The San Francisco 49ers showcased their offensive dominance in a home win against the New York Giants, even without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle each put up impressive numbers, gaining over 90 yards each in the game.
One of the standout performances came from Matt Breida of the Giants. With star running back Saquon Barkley out with an ankle injury, Breida stepped up and played the majority of snaps in the backfield. Although he didn’t get as many opportunities as Barkley would have, Breida made the most of his chances and even scored an 8-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
The Giants employed a six-man wide receiver rotation in the game, utilizing Wan’Dale Robinson, who returned from an ACL injury. While Robinson initially played as a backup for Parris Campbell, he had a successful season debut, catching passes on all four routes he ran and gaining 21 yards. It is expected that Robinson will receive more playing time in the future as he continues to recover from his injury.
The 49ers had to play without Brandon Aiyuk due to his limited practice time and subsequent injury. Ronnie Bell and Ray-Ray McCloud III stepped up to fill Aiyuk’s role, with Bell scoring a touchdown and McCloud primarily taking over for Aiyuk. The 49ers also utilized more plays out of 22 personnel, as they did not have to take one of their top weapons off the field.
In other notes from the game, Elijah Mitchell saw more involvement on offense for the 49ers, Jalin Hyatt did not see an increased role despite his performance in the previous game, and Daniel Bellinger played a significant role in pass-blocking against the 49ers’ strong pass rush.
Overall, the game showcased the depth and versatility of both teams’ offenses, with individual players stepping up in the absence of key contributors. The performance of players like Matt Breida, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Ronnie Bell will be important for fantasy football managers looking for success in the 2023 season.