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(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers went cross-country and secured a 34-24 win over the New York Giants on November 2 at MetLife Stadium. Moreover, the Niners got a productive game from backup running back Brian Robinson Jr.

Before the 2025 NFL season started, the 49ers secured Robinson from the Washington Commanders. The 26-year-old had his best game as a 49er, with five rushing attempts, 53 rushing yards, and one touchdown.

After the win over the Giants, Christian McCaffrey spoke to the media and shared his thoughts on Robinson’s performance.

“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. 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 49ers’ win over the Giants, 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.”

49ers’ Mac Jones Is Hopeful on Mykel Williams

Losing Williams, one of the team’s top young defenders, would put more strain on the unit’s depth. 49ers quarterback Mac Jones remains hopeful the injury isn’t serious, even as the team continues to lose players week after week.

“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.”

The 49ers bolstered their defensive front by acquiring Keion White in a trade and signing Clelin Ferrell to the practice squad. Despite injury challenges, San Francisco improved to 6-3 with the road win. Still, with the NFL trade deadline set for November 4, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers make another move to cover their defensive losses.

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo

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