In honor of the New York Giants facing off against the 49ers on Monday night, here is Eli Manning’s five best games against that very team.
Throughout his career, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has faced the San Francisco 49ers eight times in the regular season. With a record of 5-3, Manning’s success against the Niners includes a few special performances.
That being said, here are the five best games Manning has had against the 49ers throughout his long career.
5. 2007 Week 7 Home Victory
With a record of 4-2, the Giants hosted the 49ers at The Meadowlands in this Week 7 game. And right off the bat, fans could tell Eli was in for a solid performance.
Eli finished the game with 146 yards, two touchdowns and completed 58.1 percent of his passes. In the end, he did just enough to lead the Giants to victory. With one touchdown to legendary Giants receiver Amani Toomer along with another to former tight end Jeremy Shockey, Eli was able to get everyone involved in the offense.
The Giants won the game 33-15, and thus improved their record to 5-2. And of course, an eventual Super Bowl victory that season as well.
4. 2005 Week 9 Victory on the Road
The Giants entered Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA on a Sunday afternoon. Their record was 5-2 at the time, and it would be Eli Manning’s first career action against the 49ers. And boy, did the second-year player show up to play.
Completing 18 of 33 passes (54.5 percent) with one score to tight end Jeremy Shockey, Eli was extremely careful with the ball against the 49ers’ secondary. Despite his trepidation, he was able to rack up 251 yards through the air.
Winning his first game ever against this organization 24-6, Eli helped the Giants improve their record to 6-2 on the year. They ultimately finished 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
3. 2017 Week 10 Loss on the Road
In a disappointing season for Eli Manning and the Giants, the Big Blue quarterback did manage to have one of his better games in this matchup. Although having an abysmal record of 1-7, Eli went into San Francisco with a clear mindset, and that’s exactly how he played on the field.
Completing 75.7 percent of his passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, Eli was able to pick apart the 49ers’ defense for the majority of the game. With a nine-yard touchdown to tight end Evan Engram along with a 14-yarder to former receiver Roger Lewis Jr., Eli was able to get much of the offense involved in the production.
However, the Big Blue defense didn’t step up as much as the quarterback did, as the Giants lost the game 31-21. Their record thus dropped to 1-8 on the year, as the 49ers were able to get their first victory of the 2017 season.
2. 2011 Week 10 Loss on the Road
A great matchup between two NFC powerhouses. In this Week 10 tangle in 2011, Eli and the Giants entered San Francisco ready to face who they would eventually face in the NFC Championship that year.
In an offensive battle, Eli was able to complete 65 percent of his throws, racking up 311 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Touchdowns included one to former receiver Mario Manningham for 13 yards along with one to former receiver Hakeem Nicks for 32 yards. It was just another dominant game from Eli Manning during his historical, Super Bowl-winning season.
However, the Giants pulled up just short in the end, as the 49ers prevailed 27-20.
1. 2015 Week 5 Win at Home
In an offensive battle throughout the entire game, Eli Manning put on a show against the 49ers defense. Posting a 75.9 completion percentage, Manning was able to put up an astounding 441 yards through the air. The two-time Super Bowl MVP also threw for three touchdowns to three different targets.
With a two-yard score to former running back Shane Vereen along with a 17-yard score to Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants were in control offensively. However, the defense ultimately let the Niners grab the lead late in the game. That’s when vintage Eli showed up.
Driving down the field, Manning was able to hit former tight end Larry Donnell in the end zone from 12 yards out with less than a minute to go to take the lead. The Giants eventually finished out the game with a 30-27 victory. It thus improved their record to 3-2 on the year and put them in first place in the NFC East.
