Radio Host Urges Giants To Beat Banged-Up 49ers In ‘Very, Very Winnable Game’
The New York Giants are banged up and have dropped two in a row entering play Sunday.
But despite their 2-6 record, and the record of the opposing San Francisco 49ers, the rivals look a lot alike, according to Sal Licata of WFAN.
Licata urged the Giants to “go and win” against the banged-up, 5-3 49ers in their game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Like the Giants, the Niners have dropped two of their past three games and are riddled with injuries, especially on offense. Like New York, San Francisco is without its No. 1 wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, and may not have its top three receivers Sunday.
Still, the 49ers are in the final NFC playoff spot, leading the Carolina Panthers (4-4) by one game.
Sal Licata Urges Giants To Win ‘Very, Very Winnable Game’
The 49ers are favored, and the Giants may look like the inferior team on paper — especially with running back Christian McCaffrey running wild and for the potential for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to return after missing four straight games due to a toe injury.
The Giants will, of course, be without top wideout Malik Nabers (knee) and RB1 Cam Skattebo (ankle), since each is out for the year. Plus, the Giants defense has scuffled over the past five quarters by allowing 71 points in that span.
Still, Licata likes the Giants’ chances, especially since the Niners have dropped two in a row on the road and are thoroughly banged up.
“Even with the injuries, this is a very, very winnable game,” Licata said Friday. “Go win it.”
Licata noted the Giants’ dominant performance against the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos, where the Giants led 19-0 and 26-8 in the fourth quarter — plus 32-30 with less than a minute left — before coughing up the lead in their 33-32 loss.
“They should’ve beaten Denver, who I think is the best team in the NFL,” Licata said. “The Giants had them beat. They had Denver beat in their building and beat them good. So I’m gonna look at that being more the norm.”
Another Loss Would Further Doom Brian Daboll’s Chances Of Coaching In 2026
The whispers are getting louder for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen to lose their jobs, especially the way the Giants have lost their past two games.
Rex Ryan has already called for Daboll to lose his job after the meltdown at Mile High, and he isn’t the only one.
Licata pointed out that the already-desperate Daboll has burned his bullets by replacing Russell Wilson as QB with first-round-drafted rookie QB Jaxson Dart. Losing more would only expedite the firing process, especially since Daboll is 11-31 in his past 42 games since winning the 2022 NFL Coach of the Year Award.
“If 2-6 turns into 2-7, and if 2-7 turns into 2-8, or you’re looking at 3-11, then there is no more argument [for Daboll],” Licata said. “I get the appeal of pairing Daboll and Dart. I get it. I also understand [that] winning games is important, and I’m not sure this head coach knows how to do it. So far the evidence is against him.”
Dan Campbell’s brutally honest assessment of Lions should scare rest of NFL
The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Even after losing both of their coordinators this offseason, Detroit seemingly hasn't lost a step. They come out of their bye week with a 5-2 record, scoring key wins against some of the top contenders in the process.
If the Lions are to be believed, they still aren't playing to their full potential. Head coach Dan Campbell believes that Detroit still has another gear this season. The Lions HC said that they could stand to be better at playing complementary football over the course of the season.
“I really believe we haven't played our best ball yet collectively in all three phases,” Campbell said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that's really what we're trying to get to here is how can we sharpen ourselves. We know it's going to take every phase. Every game's different, and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we need to start playing complete ball across the board. And just keep improving — like with all these teams that we're in the race with right now. So, that's where we're at.”
The Lions have highlighted four key areas for improvement during their bye week. That includes their third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball. Detroit is ranked 22nd in third-down conversion rate this season with just 37.7%, far below their 47% rate last season. On the other side, they're allowing a similar third-down conversion rate on defense, which is higher than their 32.5% rate last year.
The two other areas that the Lions focused on during the bye week are their red zone defense and Jameson Williams' involvement on offense. While Detroit's defense has been generally solid this season, it's allowing a whopping 63.6% of its opponents' red zone trips to end in a touchdown. On the other hand, Williams has had an up-and-down season thanks in large part to his fluctuating target rate. Detroit's offense is at its best when the threat of Jamo downfield opens up the rest of the offense. Finding ways to get him in space is going to be crucial for this team moving forward.
The Lions open the second half of their season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at home. Will Detroit apply what they've installed during the bye week in their next games?
