San Francisco 49ers: 3 Big takeaways from loss vs. Giants in Week 10

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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 12: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants rushes with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on November 12, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Pass rush reverts to frustrating norm

It was telling that 49ers edge rusher Cassius Marsh was more noticeable for struggling to cover Saquon Barkley than for any pressure he got on Eli Manning throughout the primetime game.. After sacking Derek Carr eight times in the demolition of the Oakland Raiders, the Niners sacked Manning just once.

Ultimately, the lack of pass rush was abundantly evident as the much-maligned Giants quarterback enjoyed one of his best games of the season. Put simply, Manning had time to throw behind a lackluster offensive line and he made enough plays to win doing so.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) Manning was under pressure on just seven of his 32 dropbacks and went 4-of-6 for 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with a passer rating of 132.6 when under duress.

Those kind of numbers against a poor Giants offensive line are damning evidence that pass rush is still a huge problem for a franchise that has invested heavily in the defensive line but little in edge defenders. Finding dynamic edge rushers must be the absolute top priority for the front office in the coming offseason.

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