New York Giants take 1st place in NFC East.

The Bengals start a season strong only to be blown out by a better opponent, thus completing the circle of life.

“It’s one of those games where you kind of feel like you got kicked in the gut”, guard Alex Boone said. The Giants have the best rushing defense in the National Football League, having allowed 69.8 yards per game. I felt like there were steps made.

Weekend media reports said Fells had undergone five surgeries and doctors are concerned he might have to have his foot amputated to contain the infection. But the reality is that those 9 yards put the 49ers to within striking distance, and ultimately lead to their first – and much-needed – touchdown of the game. “He’s gotten two or three straight nights of good sleep”.

Boone said of Kaepernick: “I think he played great”.

That and watching his teammates do well have certainly been instrumental in boosting Fells’ spirits. Manning did enough to win, but he also did enough to lose, and there are things about his game that just pop up from time to time-ball placement and accuracy are iffy things with Manning from time to time. “We got to go out and get it stopped”. The athletic receiver held on to the ball while falling across the back of the goal for the go-ahead score.

The Giants seem to live by the motto “If it should be easy, we make it hard”. Earlier losses by the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys meant that New York would be alone atop the NFC east with a victory.

G Brandon Thomas was active for the first time this season, but saw no action in the 49ers’ loss to the New York Giants. But Beckham left the game after his touchdown catch with a hamstring problem, which undoubtedly put a crimp in the Giants’ passing attack.

After a Phil Dawson field goal for the 49ers, Colin Kaepernick brought them level with a three-yard pass to Anquan Boldin, but Manning connected with Odell Beckham Jr from 17 yards to restore the Giants advantage.

RB Carlos Hyde scored on a two-yard run with 1:45 to play Sunday night to give the 49ers a four-point lead in their eventual 30-27 loss to the New York Giants. The Giants zoomed 82 yards on eight plays in their final drive, needing just 1 minute, 24 seconds.

Vereen can also contribute on special teams, as he did against the 49ers when the coaches used him as the kickoff returner in place of Dwayne Harris. Hayne finished the match with two rushes for nine yards and one punt return for 16 yards.

It was so embarrassing, 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula afterward was asked point-blank if Bowman, who missed all of last season with a serious knee injury, was no longer his old self. I always thought the plays you run in the two-minute are the ones you feel very comfortable with.

“That was really my main goal coming in”. The 49ers were too anxious to get the touchdown.

The scary part about Vereen’s new relationship with the Giants is that the two sides are still going through a feeling-out process. “I still think I have a lot to learn and I still think there’s a few things out there that we can improve on as on offense, me personally and as an offense as a whole. That’s why we play”.

Notes: Linebacker Jon Beason (concussion) was in “great spirits” Monday, according to Coughlin.

There is still no timetable for Victor Cruz to return from a calf injury. Coughlin did not have an update as to whether Cruz had that meeting or what was determined….

All week long, the 49ers secondary fielded questions about how to stop Giants receiver Odell Beckham, and it didn’t take long for one of the NFL’s elite young talents made his mark on the Sunday night showcase.

And while no one in the 49ers locker room will admit to imbibing in moral victories, this is as close as it gets for Kaepernick, especially after his nightmarish past two weeks in which he threw five interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes.