The whistle blew, signaling the end of the first quarter.
6-3, the Giants were in the lead.
The 49ers' offense and defense filed back to their respective sideline areas, where staff quickly handed them water bottles and towels.
The atmosphere on the sidelines wasn't tense; you could even call it relaxed.
"We're only down by three, and that was just a field goal," said the 49ers' starting tight end, George Kittle, as he plopped down on the bench and took a big gulp from a water bottle. "Anderson, I don't think their offense is much tougher than what we saw on tape. And you had at least two open passing windows you didn't even use."
"That's right," the right-side wide receiver chimed in. "Their middle linebacker leaves about a half-second gap when he switches coverage. If I run two fake routes, I can stretch that seam to over a yard. More than enough for you to thread the ball in."
