49ers Vs. Giants: A Prospector's Guide

by David Fucillo on Jan 18, 2012 6:01 AM PST in 2012 NFL Playoffs

The San Francisco 49ers get their second home game of the postseason on Sunday as they host the New York Giants in the 2012 NFC Championship Game. This marks the 13th conference title game appearance for the 49ers, which is third among NFL franchises since 1970. I knew the 49ers had been to numerous conference championships, but I didn't realize it was quite that many.

After the jump I've posted some of the notable stats leading up to the game, wrapping it up with a comparison of regular season statistics. The Giants are dead last in rushing and I think it's safe to say we'll expect a lot of passing from Eli Manning. Of course, if the rain is pouring down on Sunday, it will be interesting to see if the Giants compensate in some manner.

On the defensive side of the ball, outside of the pass rush, the Giants are struggling. They are getting plenty of sacks, but they're still giving up plenty of passing yards. When the 49ers and Giants last met, while Alex Smith did not hoist up a huge passing total, the team showed a willingness to put the game-plan in Alex Smith's hands. It wasn't a shootout, but Alex came out passing from the get-go after the Giants basically dared him to pass on them.

Given that previous performance and Alex's performance against New Orleans, it will be interesting to see what kind of game plan the Giants defense comes out with against Alex Smith and company.

TE Vernon Davis notched 7 receptions for 180 yds. and 2 TDs last week vs. NO in the NFC Divisional Round. His 180 rec. yds. are the most by a tight end in a single game in NFL postseason history. The total also ranks 2nd among all players in franchise history (215 rec. yds. by WR Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII.
K David Akers has connected on 34 career postseason FGs, which ranks 2nd in the NFL postseason history (K Adam Vinatieri - 45).
This marks the 49ers' 13th Conference Championship game appearance, the third-most among all NFL franchises since 1970.
Since 1980, the 49ers have posted a 18-5 (.783) record at home in the postseason, including an 8-2 record in the last 10 playoff games at home.

A SHORT FIELD

The 49ers started 37 drives in their opponents territory, which ranked 1st in the NFL. They scored 134 points on those drives, which also ranked 1st in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, the 49ers allowed just 11 drives to start in their own territory, which ranked t-1st in the NFL.

YOU WANNA START SOMETHING?

The 49ers average starting ﬁeld position was at their own 33.5-yard line, ranking 1st in the NFL. At home, the 49ers had an avg. starting ﬁeld position of their own 35.5-yard line, which ranked 1st in the NFL.

LONG WAY TO GO

The 49ers ranked 1st in the NFL with an opponents average starting ﬁeld position of the 24.3-yard line, in 2011. At home, the 49ers opponents had an avg. starting ﬁeld position of their own 20.8-yard line, which ranked 1st in the NFL.

POINTS HARD TO COME BY

The 49ers have allowed just 229 points on the season, ranking 2nd in the NFL for the fewest points allowed. Their 14.3 pts. per game ranks 3rd in franchise history.

SHORT AND TOUGH

The 49ers allowed just 23 ﬁrst downs on 3rd and less than 4 yds. (23 of 54 - 42.6 pct.), which ranked 1st in the NFL.

LONG RETURNS

The 49ers registered 10 punt returns of 20-or-more yds. in 2011, which ranked 1st in the NFL.

RETURN TO SENDER

The 49ers were the only team in the NFL not to allow a return of any kind for a TD, in 2011.

EFFICIENCY ON D

The 49ers defense allowed opponents to score on just 23.3 pct. of their possessions, which ranked 1st in the NFL, in 2011.

CONVERTING ON 4TH

The 49ers converted 9 of 14 (64.3 pct.) 4th down attempts this season, ranking 2nd in the NFL.

THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

The 49ers outscored their opponents 380-229. The +151 scoring differential ranked 4th in the NFL, in 2011. It also was the highest scoring differential by the 49ers since 1998 (+151).

HANDLING THE BLITZ

San Francisco registered a QB rating of 96.8 when they faced a blitz, which ranked 3rd in the NFL.

CONTROLLING THE CLOCK

The 49ers had an average time of possession of 32:03 per game, which ranked 3rd in the NFL.history.

