Preview, prediction, what to watch for in Week 9

An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-49ers NFL Week 9 matchup at MetLife Stadium:

Marquee matchup

Giants NT Dexter Lawrence vs. 49ers C Matt Hennessy 

All the hubbub with former Giants linebacker Carl Banks criticizing Lawrence by claiming, “Nobody respects you anymore’’ came after Lawrence failed to dominate last week against Eagles backup Brett Toth.

Lawrence’s numbers are down across the board and yet he insists he is playing at a high level and that Banks is “delusional.’’ Lawrence now goes up against another backup.

With starting center Jake Brendel down, the next man up for the 49ers is expected to be Hennessy, a 27-year old who played at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., and was a 2020 third-round pick of the Falcons. Hennessy has 23 starts in four NFL seasons. 

Four downs

Downed line: Remember that wonderful continuity along the offensive line? Four of the five players started the first eight games and left tackle Andrew Thomas has started the past six games. It looks as if there will be a disturbance in the force.

Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor is listed as doubtful with a pectoral injury, which puts rookie Marcus Mbow in line to move into that spot. Mbow played extensively in Weeks 2 and 3 at left tackle and was competitive. Eluemunor was playing at a high level, though. Another expected key loss is tight end Daniel Bellinger (neck, doubtful), averaging a team-high 17.6 yards per reception. 

Next back up: It is not as if the Giants have some unproven player waiting in the wings to replace Cam Skattebo as the starting running back.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 839 yards as a rookie and he ripped off a 31-yard touchdown run two weeks ago against the Broncos. “This week, whether I was RB1 or not I approached it as if I was the starting running back,’’ Tracy said, “because you never know how a game is gonna go, you never know the variables through the game or who’s going to get the hot hand or whatever. I’m just programmed and it’s in my DNA to go about it that way.’’ 

Cornered: The Giants are going to be alarmingly shorthanded at cornerback, with Paulson Adebo (knee) missing a second straight game and Cor’Dale Flott (concussion) missing his first game. Art Green (hamstring) is also down. This means Deonte Banks and recently re-acquired rookie Korie Black are in line to start. Receivers Kendrick Bourne and Jauan Jennings are in, but starting WR Ricky Pearsall is out for the Niners. Banks, a 2023 first-round pick, has been hard to watch.

Black, a Giants 2025 seventh-round pick, was claimed the third week of October off the Jets practice squad. Rico Payton, who played in 16 games last season for the Saints, might make his Giants debut coming off injured reserve. The only good news is safety Jevon Holland (knee) is likely to make his return. 

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Backup plan: The 49ers are no longer a high-scoring team as they fight through injuries and turbulence at quarterback, where backup Mac Jones is starting in place of injured Brock Purdy, who has made it into only two games this season after sustaining a turf toe injury in the opener.

“Mac’s done a good job replacing Brock,’’ Daboll said. “The system is pretty expansive. They do a lot of the things that are difficult to defend.’’ Jones is 4-2 as a fill-in starter but has four interceptions and two touchdown passes in his last three games. He also has been sacked 14 times. 

Paul’s pick

The 49ers find ways to win games. The Giants too often find ways to lose games. There is no reason why the Giants cannot come out on top in a low-scoring affair, other than the fact that their defense is untrustworthy. That is an issue. Robert Saleh gushed about Jaxson Dart. Was he setting him up for a furious Niners defensive performance? 

49ers 23, Giants 17