The San Francisco 49ers went cross-country and secured a 34-24 win over the New York Giants on November 2 at MetLife Stadium. The victory was highlighted by a standout performance from backup running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Before the 2025 NFL season started, the 49ers acquired Robinson from the Washington Commanders. The 26-year-old showcased his potential in this game, recording five rushing attempts for 53 yards and one touchdown—his best game as a 49er so far.
After the win, star running back Christian McCaffrey shared his thoughts on Robinson’s performance with the media. “It’s awesome,” McCaffrey told reporters (h/t KNBR). “He runs so hard, and it feels like this whole season it’s just been. You could tell he’s itching and might not be the way he wants it to be right now. But to have him is huge for me. It means a lot to me. He pushes me.
“The way he runs, if we can continue to get that flow of the game in there, I’m really excited. You couldn’t ask for a guy to have a better attitude coming to work every day, to have that mindset and keep pushing. Really pumped he’s in our room, and I think it’s only going to get better.”
### 49ers’ Win Comes at a Cost
Despite the impressive road win, the 49ers may face another setback on defense after losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to major injuries earlier in the season. Rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams, the team’s 2025 first-round pick, went down during the game and appeared visibly frustrated, pounding his helmet as medical staff attended to him.
Williams slowly walked toward the locker room after an evaluation in the blue tent. Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an early update following the game, expressing concern that Williams could be dealing with a serious knee injury.
“We’re worried it’s an ACL, but you never know until tomorrow,” Shanahan told reporters (h/t 49ers Web Zone). “He’s just down. You never know, so I said, ‘Hopefully, it’s not the worst, but if it is, hey, that sucks for this year, but that’s all that sucks for you. You’ll be back next year, and this won’t affect you at all.”
### Mac Jones Hopeful on Williams’ Injury
Losing Williams, one of the team’s top young defenders, would put additional strain on the 49ers’ defensive depth. Quarterback Mac Jones remains hopeful that the injury isn’t serious, despite the team’s ongoing struggles with injuries.
“I don’t know what the severity of it was, but I was definitely pissed,” Jones said. “I was sitting there just getting ready to go back in, and I didn’t know who it was. And [then], I was like, ‘Oh, Mykel—I hope he’s OK.’ So just prayed for him, and I know he’s walking around and stuff, so hopefully he’s doing better.”
### Roster Moves and Outlook
To bolster their defensive front amid the injury challenges, the 49ers recently acquired Keion White in a trade and signed Clelin Ferrell to the practice squad. Despite these setbacks, San Francisco improved to 6-3 with the road win over the Giants.
With the NFL trade deadline set for November 4, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers make any additional moves to cover their defensive losses as the season progresses.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/christian-mccaffrey-blunt-brian-robinson-jr/