Matchups: 35
Postseason Matchups: 7
Series Record: 49ers lead series 18-17
Postseason Series Record: 49ers lead series 4-3
49ers Home Record vs. Giants: 49ers lead series 11-7
49ers Postseason Home Record vs. Giants: 49ers lead series 4-1
First Meeting: 11/9/52, Giants win, 23-14, at NY
First Postseason Meeting: 1/3/82, 49ers win 38-24, at SF
Last Meeting: 11/13/11, 49ers win, 27-20, at SF
Last Postseason Meeting: 1/5/03, 49ers win 39-38, at SF
Current Streak: Win 1
Current Postseason Streak: Win 2
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 6 (9/6/92 - 1/5/03)
Longest Postseason 49ers Win Streak: 2 (2 times) - (1/3/82 - 12/29/84 and 1/15/94 - 1/5/03)
Longest Giants Win Streak: 5 (10/15/72 - 10/14/79)
Longest Postseason Giants Win Streak: 3 - (12/28/85 - 1/20/91)
Most 49ers Points: 41 (10/5/87), 41-21, at NYG
Most Postseason 49ers Points: 44 (1/15/94), 44-3, at SF
Most Giants Points: 48 (11/17/63), 48-14, at NYG
Most Postseason Giants Points: 49 (1/4/87): 49-3, at NYG
49ers Shutouts: 1 (11/23/80), 12-0, at SF
Postseason 49ers Shutouts: None
Giants Shutouts: None
Postseason Giants Shutouts: None

2011 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		GIANTS (rank)
13-3 (1st NFCW)	Record	9-7 (1ST NFCE)
23.8 (t-10th)	Points per game	24.6 (9th)
310.9 (26th)	Total Offense	385.1 (8th)
127.8 (8th)	Rushing Offense	89.2 (32nd)
183.1 (29th)	Passing Offense	295.9 (5th)
32:02 (4th)	Possession Avg	29:30 (21st)
14.3 (2nd)	Points allowed/gm	25.0 (25th)
308.2 (4th)	Total Defense	376.4 (27th)
77.3 (1st)	Rushing Defense	121.3 (19th)
230.9 (16th)	Passing Defense	255.1 (29th)
42 (t-7th)	Sacks	48 (t-3rd)
23 (t-2nd)	Interceptions	20 (t-6th)
+28 (1st)	Turnover Differential	+7 (t-7th)

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Comments

Interesting stat

we actually LOST the Time of Possession battle against the Saints last week, with NO holding the ball for just over 31 minutes.

Our special teams were quietly awesome (again) and a key for the first 3 quarters, as NO was able to move the ball in chunks (when our offense was sputtering), but then find themselves deep in their own territory due to our great special teams.

by Boo-urns on Jan 18, 2012 6:59 AM PST reply actions

we lost TOP by only a couple of minutes

by salary_cap on Jan 18, 2012 10:20 AM PST up reply actions

A couple of minutes is huge,

After all Drew Bree’s took seconds to score on the passes to Sproles and almost heart breaker to Graham

Affectionately,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer

by afrikabamboodle on Jan 18, 2012 1:44 PM PST up reply actions

49ers in the Superbowl

Would be the most amazing storyline in recent Superbowl history. A relentless team like the honey badger. That’s Alex Smith’s personality. I feel good especially for him. Being relentless and wanting to stick with the team that drafted him almost at the cost of being humiliated again like he has been by us, the fans.

Harbaugh called it, we are facing the Giants once again.

by Leoniner on Jan 18, 2012 7:03 AM PST via mobile reply actions

Fortunately, Smith didn’t have to go through that humiliation again.

by Leoniner on Jan 18, 2012 7:05 AM PST via mobile up reply actions

The average starting field position stats

Those are a huge factor in our success this season. Special Teams have been awesome, and of course the defense has something to do with it too. All of those stats look great. I’m ready for the game!

by Beachdog49 on Jan 18, 2012 7:06 AM PST reply actions

a few things regarding your assessment of the Giants team statistics

ahmad bradhsaw and brandon jacobs are both in top 5 for post season rushing, and we have been running the ball EXTREMELY effectively since week 16. I read all week leading up to the Falcons game about how great their run defense was. We kicked their asses all over the field and ran for a season high 170+ yards.

