LISTEN: Why all positions (Except QB) Should Be In Play In The Draft →
placeholder image

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports


49ers cough up another fourth-quarter lead, fall to Giants 27-23 on Monday Night Football

Nov 12, 2018 at 8:25 PM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot
NYG 7 3 10 7 27
SF 3 10 7 3 23

More self-inflicted wounds by the San Francisco 49ers ultimately led to yet another fourth-quarter collapse to the previously one-win New York Giants on Monday Night Football, as the Niners fell 27-23 and drop to 2-8 on the season.


San Francisco 49ers second-year quarterback Nick Mullens made his first major mistake of his pro career, tossing his first interception in the first quarter that led to seven points for the visiting New York Giants in Week 10 on Monday Night Football. And it wasn't the first of the night either, although Mullens' second pick of the game came off the hands of wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and into the hands of Giants defensive back B.J. Goodson.

Off the first turnover and trailing 3-0, that early Giants touchdown from veteran quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. gave New York an early 7-3 lead. And Beckham would haul in another in the third quarter to cut into what became a 20-17 49ers lead.

The Niners reached that lead thanks to two touchdowns by running back Matt Breida, a 3-yard rush in the second quarter and an 11-yard reception on San Francisco's first possession of the third quarter. And that pass by Mullens for Breida was an impressive one, for sure:


Breida was a major reason behind the 49ers' early offensive success, as was tight end George Kittle, who had 83 yards on nine catches.

The 49ers looked fairly dominant until halfway through the third quarter, when Manning operated the same pass play on two consecutive snaps, the second resulting in a 20-yard touchdown to Beckham over the head of cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who was banking on safety Jimmie Ward providing help over the top.

Following another Giants field goal late in the third, Mullens and the 49ers looked to retake the lead and hold onto it, thereby avoiding yet another fourth-quarter collapse from head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad. Yet the Niners defense held, giving San Francisco another chance to retake the lead in the quarter. But the offensive drive stalled with just under 11 minutes remaining, resulting in a punt. And Manning nearly hit Beckham again for a huge gain, only to underthrow the pass and give Witherspoon and Ward barely enough time to recover and record the pass breakup.

San Francisco defenders DeForest Buckner and Dekoda Watson sacked Manning the following play -- the first the Niners recorded against a Giants team having allowed a league-high 31 quarterback takedowns entering the game:


Thanks to a key third-down pickup by wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, the 49ers managed to get their offense back in the red zone with just above three minutes remaining. Yet the drive stalled short, as Bourne was targeted four yards short of the first-down marker. The Niners were forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould to go up 23-20 with 2:46 remaining in regulation.

So that left Manning and Co. to stage one of those fourth-quarter comebacks he used to be known for years ago. And it looked promising for New York too, especially after a 31-yard pickup by a wide-open tight end, Evan Engram. And a holding call on 49ers linebacker Malcolm Smith on 3rd-and-12 didn't help matters at all either. Nor did Witherspoon's 16-yard pass-interference call.

Notice a trend among bad teams in the fourth quarter?

That led to another fourth-quarter blown lead, as Manning connected with wide receiver Sterling Shepard from three yards out to take a 27-23 lead with 53 seconds left:


Mullens and the 49ers offense led a desperate scramble to retake the lead, coming down to a one-second play from the Giants' 21-yard line.

It sailed high out of the end zone, marking the fourth time this season the Niners lost a fourth-quarter lead.

San Francisco now falls to 2-8 on the year after committing so many late mistakes, which has become something of a trend for Shanahan and Co. this season.


NYG Team Stats SF
17 First Downs 24
277 Total Yards 374
180 Pass Yards 250
97 Rush Yards 124
8 (78) Penalties (Yds) 10 (97)
0 Turnovers 2
5 (43) Punts (Avg) 3 (42)
25:46 Time of Pos. 34:14

