SANTA CLARA — In their combined 17 games played, the Giants and the 49ers only have managed three wins.
Both teams have lost several games by a small point differential. The Giants have lost six games by a touchdown or less and the 49ers have lost four games by a field goal or less.
“I know their [Giants] record isn’t what they want it to be, just like ours,” Shanahan said on the latest episode of 49ers Gameplan, which airs Saturday night at 8 p.m. on KNTV. “But six out of their eight games, they’ve lost by less than a touchdown. And so they’ve had a chance to win every game, and that comes down to just a couple plays. We’ve got to realize they are not what their record says.
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“Hopefully we can keep it that way, but they are a better team than that.”
Shanahan was complimentary of several of the Giants playmakers, especially running back Saquon Barkley, who has registered 1,016 all purpose yards, ranking him fourth in the league among all running backs. His game is very balanced with 519 yards rushing and 497 yards receiving.
“He’s very hard to tackle,” Shanahan said. “He’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s big, he’s extremely fast, he’s quick. If you have to tackle him one-on-one, he can make you look very silly, similar to someone like Barry Sanders. He’s got that type of skill set.
“When you have a guy like that, they can put you on at highlight reel fast. You can’t expect one guy to come there and get him. We've got to play good eleven-person football, be very sound in our fronts, not give him enough space to sit there and break people off, because he will, if you do."
San Francisco 49ers
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If the 49ers hold Barkley to low numbers early, Shanahan knows they can't let up as the rookie can break off a big play at any time.
“You can hold him all game.” Shanahan said. “Saquon, you can let him average one yard-per-carry. You get one guy out of the gap and he’s going to get 80 very fast. And maybe, even though maybe you gave him one yard the other 20 runs, he gets that one 80-yard run and it’s going to look totally different.”
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been inconsistent this season with QB ratings ranging from a low of 66.1 to a high of 132.3, giving him an average of 90.9. He has completed 215 of his 315 pass attempts for 2,377 yards (68.3 percent), eight touchdowns and six interceptions.
“Main thing is,” Shanahan said, “Eli has had a hell of a career and everyone knows that. He’s a Hall of Famer. I know their whole offense has been inconsistent in the last couple years. But all you got to do is look at the tape and know he can still throw it.
“He knows how to play in the pocket. You give him some time, and the weapons he has around him, they have a number of receivers, they have a very good tight end. They are as skilled as anyone and if you let Eli get comfortable in the pocket, he will dice you up.
“He can throw the ball very well. That hasn’t fallen off at all and he has got a lot of players all around him so we got to make sure we don’t let him get into a rhythm. Because if he does, and he gets comfortable, he’s still Eli Manning.”
From Barkley to Odell Beckham Jr., Shanahan knows the Giants are full of game-changers, despite their lowly record.
“They’ve got some guys who can change the game,” Shanahan said. “They make you work for everything."