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Surprising division leaders meet in San Fran

Why to watch
Eli Manning and Alex Smith are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in quarterback rating. But one is being asked to win games, and the other merely to manage them. The 49ers have been a dominant run team; the Giants are just trying to get back to their power attack. Both teams are also leading their division.

Inside story
For all of the comments about the Giants' secondary, they are almost identical to the 49ers in opposing passer rating. With Smith's downfield reads limited, expect defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to have his DBs squat on some shorter routes. Giants center David Baas is a longtime former 49ers player, and should have some insight into curbing Frank Gore and that run game.