Giants beat writer Dan Graziano on the team's inability to stop Russell Wilson in Week 10: What the Giants showed Sunday in Seattle was a complete inability to handle Seattle's basic zone-read run game. They bought the play fake every time, and the only time they stuck with the quarterback was when he did hand it off to Marshawn Lynch. If they'd gone into the game intentionally trying to make the wrong play on every zone-read play, they couldn't have done as good a job of it as they actually did. It was a fiasco.
49ers beat writer Paul Guitierrez on the team's use of the read-option this season: While there is no doubt that the read-option was a huge part of Colin Kaepernick's arrival on the national consciousness, it has been virtually nonexistent as a play call this season. Sure, Kaepernick is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and is on pace to rush for a career-high 530 yards, but his running game has been more threat than design, if that makes sense. It's all part of the Niners' desire to keep him healthy, obviously, and to make him more of a pocket passer. Still, given the way the Seahawks shredded the Giants' run defense, I would be shocked -- shocked! -- if the Niners shied away from pounding the rock with Frank Gore to set up the read-option for Kaepernick.
Russell Wilson rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Giants, who showed a complete inability to play the read-option, so it would be a surprise if the 49ers didn't bring it back to get a win in New York. Kaepernick is rushing for a career high 33 yards per game (which is slighly above his career average), but against the Giants he could double that number if the team is willing to use the read-option.
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