Giants intercept Purdy 3 times, beat 49ers 32-21

East Rutherford, NJ - The New York Giants intercepted Brock Purdy three times and scored touchdowns on four of their five red-zone trips in a 32-21 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

The final margin stood out against two remarkably similar offensive totals. San Francisco finished with 374 offensive yards, only one more than New York, but the Giants recorded 21 first downs to the 49ers’ 16. The sharpest differences came in turnovers, third-down efficiency and red-zone production.

New York’s defense finished with three sacks and three interceptions. San Francisco recorded one sack and two interceptions, meaning neither quarterback played a turnover-free game, but the Giants finished with the advantage in both defensive categories.

Shedeur Sanders completed 17 of 29 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His primary target was Malik Nabers, who produced a game-high 104 receiving yards on six catches, including a 37-yard reception. Theo Johnson added five receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

"The two interceptions are the part I need to clean up," Sanders said. "But getting four touchdowns out of five trips inside the 20 says a lot about how well we finished those opportunities. There is plenty to correct, but this is a result we can build from."

Nabers supplied New York’s only 100-yard receiving performance and accounted for nearly half of the Giants’ passing yardage. His 104 yards topped a productive group that gave Sanders multiple options throughout the game.

"When the ball comes my way, I want to give the offense something positive," Nabers said. "Getting over 100 yards feels good, but winning is the part that stays with you. That is what we were trying to get done."

The Giants also finished with 156 rushing yards. Cam Skattebo handled most of the workload, running 19 times for 89 yards and a touchdown with a long gain of 30 yards. Tyrone Tracy Jr added 44 yards on only two carries, including a 27-yard run.

New York converted 5 of 7 third downs, compared with San Francisco’s 3-for-11 performance. In the red zone, the Giants scored four touchdowns in five trips, while the 49ers finished with two touchdowns and no field goals on four trips. San Francisco did convert 3 of 4 fourth-down attempts.

The 49ers generated the game’s leading passer and rusher despite the loss. Purdy went 19 of 28 for a game-high 222 passing yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions accompanied a 75.8 passer rating. His longest completion covered 43 yards, also the longest completion of the game.

Christian McCaffrey carried 20 times - the most rushing attempts by any player - and finished with a game-high 144 yards and a touchdown. His 41-yard run was the game’s longest, and he also caught three passes for 26 yards. McCaffrey’s production accounted for most of San Francisco’s 169 rushing yards.

"There are things in the numbers that look good, but 21 points and a loss aren’t what we came here for," McCaffrey said. "We have to value the football and be better with our opportunities. The yardage doesn’t change how disappointing the result is."

George Kittle led the 49ers with seven catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Ricky Pearsall added three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, including a game-long 43-yard catch. Their production gave Purdy two receivers with at least 75 yards, but San Francisco finished with 205 team passing yards after accounting for lost sack yardage.

For all of the individual production on both sides, New York owned the stronger numbers in the situations closest to the scoreboard. The Giants had five more first downs, converted five of seven third downs and scored touchdowns on 80% of their red-zone trips. Their defense also finished with two more sacks and one more interception than San Francisco’s unit.

The victory gave New York consecutive wins after the Giants entered Week 13 at 4-7. San Francisco came in at 5-6 following a loss and has now dropped two straight. With both offenses finishing within a yard of each other, the Giants walked away with the 11-point result.

Up Next

The Giants will travel to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 looking to follow up the victory, while the 49ers return home to host the Los Angeles Rams and try to rebound from consecutive losses.