49ers vs. Giants: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions

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It’s no secret the 49ers’ defense is wounded after losing superstars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries.

But every NFL team deals with attrition throughout the season and the New York Giants are no different. After wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL in September, running back Cameron Skattebo underwent surgery to repair his dislocated ankle this week.

Both teams will be without top talent, but the 49ers are the one with higher expectations and a much more realistic shot at securing a playoff berth.

Can Kyle Shanahan’s team go on the road and avoid a second consecutive defeat? Here are The Standard’s Week 9 predictions.

Kawakami: George Kittle. He’s only caught four passes since his return from injury two weekends ago — and only eight all season in three total games. Time for some progression (or aggression?) to the mean for Kittle, who I’ll write down for at least five catches, one of them for a key touchdown. Plus, his usual crunching run-blocking, of course.

Lombardi: Mac Jones. My gut feeling is that Brock Purdy — a master of cold-turkey starts, as demonstrated in both 2022 and 2023 — returns on natural grass next week against the Los Angeles Rams. This is a great chance for Jones to shine. The Giants have the 28th-ranked defense. Expect Christian McCaffrey to go off. That’s always a great thing for the QB.

Kawakami: Malik Mustapha. The coaches cleared out the safety lineup to get Mustapha back in there this season, and he’s looked solid so far. One or two headline plays in this game could turn the tide — and more than justify all the depth-chart maneuvering.

Lombardi: Keion White. If Sunday’s 10 a.m. Pacific time start is of concern to the 49ers, perhaps they’ve found a solution: Trade for a player on Eastern Time and then immediately fly him back out to the East Coast — before his body clock has a chance to adjust to Pacific Time. All kidding aside, D-line is as plug-and-play as positions come, so White should have some chances to get after Giants QB Jaxson Dart.

(Fun fact: 49ers GM John Lynch was coincidentally on White’s early-morning Wednesday flight from Boston to SFO. Lynch’s daughter plays soccer at Brown University and her team played a game in Providence, Rhode Island that Lynch attended. White said that he slept the whole flight.)

Kawakami: Good luck on the bad MetLife turf. The 49ers rightfully dread every moment spent on this awful surface after that nightmare in 2020. If they can get through this game without a parade to the blue tent, this might be the most uplifting 49ers moment of 2025.

Lombardi: And that’s precisely why my gut says that Purdy won’t yet return. I agree with Tim’s X-factor. If the 49ers stay out of the blue injury tent, their offense — even without some key stars — can control the game against a New York defense that allowed two 100-yard rushers against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

Kawakami: Christian McCaffrey yards on the first two drives. If he gets going early, the 49ers always feel good about themselves. If he doesn’t … we all saw the first half last week. The Giants’ defense isn’t comparable to Houston’s, so Kyle Shanahan should be able to set the early tone by getting McCaffrey into some open space.

Lombardi: Time of possession. In Houston, the 49ers had only about five minutes of it through the entire first half. It took an atrocious performance from both sides of the ball to make that possible. Winning some leverage downs early on Sunday can go a long way toward winning the possession battle, which would set the 49ers up for victory.

Kawakami: 49ers 27, Giants 24, in OT. The clock rewind gives the 49ers extra wake-up time on this 10 a.m. PT start. Can the 49ers’ wounded defense slow Dart’s offense just enough to pull this game out? I’ll guess it’ll come down to a tipped pass for an interception to set up a long Eddy Piñeiro game-winner.

Lombardi: 49ers 27, Giants 21. A 6-3 record is dangling in front of the 49ers like a carrot. They’re better than the Giants, who are also wounded. They have a clear path to control this game. They must seize it to properly set up the Week 10 showdown against the Rams.