Also, the defensive stats for the postseason are head and shoulders above what they did in the regular season. Since week 16 they have been AWESOME on defense. They shut out the Falcons offense, stopped the Cowboys offense, and if not for a bogus roughing the passer penalty and a ridiculously terrible call on that fumble, they would have held the Packers to possibly single digits.

We will see if the regular season or postseason New York Giants show up in Candlestick though on Sunday.

by The Blood of Eli on Jan 18, 2012 7:12 AM PST reply actions

Your points parallel points I have made about SF -

Season averages fail to take into account improvements during the season, especially those that may have improved significantly late in the season due to returing injured players or simply some players picking up their play level (more common with younger players).

I don’t think SF is nearly as much of a passing underdog as stats would show, nor NY as much of a rushing underdog.

I still say SF manages to pull this one out, and give home field advantage (and all that entails so far as travel and prep time) a decent amount of credit for that.

IF NY manages to pull this one off, they’ll be black-and blue, not red and blue.

by ColoradoNiner on Jan 18, 2012 7:22 AM PST up reply actions

definitely

i dont know as much about the niners as i do the giants, obviously. i would assume alex smith has taken large strides during this season? i cant say i would have feared him in 2010, but after watching him last week i would say the kid can throw the ball.

by The Blood of Eli on Jan 18, 2012 7:25 AM PST up reply actions

You guys are hot, no question

by Bigmouth on Jan 18, 2012 9:11 AM PST up reply actions

The NY run game

is just about the only thing I think can basically be counted out this game. Niners run D isn’t “Atlanta” good, it’s SCARY good. No, really- THEY’RE REALLY FREAKING GOOD. The only rusher to do any damage to Niners the entire season was Marshawn Lynch, and that was when Patrick Willis wasn’t playing. Everyone else was more or less stuffed.

Our ILB’s are the BEST in the league. I would not count on any kind of a running game if I was the Giants.

by TortureOpp on Jan 18, 2012 1:21 PM PST up reply actions

Also, the last three NYG wins- more objectively, what do you think of them?

The Dallas win was obviously great, but Dallas was a really inconsistent team the entire year, and in that game. They made a lot of mistakes.

Same with the Falcons. Falcons were just weaker in many ways, and they also did some really stupid stuff during the game.

Green Bay had basically taken three weeks off, and that’s exactly what they looked like. They didn’t look like they were even there to compete. Dropping passes, a lack of urgency and crispness.

Those Giants wins- IF the Giants go up against a HUNGRY, hard-hitting Niner defense (and that is a big “if”- I’m not sure if the Niners haven’t simply done all they “want” to do for year), NY may go into the same shock that Brees and the Saints did. The Saints weren’t prepared for the intensity the Niners threw at them.

by TortureOpp on Jan 18, 2012 1:32 PM PST up reply actions

Vernon Davis

It’ll be interesting to see how the Niners plan on getting the ball to Davis as I imagine he’ll be double covered most of the game.

Little worried about our thin WR corps… maybe some more WR screens to make sure guys have their hands early and don’t drop as many balls as last week.

by Mapletreemarty on Jan 18, 2012 8:40 AM PST reply actions

Also, no Delanie most likely

Crabs needs to step up, and I suspect he will after all those drops last week.

by Bigmouth on Jan 18, 2012 9:10 AM PST up reply actions

Can we call, email and write ESPN, Fox, CBS and every other sports network

and urge them to talk as much trash about the 49ers as humanly possible between now and Sunday? Have them insist that there’s no way to stop a surging Giants team, that Eli Manning can’t be beat, that the Giants defense is so vastly superior to any other in the league, that Vernon Davis can’t repeat his performance, that the Niners offensive line will get eaten alive, that home field advantage doesn’t matter at Candlestick…

I want every sports writer and commentator to dismiss the 49ers. CBS Sports is off to a good start. They have all season long, and the men in red have thrived off it.

by BruinMW on Jan 18, 2012 9:07 AM PST reply actions 1 recs