What It Means:

Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to sit out with a high-ankle sprain. Mullens completed 8-of-11 passes for 71 yards with an interception off the bench last week after Garoppolo got hurt. He made eight starts back in 2018 and averaged 284.6 yards per game with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Mullens gets a plus matchup in Week 3 but he could be without multiple top options in the 49ers' passing game. Jordan Reed led the offense with 8 targets last Sunday.

Mullens' average depth of target (6.7 yards) was third-lowest in the league in 2018 among 41 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts that year. That limits the upside for the likes of Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne while Mullens is starting. The Giants are 19th in pass defense, per numberFire's advanced analytics.