49ers defeat Giants on Thursday Night Football: Score, live updates, highlights, analysis and reacti

There was a point in Thursday night’s game that it was possible to draw some encouragement from an undermanned Giants team fighting a loaded 49ers roster. The Giants had scrapped and clawed their way to within one score, 17-12, early in the third quarter.

It felt like the same script the overachieving Giants followed last season, when they’d hang around with teams just long enough to steal a victory. But there has been little magic in this year’s version of the Giants.

The 49ers scored the next 13 points to pull away for a comfortable 30-12 win. The box score illustrated San Francisco’s dominance: A 441-150 edge in total yards; a 26-10 advantage in first downs; a 39:10-20:50 difference in time of possession.

Yes, the Giants were without running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) and left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring), as well as left guard Ben Bredeson (concussion) and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (hamstring). But for the second time in three weeks, the Giants were dealt a sobering reminder that they haven’t closed the gap on the NFC’s elite teams.

Aside from an inspired second-half comeback win over the Cardinals in Week 2, the Giants have been thoroughly outclassed this season. They’ve been out-scored 70-12 in their two losses to the Cowboys and 49ers. These types of lopsided games weren’t supposed to happen to a Giants team that made major investments to upgrade the roster that got pummeled 38-7 by the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round last season.

“It’s been a lot of football that we don’t feel like is reflective of our best and what we’re capable of and we feel like the fans deserve, the organization deserves,” tight end Darren Waller said.

The Giants have time to lick their wounds after playing two road games in a five-day stretch. Their next game is a Monday Night Football matchup with the Seahawks on Oct. 2. That’s a pivotal game with trips to Miami and Buffalo after that.

“Two games in five days is tough for anyone,” Waller said. “We can start game-planning for the Seahawks and take care of winning at home. That’s something we didn’t do in Week 1. I feel like that’s a good way to build some momentum.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

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