERS 0.
–Niners take over at the 34 after kickoff. Davis and Walker are in, along with Morgan and Bruce. Gore is the single back . . . And Davis has one of the worst drops you’ll ever see. That would’ve been big yards.
–But, hey, at least Gore can catch. He makes a nice grab of a ball thrown behind him for a 26-yard gain.
–The Giants come with a huge blitz, JTO spins out of it and complete an 11-yard pass to Bruce to the Giants’ 24.
–Third and 8 from the 22 . . . Incomplete pass to Gore, who took a big hit from safety James Butler.
–Nedney on for a 40-yard FG try. He makes it. It’s GIANTS 7, 49ERS 3 with 4:23 left in the quarter.
INJURY UPDATE: Allen Rossum left groin strain. His return is questionable. That could mean Walker or Robinson will be back returning kickoffs. Clements or Battle are the likely candidates on punts, if Rossum does not return.
–Nate Clements with a personal foul when he shoved Madison Hedgecock, who shoved him. Instead of a third-and-8, it’s first-and-10 around midfield.
–Clements with a ticky-tack pass-interference penalty for his coverage against Burress. Giants have ball on the 49ers’ 19.
–Roderick Green is on the field to rush off right end. Looks as if he’s regained his pass-rush job from Tully Banta-Cain, who is also in uniform for this game.
–Fourth and 1 from the 10 . . . Bradshaw gets the call around right end. It’s a first down. First and goal at the 8.
–Jacobs gains 6 yards up the middle. He was stopped for just a yard or two, but kept pushing the pile. That’s the end of the first quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
–Jacobs with the TD run. It’s GIANTS 14, 49ERS 3 with 14:55 left in the quarter.
–The 49ers respond with the Josh Morgan drive. He catches passes of 14 and 14 yards. Then, he beats Giants CB Aaron Ross for a 30-yard touchdown. Nice throw from O’Sullivan. That’s a six-play, 74-yard drive that lasted 3:30. Now, it’s GIANTS 14, 49ERS 10 with 11:25 left in the half.
–The just showed that replay on the TD. Vernon Davis showed very good hands on that play, as he blocked the defensive end one-on-one to help give JTO time to get the ball down the field to Morgan.
–On third and 11, Manning completes 14-yard pass to Burress. First and 10 at the Giants’ 35.
–The 49ers got one back when Burress catches a third-down pass. This time, Burress is called for P.I. vs. Clements. The Giants will punt. Clements is back deep to return it.
–The Internet is a little slow, but I’m trying to plug away. Niners take over at their own 19 with 6:30 left in the quarter. They’re hanging in the game at this point.
INJURY UPDATE: DE Ray McDonald has a sprained knee. HIs return is questionable.
–JTO had Bruce WIDE open down the field, but he overthrew him. That’s a big one that got away.
–Now it’s third and 9 . . . incomplete to Morgan.
–Not sure there’s a corner who comes up in run support better than Clements. He stops Jacobs for 3-yard loss.
–It’s third and 7 . . . Willis with hit on Manning as he’s throwing for an incomplete pass.
–Niners take over at their own 15 with 3:24 left in the half.
–Another bad JTO pick. He was trying to get the ball to Morgan and did not see safety Michael Johnson, who returns it 18 yards to the 9.
–Niners defense comes up big, holding the Giants to a short FG. On third down, the Giants to get the ball to Burress on a fade. Clements had good position on the play. It’s GIANTS 17, 49ERS 10 with 1:52 left in the half.
–Very curious clock management for the 49ers, not taking a timeout after Gore’s false start. They lost 18 seconds in the process. They had ALL THREE timeouts and they lost 18 seconds. Why are they saving those timeouts?
–Bruce with a 28-yard catch from JTO to the Giants’ 19. Niners use their first timeout.
–JTO with another pick. This one in the end zone, as he tried to get it to Battle. Johnson with the pick again. Wow. Gore was open underneath. This half did not end on a good note for O’Sullivan and the offense.
–The Giants take a knee at that’s the end of the first half.
Halftime stats: The 49ers lead the Giants in total yards, 186-129. O’Sullivan is 11 of 18 for 168 with one TD and two interceptions (pass rating 70.8). Eli Manning is 8 of 14 for 72 yards (passer rating 71.1).
Gore has just 9 yards on six carries.
THIRD QUARTER
–If the 49ers had deferred, they would be getting the ball to open the second half.
–Keith Lewis’ roughness penalty moves the Giants 15 yards closer after the kickoff.
–Kentwan Balmer is starting the second half in place of injured Ray McDonald. McDonald has come back to the bench, but he’s not wearing his shoulder pads.
–Giants have moved the ball to the 49ers’ 45. Nice play by Walt Harris to break up a third-down pass to Burress. The defense is playing very well.
–Arnaz Battle makes fair catch at the 11-yard line. O’Sullivan is throwing some passes to Shaun Hill on the field during this TV timeout.
–Third and 2 . . . Gore fumbles the handoff. The Giants have recovered at the 18. Interesting. After the previous play, Gore started to come off the field, and DeShaun Foster was several steps onto the field, then Gore waved him off.
–On third and 7, Giants gain 9 yards on pass to Toomer to the 6.
–Burress gets position on Clements to make the TD grab. Then Burress throws the ball into the stands. It’s GIANTS 24, 49ERS 10 with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter. The Niners have a lot of work to do. The turnovers have killed them again.
–On the previous drive, the official ruling is now that Gore never had the ball. Therefore, it’s O’Sullivan’s fumble. That’s his third turnover of the game and his 12th in the past four games.
–Walker with a nice return, but Goldson is called for holding. The 49ers start at their own 19.
–I’m probably going to pull the plug on the blogging, as the Internet here is very, very slow and very, very frustrating. Please continue the running commentary on your own.
