Rashad Jennings expected to start for Giants Sunday, Geoff Schwartz could be back

The San Francisco 49ers travel east to face the New York Giants this weekend, and they could face a healthier backfield. Running back Rashad Jennings is expected back for the first time since suffering a sprained MCL in Week 5. On Monda, Tom Coughlin said he thought Jennings would play, and Wednesday, a Giants beat writer tweeted he would be "stunned" if Jennings did not start and carry a "significant load."

The Giants have used Andre Williams in Jennings place over the last month, and the run game has been fairly abysmal. Williams carried the ball 50 times during Jennings's absence, and only averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Jennings was averaging 4.4 yards per carry before his injury, so this is a fairly significant return for them. I like the 49ers chances against the Giants ground game, but they will not be the watered down group of the last month.

Another possible return is offensive guard Geoff Schwartz. The Giants placed Schwartz on injured reserve with a return designation due to a dislocated toe in the preseason. They have not activated him to the 53-man roster, but they recently placed Michael Cox on injured reserve, opening up a roster spot. Schwartz played left guard in the preseason before the injury, but he can also play tackle.