The 49ers defense lost start linebacker Fred Warner, who really held down the middle of the field for this defense. Losing him takes them from one of the best tight end defenses in football to one of the worst. Additionally there linebacker core should be super focused on limiting Jaxson Dart rushing. I expect them to spy him all game, and when forced to throw he should find one of his favourite check down targets. 

The 49ers have had injuries all over the defensive line, including their top two pass rushers in Bosa and Huff. With the Giants' offensive line playing better football, I doubt the Niners are going to be able to get pressure on the QB. Dart has actually been pretty good in clear passing situations, and with more time in the pocket, I’m expecting a solid passing performance.

A couple weeks ago Kyle Shanahan talked about how some games are just Christian McCaffrey games, and I think this will be one of those. The Giants' defense allows the most rushing yards per carry, at 5.7 YPC, and they have surrendered the 3rd most rushing yards per game. 

The Giants also have really good pass rushers, with multiple guys that can win inside and out. That should encourage an even more run-heavy gameplan in an attempt to keep the quarterback protected. Whether it’s Purdy back from injury or another week of Mac Jones, I think we can expect 20+ carries on the ground for one of the league's best defences.

The last couple games teams have really realized that you need to take away Dart's legs. He has been extremely good at extending plays and creating explosives on the run, but he is much weaker if you can keep him in the pocket. I would expect the 49ers to heavily spy him all game long, forcing him to stay in the pocket and avoid scrambles. 

The 49ers are a well coached defense but they are low on the talent front. They are a bottom 5 pass rush and I have a hard time seeing Dart not continue to create explosive plays. He’s had some rough matchups recently, but the 49ers are not the defense they once were.