REPORT CARD
Offense: With Frank Gore grounded, the 49ers leaned on Alex Smith. He delivered, connecting on 19 of 30 throws for 242 yards and a touchdown. His interception came on a dropped pass. Grade: B+
Defense: As was the case against Philadelphia and Detroit, the 49ers give up yards (311 passing to Eli Manning) but not a lot of points. Justin Smith came through again with late-game heroics. Grade: B
Special teams: David Akers improved to 5 of 5 on field goals from 50 or more yards. He also executed an onside kick and made a tackle. San Francisco's coverage units came up big, too. Grade: A
Overall: The 49ers didn't widen their lead in the NFC West but created some distance in the conference race. Amid all the hype about this game, it was another example of sound game-planning and solid execution. Grade: A
– Matthew Barrows
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