Numerous San Francisco 49ers contributed to an entertaining but heartbreaking Monday night game with the Giants. Here we look at three standouts.
There will undoubtedly be frustration in the building as the San Francisco 49ers enter their bye on the back of a heartbreaking loss to the New York Giants.
San Francisco, not for the first time this season, gave up a fourth-quarter lead and allowed the Giants to come back and claim a 27-23 triumph, dropping the 49ers to 2-8 on the season.
Yet there was still plenty to be encouraged about from a team playing with a formerly third-string quarterback, and here we assess the performances of three standout players in a Monday night thriller.
Matt Breida
After a promising start, Breida, heavily hindered by an ankle issue, had not averaged five yards a carry since Week 5. However, after signs of promise in Week 9, Breida’s season exploded back into life as he gashed the Giants for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also catching three passes for 31 yards and another score.
The burst through the holes, elusiveness and a surprising amount of power were there for all to see in a do-it-all display from Breida, who was consistently able to get to the second level of the Giants defense and pick up big yardage.
But it was his third-quarter touchdown grab from Nick Mullens, on which he had to adjust to a high throw delivered very quickly, that capped an excellent game for Breida. In a season where the 49ers never had a chance to see what big-ticket free-agent signing Jerick McKinnon could do in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Breida has stepped up magnificently and provided hope that he and McKinnon can be an extremely exciting running back tandem in 2019.