49ers Christian McCaffrey runs all over the NY Giants
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (#23), who had a touchdown run and a touchdown catch in the game, grips the ball hard during the third quarter of Sunday’s game vs. the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
11.02.25 – San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey kept getting the ball and running over the New York Giants’ defense on the way to a 34-24 win on Sunday.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan wondered if he should mix in a pass or two before deciding against it.
“Screw it,” Shanahan thought. “We’ll just keep running it.”
The 49ers did that for the entire game, running all over the Giants on the way to victory. McCaffrey accounted for 173 scrimmage yards — 106 on the ground on his 28 carries and 67 receiving on five catches. Many of the 49ers fans in attendance chanted “CMC! CMC!” after he got into the end zone past the midway point of the fourth quarter.
A week after a franchise-low 10 rushing attempts, Shanahan’s team ran the ball 39 times for 159 yards, including Brian Robinson Jr’s 18-yard touchdown that sent a lot of the Giants crowd to the exits.
2025.11.02 – (SF 49ers at NY Giants) NFL Game Highlights
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (#23) celebrates a touchdown with Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 02, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2025.11.02 – (SF 49ers at NY Giants) NFL Game Highlights
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (DF Game Highlights)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (DF Game Highlights)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (#23), who had a touchdown run and a touchdown catch in the game, stiff-arms Giants cornerback Andru Phillips (#22) during the third quarter of Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
“Collectively as a team, we were able to stick with it,” Shanahan said. “It was a huge team deal getting those run calls.”
49ers QB Mac Jones completed his first 14 passes on the way to finishing 19 of 24 for 235 yards and TD passes to McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings. Jones bounced back from a fumble forced by Brian Burns and caught by Abdul Carter to improve to 5-2 as a starter this season, playing in place of Niners QB1 Brock Purdy.
Pounding the ball against the Giants with not much resistance and plenty of missed tackles, the 49ers (6-3) quickly moved past a clunker of a loss at Houston, even without starting quarterback Purdy for a fifth consecutive game. Robinson — who torched the Giants (2-7) during his first three NFL seasons with Washington — averaged 10.6 yards a carry to show it was not just McCaffrey having success on the ground.
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) passes against the New York Giants during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (NBC Sports Post Game)
San Francisco’s defense bounced back from allowing a touchdown on its opponent’s opening drive for the first time this year. The pass rush that has struggled got going as Clelin Ferrell and Sam Okuayinonu each sacked Jaxson Dart, whose TD run and pass to Gunner Olszewski came in garbage time when the result had already been determined.
“Chasing around Jaxson all day is such a big challenge,” Shanahan said. “But I thought we swarmed him very well and can’t say enough good things about the D-line.”
Dart was 24 of 33 for 191 yards with the TD passes to Theo Johnson and Olszewski. Johnson and Wan’Dale Robinson each had a drop on third down that cut short a couple of promising drives.
Combine those with blunders on defense and special teams and New York has lost three in a row, giving up at least 33 points in each of those games. A plane flew overhead before the game reading, “Mr. Mara enough is enough — clean house,” and coach Brian Daboll was asked afterward if his team’s record has him concerned.
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (Krueger & Crew Post Game)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) dives across the goal line for a touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Korie Black (38) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (Krueger & Crew Post Game)
2025.11.02 – SF 49ers at NY Giants (Krueger & Crew Post Game)
“Look, we’re not where we need to be,” Daboll said. “We’ve got to continue to improve here. There’s some things that, I think, are improving and there’s some things that are not.”
Avoiding what would have been their first back-to-back losses this season, the Niners are in the thick of the race for first place in the NFC West.
“You really have to look at this game like a playoff game almost, and I feel like we answered the bell there,” Jones said. “We definitely answered the bell, but the challenge is don’t be complacent and we’ve got to do it again next week.”
Injuries
49ers: DL Mykel Williams left with a knee injury that Shanahan fears is a torn ACL. … QB1 Brock Purdy was inactive after being listed as questionable.
Giants: C John Michael Schmitz left with a left shin injury in the third quarter and did not return. … ILB Darius Muasau injured an ankle in the second. … WR Beaux Collins was quickly ruled out in the second half with a neck injury. … CBs Paulson Adebo (knee) and Cor’Dale Flott (concussion) and S Jevon Holland (knee) were inactive, along with TE Daniel Bellinger (neck) and RT Jermaine Eluemunor (pectoral muscle).
Up next (49ers Roster)
49ers: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
Giants: Visit the Chicago Bears next Sunday.
Related: C.J. Stroud lead Houston Texans over the SF 49ers
Related: See below – 49ers rally to beat Lions and secure Super Bowl trip
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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