Coughlin: New look for 49ers is familiar to Giants

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers' offense is different than the one the New York Giants faced in the NFC championship game last season.
One key figure of the Giants' passing game a year ago is now with the 49ers. Mario Manningham caught just one pass in the NFC title game for the Giants. It went for 17 yards and a touchdown.Still, his output was far better than what the 49ers received from their wideouts. Michael Crabtree had one reception for 3 yards. Every other 49ers wide receiver was blanked."You see what's occurred out there, for example, by Manningham joining the 49ers," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday in a conference call with Bay Area reporters. "Mario is an outstanding receiver. (He's) very fast. Very good along the sideline. So you see what has transpired with his addition."RELATED: Mario Manningham 2012 game logs
The 49ers in the offseason added two members from the New York Giants Super-Bowl-winning offense of a year ago: Manningham and power running back Brandon Jacobs. Manningham is the 49ers' third-leading receiver with 19 catches for 186 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Jacobs has yet to step on the field for a regular-season game.Jacobs practiced all of last week but was not active for the 49ers' 45-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He sustained a left knee sprain on Aug. 18 that has kept him out of action. It's unknown whether he will suit up Sunday against the Giants."There's a lot to that to prepare for," Coughlin said. "We know full well the tremendous ability and strength of Brandon. You just have to figure out how he's going to fit into the offense."The Giants have also had to figure out how other pieces fit without Manningham and Jacobs.Dominek Hixon has 15 receptions for 236 yards and Ramses Barden has added 12 catches for 198 yards with starter Hakeem Nicks also being limited with injuries. In addition, rookie Rueben Randle had six catches for 82 yards last week against the Cleveland Browns.Victor Cruz had become a greater part of the offense with 37 catches for 428 yards and five touchdowns.
In the run game, Ahmad Bradshaw is the team's main back, averaging 5.1 yards a carry through three games. Third-year running Andrew Brown has taken on a greater role after Jacobs' departure.
"We drafted a running back, David Wilson," Coughlin said. "He's not the physical presence certainly that Brandon was, so that part of our game is not been satisfied. We don't have what we'd call a big back.