Giants Player Stats
Passing Cmp/Att Yds TDs INTs
E. Manning 19/31 188 3 0
Rushing Att Yds TDs Lg
S. Barkley 20 67 0 18
S. Shepard 1 27 0 27
W. Gallman 2 3 0 2
Receiving Rec Yds TDs Lg
O. Beckham 4 73 2 30
E. Engram 4 46 0 31
S. Barkley 4 33 0 23
E. Penny 2 12 0 9
S. Shepard 2 9 1 6
C. Coleman 1 11 0 11
R. Ellison 1 6 0 6
S. Pulley 1 -2 0 -2
Kicking FG Lg XP Pts
A. Rosas 2/2 31 3/3 9
Punting No Avg I20 Lg
R. Dixon 5 47.6 3 59
Kickoff Returns No Avg TDs Lg
C. Coleman 3 30 0 51
S. Simonson 1 12 0 12
Punt Returns No Avg TDs Lg
Q. Henderson 1 7 0 7
Defense T-A Sck INTs FF
L. Collins 7-2 0 0 0
L. Carter 6-1 0 0 0
A. Ogletree 4-3 0 0 0
C. Riley 5-1 0 0 0
B. Goodson 4-2 0 2 0
J. Mauro 4-2 0 0 0
J. Jenkins 5-0 0 0 0
B. Webb 5-0 0 0 0
B. Hill 3-1 0 0 0
D. Tomlinson 1-2 0 0 0
M. Thomas 2-0 0 0 0
G. Haley 2-0 0 0 0
O. Vernon 1-0 0 0 0
M. Edwards 1-0 0 0 0
S. Chandler 1-0 0 0 0
K. Martin 0-1 0 0 0

49ers Player Stats
Passing Cmp/Att Yds TDs INTs
N. Mullens 27/39 250 1 2
Rushing Att Yds TDs Lg
M. Breida 17 101 1 23
A. Morris 9 19 0 5
K. Juszczyk 1 3 0 3
N. Mullens 2 1 0 2
Receiving Rec Yds TDs Lg
G. Kittle 9 83 0 22
M. Goodwin 4 69 0 26
K. Bourne 4 33 0 13
D. Pettis 4 12 0 8
M. Breida 3 31 1 19
K. Juszczyk 2 10 0 11
T. Taylor 1 12 0 12
Kicking FG Lg XP Pts
R. Gould 3/3 53 2/2 11
Punting No Avg I20 Lg
B. Pinion 3 44.3 1 47
Punt Returns No Avg TDs Lg
R. James 1 23 0 23
D. Pettis 1 1 0 1
Defense T-A Sck INTs FF
M. Smith 5-1 0 0 0
K. Williams 5-0 0 0 0
J. Ward 4-1 0 0 0
F. Warner 2-2 0 0 0
D. Buckner 0-4 0.5 0 0
A. Exum 3-0 0 0 0
R. Sherman 3-0 0 0 0
M. Nzeocha 3-0 0 0 0
A. Witherspoon 2-1 0 0 0
A. Armstead 2-0 0 0 0
R. Blair 2-0 0 0 0
D. Watson 1-1 0.5 0 0
E. Mitchell 1-1 0 0 0
C. Marsh 1-0 0 0 0
  • Written by:
    Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.

Related News





Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

New Netflix show "Receiver" will feature 49ers' Deebo Samuel and George Kittle

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

After the success of "Quarterback," the NFL has announced a new series on Netflix called "Receiver." This series will follow a similar format but focus on those who haul in passes. San Francisco 49ers fans will be delighted to learn that two popular team players, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, will be among those featured in the upcoming show. The two 49ers stars are among the most charismatic individuals on the roster, so it's easy to see why they were chosen for the series. The other stars of the show will be Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit


placeholder image

Titans signing ex-49ers DT Sebastian Joseph-Day

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

According to the player's agent, former San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day has agreed to a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. He is an unrestricted free agent. Following his visit yesterday, Sebastian Joseph-Day has agreed to terms with the Tennessee #Titans on a one year deal according to @ChaseYourLegend— Jason McCourty (@JasonMcCourty)


placeholder image

Steelers reportedly interested in trading for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

The Jacksonville Jaguars were reportedly interested in trading for star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, the San Francisco 49ers' asking price of the No. 17 overall pick plus a player was seemingly too high for the team. Now, it appears another AFC team might be trying to pry Aiyuk away from the West Coast. Andrew Fillipponi of Pittsburgh-area radio station 93.7 The Fan reports that the Steelers are looking to work out a deal with the 49ers for the receiver. "Sources: The Steelers have looked into 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk," Fillipponi wrote on social media. "He's entering the last year of his contract. Steelers would have to execute a sign and trade. But they've shown


placeholder image

NFL Draft: 49ers meet with OT, DB, LB at Pro Days

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

The San Francisco 49ers recently attended UCLA's and Fresno State's Pro Days, aiming to bolster their roster with promising prospects. With an eye on the 2024 NFL Draft, the team may want to add to their defensive back and linebacker positions. The 49ers observed defensive back Alex Johnson's performance in Westwood. When asked about his interactions with NFL teams, Johnson revealed, "I'm on my way to talk with the Niners right now." UCLA defensive back Alex Johnson is meeting with the San Francisco 49ers after his Pro Day in Westwood.


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone