Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Brink’s Best Bets: 49ers at Giants and All NFL Week 3 Predictions
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
I, like the San Francisco 49ers, experienced a bounce back performance in week 2 of the NFL season. After going an even 8-8 in Week 1, I improved to a respectable record (here) in Week 2. Let's look at the season so far, and then get into some Week 3 picks.
Season Record: 19-13
49ers Picks Record: 1-1
Best & Worst Picks of Week 2
My Best Pick: 49ers 38 - Jets 12
Final Score: 49ers 31- Jets 13
My Worst Pick: Vikings 23 - Colts 13
Final Score: Colts 28 - Vikings 11
Week 3 Predictions
Dolphins @ Jaguars (-2.5) - Feisty Fins keep this one close, but the mustached magician makes it happen.
Jaguars 31 - Dolphins 26
Texans @ Steelers (-3.5) - Texans are fading fast, Steelers win this one easily.
Steelers 27 - Texans 15
Titans @ Vikings (+2.5) - No one likes the Vikings offense or defense as of late, Titans grind this one out.
Titans 19 - Vikings 17
Bears @ Falcons (-3.5) - The 2-0 Bears are as fraudulent as they come, but Atlanta can't expose that.
Bears 23 - Falcons 20
Raiders @ Patriots (-6.5) - New England has its hooks into Newton, Cam continues to impress.
Patriots 30 - Raiders 26
Bengals @ Eagles (-6.5) - Zac Taylor has no business being an NFL coach.
Eagles 35 - Bengals 20
Washington Football Team @ Browns (-7.5) - Sack machine WFT murders Mayfield.
WFT 33 - Browns 20
Rams @ Bills (-2.5) - The West keeps winning, in dramatic fashion on a last second FG.
Rams 27 - Bills 24
Jets @ Colts (-10) - Jets are the worst team in football. Enjoy the snack, Defo.
Colts 29 - Jets 3
Panthers @ Chargers (-7) - Panthers stunk with McCaffery, without him they're completely doomed.
Chargers 23 - Panthers 17
Lions @ Cardinals (-5.5) - The West keeps winning, again.
Cardinals 47 - Lions 13
Cowboys @ Seahawks (-4.5) - Dak and company expose a truly poor Seahawks defense.
Cowboys 44 - Seahawks 31
Buccaneers @ Broncos (+6) - No Sutton, No Lock, Broncos got no chance.
Buccaneers 23 - Broncos 9
Packers @ Saints (-5.5) - Both imposters, but one is much better at home.
Saints 27 - Packers 21
Chiefs @ Ravens (-2.5) - A great game that ends in controversy.
Chiefs 23 - Ravens 21
49ers @ Giants (+4)
![]()
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the devastating losses of Week 2, the 49ers actually seemed to be moving in the right direction on the field. It could have just been the poor performance of the NY Jets, but either way, the 49ers dominated on both sides of the ball. The defensive line limited the run game while putting just enough pressure on the QB to make it uncomfortable to operate. Through 2 games the 49ers have allowed 18.5 ppg, good enough for 7th best in the league. If the 49ers defense can keep getting after the QB while limiting the running game, it has a chance to make the game very difficult on 2nd year QB Daniel Jones. This should be a task made easier with star RB Saquon Barkley and prominent WR Sterling Shephard both missing the game due to injuries. On offense, the 49ers must feed the hot hand of RB Jerick McKinnon while allowing QB Nick Mullens to take some chances with the ball. In 2018, Mullens displayed the ability to come in as a backup and win some football games. The 49ers will continue to do so if they get the ground game going, trust Mullens with the ball, and keep the Giants one-dimensional on offense.
Why SF Loses: The Giants are playing good football on the defensive side of the ball. Heading into Sunday's matchup, the G-men are ranked fifth in the league allowing only 326 yards per game. It has only been 2 games, but the Giants have taken on the image of their hard-nosed rookie head coach Joe Judge. The Giants can gain a huge advantage if they can successfully attack CB Ahkello Witherspoon and get into his head. If the 49ers fail to cover well, they will suffer greatly. The 49ers pass rush will not be there like it has been.
Nick Bosa is out for the year and there's a good chance DE Dee Ford may miss this game as well. If the 49ers allow Jones a clean pocket, he can do heavy damage to the 49ers' secondary. On defense, the Giants have to focus on stopping the run game. This may be easier than anticipated, as both RBs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman appear likely to miss some time. Stopping the run game will put the game completely on Mullens' shoulders with a not-so-stellar cast of pass catchers currently available. The Giants will win this game if Daniel Jones can play like a star while their defense forces Nick Mullens to try and keep up.
Prediction: This game will be much tougher for the 49ers than anyone originally expected. Kyle Shanahan is going to have to put forward his best effort to try and make magic with this depleted roster. The Giants' punishing brand of football may make life difficult for an already battered and bruised 49ers team. As much as the 49ers will have to fight and claw for this one, they have the better 53-man roster and the better coaches on the sidelines. Expect some theatrics, but SF will come out of MetLife on top once again due to a late game stand where LB
Fred Warner makes a humongous play.
49ers 24 - Giants 20
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
More San Francisco 49ers News
Giants at 49ers, Week 3 predictions: Fans confident Niners reach 3-0
The San Francisco 49ers are set to host the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Thursday, September 21, at 5:15 p.m. PT. Each week, the 49ers Webzone staff predicts the winner within its annual NFL Pick 'em contest. That includes writers and forum moderators.
This week, all seven participating staff members selected the 49ers to beat the Giants. San Francisco is currently a 10.5-point favorite.
As for all the fans taking part in our NFL Pick 'em contest, 99 percent have the 49ers winning the game, as of this post.
Of
49ers vs. Giants: Picks and Predictions
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 21
The San Francisco 49ers will finally return to Levi's Stadium in Week 3 for their home opener, where they'll host the New York Giants in a Thursday Night Football showdown in hopes of improving to 3-0.
Heading into the game, the 49ers are seen as ten-point favorites, with the over/under placed at 44.5 points per game, as the Giants will be without star running back Saquon Barkley, left tackle Andrew Thomas, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, and left guard Ben Bredeson on the road.
In a weekly installment, I'll be dishing out some fun predictions on the game, rather than just providing an outright winner, although that will still continue in certain close games.
This week, I've got six intriguing predictions, with some for the 49ers and others for the
49ers-Giants: Brock Purdy overcomes inconsistent start to get the better of aggressive Giants blitz
Brock Purdy was admittedly off his game early on against the New York Giants Thursday night, but by the time the game was over he compiled some impressive numbers, especially considering what he was up against.
The 49ers quarterback was off target at times over the first two quarters of his team's 30-12 win over the Giants Thursday night, as he completed 14-of-25 passes in the first half with 157 yards and a touchdown. But Purdy finished the night having completed 25-of-37 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, with a passer rating of 111.3. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Purdy was blitzed on 33 of his 39 dropbacks, which is the highest blitz rate in any game
49ers at Rams, Week 2 predictions: Fans overwhelmingly predict a Niners win
The Los Angeles Rams are set to host the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, September 17, at 1:05 p.m. PT. Each week, the 49ers Webzone staff predicts the winner within its annual NFL Pick 'em contest. That includes writers and forum moderators.
This week, all seven participating staff members selected the 49ers to beat the Rams. San Francisco is currently a 7.5-point favorite.
As for all the fans taking part in our NFL Pick 'em contest, 97 percent have the 49ers winning the game, as of this post.
Of all the
