49ers Week 3 primer: What to know for home opener against Giants
LOS ANGELES – Opening with back-to-back road wins has the 49ers right where they want to be: Alone atop the NFC West at 2-0.
Thursday night, they’ll be at Levi’s Stadium, to not only host the New York Giants but to try extending a 12-game regular-season win streak dating to their last SoFi Stadium visit last October.
Beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-7 and then the Los Angeles Rams 30-23 does not mean the 49ers are flawless, even if their record is.
“We know Kyle is going to come down hard on us,” wide receiver Deebo Samuel said of coach Kyle Shanahan’s endless pursuit of perfection.
Those lessons will be taught more in the meeting rooms than on the practice field. Players had Monday off, and Tuesday marks their only official practice, which will be a lighter session to help recovery, especially for a 49ers defense that encountered 78 plays (including 55 passes by Matthew Stafford).
THIS WEEK’S STORYLINES
1. Nick Bosa’s body
Bosa played 63 of 80 snaps, his most since 2019, so it’ll be interesting to see how his body responds, considering he reported after camp and the preseason. Two games since signing the richest contract for a non-quarterback, Bosa is still seeking his first sack. He had none in the three playoff games, and none since the Jan. 8 regular-season finale against Arizona that gave him an NFL- and career-high 18 ½ as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Saquon Barkley’s absence
Giants star Saquon Barkley is not expected to play. He left with a sprained ankle after scoring two touchdowns in New York’s 31-28 comeback win at Arizona. Ankle injuries kept Barkley out three games in 2019 and four in 2021. This sets the stage for a Matt Breida Revenge Tour. Breida entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers from 2017-19, led the 2018 team in rushing, and got traded in 2020 to Miami for a fifth-round pick the 49ers used on current right tackle Colton McKivitz.
3. Brandon Aiyuk’s shoulder
Aiyuk’s left-shoulder injury would have kept from practicing Monday, per the 49ers’ projected injury list. He got hurt landing on that shoulder on his first catch Sunday, then aggravated a third-down conversion catch on the opening touchdown drive . “I think he’ll be alright,” Shanahan said postgame. Aiyuk told NBC Sports Bay Area that his shoulder was sore. He played through the pain (30 snaps) and rotated with rookie …
Source:: East Bay – Entertainment
