49ers' finish feels familiar in 27-23 loss to Giants

SANTA CLARA - The 49ers blew another one.

They blew their fourth fourth-quarter lead of the season Monday night and lost 27-23 to the New York Giants.

The game was entertaining. Both teams played with pride. But, neither team is good. The Giants’ record is 2-7. The 49ers’ record is 2-8. Two of the worst teams in the league.

The 49ers led by three points with 57 seconds left in the game, and couldn’t finish. Just as they couldn’t finish off the Arizona Cardinals when leading by 12 points in the fourth quarter, or the Green Bay Packers when leading by seven points in the fourth quarter, or the Los Angeles Chargers when leading by one point in the fourth quarter.

“We should have won,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We had a chance to step on (the Giants’) throat and didn’t. Let them get back in it fast. Kept them around too long. And we didn’t make plays at the end of the game. We had a great opportunity. But, as a team, players and coaching staff, we didn’t get it done.”

Some of the 49ers did get it done, in the sense they played well. Tight end George Kittle caught nine passes for 83 yards. Running back Matt Breida rushed 17 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. He also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass. Breida and Kittle were terrific.

The 49ers offensive line played well, too. It gave up zero sacks and just three hits on quarterback Nick Mullens.

Mullens wasn’t bad. In just his second career start, he threw one touchdown pass, two interceptions, passed for 250 yards and completed 69 percent of his throws.

“Nick is a stud,” Kittle said. “He was great. I love playing with him. I have nothing negative to say about Nick. He has done everything we’ve asked of him and more. He’s going to keep doing that and proving people wrong.”

Mullens struggled early. With 4:12 remaining in the first quarter, the 49ers led 3-0 and had the ball at their 6-yard line. Mullens dropped back, looked to his right, didn’t find an open receiver, looked back to his left and floated a soft pass across the field to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne near the sideline.

This was the first major error of Mullens’ career.

“It wasn’t necessarily a terrible read,” he said, “but it was late, and the corner made a good play.”

Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins broke quickly on the ball and tipped it to linebacker B.J. Goodson, who made the interception. The Giants scored a touchdown three plays later when quarterback Eli Manning threw a 10-yard pass to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone. The Giants led 7-3.

“You give them a touchdown and we lose by four,” Mullens said. “It’s not OK.”

The 49ers retook the lead during the second quarter, and extended their lead to 10 points with 8:15 remaining in the third. That’s when Mullens threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Breida. They led 20-10.

The game turned shortly after.

The 49ers gave up a 47-yard kickoff return to Corey Coleman following Breida’s touchdown grab. Three plays later, Beckham Jr. made a 20-yard touchdown catch. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was covering Beckham Jr. man to man, and expected help from free safety Jimmie Ward, but Ward didn’t help. Witherspoon was all alone. He raised him arms in disgust after the play while starring at Ward.

“I am not (OK with it),” Shanahan said, referring to Witherspoon’s reaction. “Man up.”

Suddenly, the Giants trailed 20-17. They tied the game at 20 with a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

The game was tied with 2:59 left in the fourth quarter. The 49ers had the ball in red zone. It was third-and-6 from the Giants’ 15. This was the 49ers’ best chance to close out the game.

Mullens dropped back and held the ball. And held it. And held it. Finally, he threw to Bourne, and the Giants tackled him three yards short of the first-down marker. Instead of scoring a touchdown, the 49ers kicked a field goal, and took a 23-20 lead.

“That is a very frustrating play for me,” Mullens said. “I could have been better. I could have put the ball where it should have been and I didn’t. I was late. It’s frustrating. Coach Shanahan always talks about the moments of truth. That is a moment of truth if you ever see one, and I didn’t get the job done.”

But, the game wasn’t over yet. The 49ers still had a three-point lead with three minutes left. Their defense could have closed out the win.

It didn’t. Linebacker Malcolm Smith committed a holding penalty on third and 12, which gave the Giants an automatic first down. Then, Witherspoon committed pass interference on second and 20, which gave the Giants another automatic first down.

Then, Smith and defensive end Cassius Marsh gave up a 23-yard catch to running back Saquon Barkley while double-covering him. Then, rookie D.J. Reed gave up a three-yard touchdown catch to wide receiver Sterling Shepard. And that was that. The Giants led 27-23.

The 49ers got the ball back with 53 seconds and drove to the Giants 21-yard line, but Mullens threw an incomplete pass through the back of the end zone on the final play.

“You come up short, it really sucks,” Mullens explained.

The 49ers should know.