EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers' 16-10 win Sunday over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium:
What it means: Eli Manning threw five interceptions and the 49ers still had to sweat things out. That's how good the Niners defense was Sunday -- and how mediocre the offense was against the Giants.
Both teams played what amounted to uninspired ball -- a truly ugly game -- and the Giants, trailing by six, had first-and-goal at the 49ers' 4-yard line with five minutes to go. Then Manning, on fourth-and-goal, threw his fifth pick, the second by rookie inside linebacker Chris Borland.
The Niners climbed into a second-place tie with Seattle in the NFC West after the Seahawks lost at Kansas City.
Stock watch: Rising -- Let's spread the love a bit and give it to third-down, er, fourth-down receiver Michael Crabtree. The former go-to guy who was growing increasingly unhappy with his diminished role in the Niners offense -- referring to himself as a third option and third-down receiver last week -- came up big, for him, Sunday. He caught three passes for 85 yards, including a 48-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown that gave the 49ers a 16-7 lead in the third quarter. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Crabtree gained 36 yards after the catch on the play; he had not gained more than 31 yards after the catch in a single game this season entering Sunday.
Smith debuts: It took until the Giants' third offensive series, and into the second quarter, until it happened. Pass-rush specialist Aldon Smith made his season debut after serving his nine-game NFL-mandated suspension. Smith played 21 of 22 snaps after entering until halftime. Most came at the expense of last week's hero, Ahmad Brooks. According to CSNBayArea.com, Brooks played the first three snaps opposite Smith, with Aaron Lynch the final 18. The Giants had to account for the presence of Smith with a few double- and triple-teams, and he had no tangible stats.
Game ball: No, Borland is not Patrick Willis. Then again, no one is, so why sweat the small stuff? But the diminutive rookie has played bigger than his size, racking up 18 and 17 tackles in his previous two games and recovering a key fumble at New Orleans. On Sunday, Borland had his first career interception, picking off Manning at the Giants' 41-yard line and returning it 12 yards to help set up Phil Dawson's 44-yard field goal that gave the 49ers their first lead of the day at 9-7 midway through the second quarter. Borland had 13 tackles against the Giants and became the first Niners rookie linebacker with a pick since Jamie Winborn intercepted New Orleans' Aaron Brooks on Jan. 6, 2002. Borland's second interception, on a tipped pass at the 2-yard line, all but sealed the game.
What's next: The 49ers (6-4) host Washington (3-7), which was blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-7 on Sunday. The Niners have won the last three meetings with Washington, including last season's 27-6 "Monday Night Football" victory at FedEx Field on Nov. 25. In that game, Colin Kaepernick had three touchdown passes and zero interceptions and the 49ers defense had six sacks of Robert Griffin III.
