New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will have his hands full as he faces off against San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, one of the best play-callers in the NFL.
The 49ers could be getting Brock Purdy back this week after a slew of injuries have kept him out for most of the season to this point.
If Purdy doesn’t come back, Mac Jones will get the start again, as he’s done in Purdy’s absence to this point.
Regardless of the starting quarterback, this offense, down to its bare bones, is the same, just operated at different levels in different areas.
Purdy does a much better job of using his athleticism to hide the struggles of the offensive line, and he’s more aggressive as a passer.
Jones is doing what backup quarterbacks are supposed to do: keep the offense on task and on schedule and don’t screw it up.
I hope Jones gets the start and allows this Giants pass-rush to make more of an impact on the game than they would with Purdy as QB1.
Christian McCaffrey is still one of the most talented running backs in the NFL, but behind that struggling offensive line, he’s been virtually useless as a rusher.
McCaffrey is averaging 3.5 yards per carry this season, a career low for him, and has yet to break free for a long run, with a long of just 15 yards.
Where he’s been valuable this season is as a pass-catcher. McCaffrey has 56 catches this season, double the second-most on the team, for 559 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
The run game hasn’t been there, but McCaffrey has been an absolute workhorse in 2025 with 198 touches from scrimmage, 28 more than Jonathan Taylor in second place.
Another player that may return from injury this week is wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who last played in Week 4.
Pearsall is fourth on the team in receptions with 20 despite playing in only four games, an indictment of the rest of the passing attack.
Despite the high expectations surrounding Jauan Jennings going into the 2025 season, he’s been relatively unproductive as he’s played through consistent injuries the entire year, including five broken ribs and both high and low ankle sprains.
Kendrick Bourne has been a welcome addition to the receiver room, especially with Mac Jones at quarterback, his former teammate with the New England Patriots.
Veteran DeMarcus Robinson has been playing more in Pearsall’s absence but has been relatively ineffective and somewhat of a non-factor.
George Kittle is back at tight end for the 49ers and should make a big impact for this passing attack as he gets more comfortable and whenever Brock Purdy returns.
If Jones is the quarterback, the lack of chemistry between Jones and Kittle is interesting to watch as they get more comfortable with each other.
Jake Tonges was having a consistently productive season before Kittle’s return knocked him basically out of the lineup.
The 49ers may shift back to 12 personnel with their lack of a run game so far this year and productive wide receiver play, putting the more productive players on the field.
Kyle Juszczyk is still the most versatile fullback in the NFL, playing in the backfield, as an in-line tight end, and even lining up at wide receiver.
Even when Juszczyk isn’t productive, he’s an integral part of this offense and allows them to operate the way they do.
The offensive line from left to right is: Trent Williams, Connor Colby, Matt Hennessy, Dominic Puni, and Colton McKivitz.
After a rough start to the season, Williams has bounced back to playing at a consistently higher level, but he still isn’t as dominant as he used to be.
Hennessy is the starter, while Jake Brendel is likely still out for this game, and to say he’s been unspectacular is likely underselling it.
The interior of this offensive line is why this run game has struggled to get going consistently and is even to blame for many of the past protection issues so far this year.
Without Purdy and his ability to extend plays with his legs, interior pressure gets in on Jones, causing severe issues for this offense.
Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The Shanahan offense is still the Shanahan offense.
There are condensed sets to create spacing issues against the defense, motion to get the defense out of position, and a wide-zone running game to create explosive plays on the ground.
Shannon has truly done a stellar job this year in creating yards after the catch opportunities for his pass catchers.
The 49ers currently have the second-most yards after the catch in the NFL at 1,042 yards, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs.
The way they create these yards after catch opportunities is by using breaking routes over the middle of the field.
These opportunities come for McCaffrey on Texas routes, middle screens, and option routes, making him incredibly difficult to defend in the passing game.
Bourne is the other receiver who feasts on digs and slants over the middle of the field.
The width of the offensive formations helps create these looks for the 49ers. By condensing the sets, the 49ers create a messy middle of the field where receivers can get lost in coverage.
Multiple times this season, the 49ers have completely abandoned the running game in favor of an underneath passing attack, including last week against the Texans, when they threw the ball 77% of the time.
Every time the Giants face a zone-oriented run game, I bring up the same point: you destroy that game plan by dominating on the interior.
That’s what Dexter Lawrence brings to the table for the Giants’ defense this week, especially considering how bad the 49ers have been on the interior of the offensive line.
The secondary and linebackers must make tackles immediately after the catch, an area where the Giants are average at best across the NFL.
If Jones is the starting quarterback, then the pass-rush should be able to throw this offense’s timing and rhythm off consistently.
If Purdy is the starting quarterback this week, then the pass rush needs to be sure to finish plays, an area where they’ve struggled in the backfield.
Shanahan is still one of the best play-callers in the NFL offensively and will try to exploit where this Giants defense has been weak while protecting his quarterback from consistent pressure.Â
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