The 49ers became the first team to win two games at MetLife Stadium this season by routing the Giants a week after doing the same to the Jets.
Nick Mullens threw for 343 yards and a touchdown while playing in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, Brandon Aiyuk scored his first NFL touchdown and the defense kept the Giants out of the end zone in a 36-9 win. Given the way the stadium’s two tenants have started the year, the 49ers’ only competition for winning twice in the stadium might be the Browns’ and Cardinals’ two visits later this season.
Mullens looked confident and comfortable running Kyle Shanahan’s offense and Aiyuk showed why the 49ers made him one of their first-round picks in this year’s draft. He caught five passes for 70 yards and ran three times for 31 yards and a touchdown to help make up for the absences of George Kittle, Tevin Coleman, Deebo Samuel, and Raheem Mostert.
Plenty of other 49ers were missing on the defensive side as well, including defensive end Nick Bosa and cornerback Richard Sherman. Tight end Jordan Reed and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley were both hurt on Sunday, but the 49ers didn’t miss a beat.
The 49ers rolled up 420 yards overall and held onto the ball for more than 39 minutes. That helped them go from being tied 6-6 to way ahead of a Giants team that turned the ball over three times and looked lost offensively for the entire afternoon. Daniel Jones had a hand in two giveaways and was 17-of-32 for 179 yards overall in one of his worst outings since entering the league last year.
About the only thing that went wrong for the 49ers was the long snapping. Kyle Nelson misfired on several snaps, including an abandoned extra point attempt after a Jeff Wilson touchdown catch. Nelson has been on the job since 2014, so it may have just been an off afternoon for the veteran.
The 49ers will hope to have some more of the troops on hand when they host the Eagles next weekend. The Giants will also be in California as they head to Los Angeles for a date with the Rams.