EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw five interceptions as the San Francisco 49ers earned a 16-10 victory at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

San Francisco (6-4) climbed into second place in the NFC West, tied with the Seattle Seahawks behind first-place Arizona. The Giants fell to 3-7, and pushed their losing streak to five games.

It was the first multi-interception game since Week 2 for Manning, who finished 21 of 41 for 276 yards. He also threw five interceptions in a loss to the Seahawks in 2012.

“I didn’t expect this. I didn’t plan on it,” Manning said. “I have to make better decisions, better throws. They’re all on me. It’s no one’s else’s fault. I have to protect the ball and can’t afford to turn it over, especially in field goal range.”

The Giants, who hadn’t scored on their opening drive in 20 games, put an end to that streak thanks to a turnover by 49ers running back Frank Gore, who lost the handle on the ball at the Giants 16-yard line.

Manning connected twice with receiver Rueben Randle for 38 yards, and running back Rashad Jennings, in his first game back from a knee injury suffered in Week 5, ran twice for six yards. The Giants capped the scoring drive when Manning found tight end Larry Donnell for a 19-yard touchdown and the 7-0 lead.

The maligned Giants defense held the 49ers to just three first-half field goals of 31, 37, and 44 yards by kicker Phil Dawson, who gave his team a 9-7 lead at the half.

The 49ers scored their only touchdown of the game in the third quarter when quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who finished 15 of 29 for 193 yards, connected with receiver Michael Crabtree on a 48-yard touchdown pass to increase their lead 16-10.

After Josh Brown’s 43-yard field goal closed the 49ers’ lead to 16-10, the Giants recovered an onside kick.

But any momentum gained from that change of possession was lost on third-and-9 as Manning’s third interception gave the 49ers the ball back.

The Giants had a final opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter, getting a first-and-goal on the 49ers’ 4-yard line.

Manning threw three consecutive fade passes that fell incomplete before being picked off for the fifth time in the game on the fourth-down desperation heave.

What the 49ers said:

“There’s always something you can do to fix it. Execution is number one on that list. I think the biggest thing for us is we just have to make sure we’re on top of everything when we get to those situations.” — quarterback Colin Kaepernick, on the 49ers inability to score in the fourth quarter.

What the Giants said:

“I would’ve blanked that out. Believe me, amnesia would’ve set in.” — head coach Tom Coughlin, on whether he could remember a time where he’s had a team go through one disaster after another as he has this season.

What we learned about the 49ers

1. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick might not have had gaudy numbers this week, finishing 15 of 29 for 193 yards and one touchdown while at times looking a bit skittish in the pocket, but he’s making his passes count. Kaepernick has now thrown a touchdown pass in 17 straight regular-season games dating back to last season, and has gone three weeks in a row without throwing an interception.

2. The defense is still pretty good despite injuries. The 49ers came into this game minus Pro Bowl inside linebacker Patrick Willis (IR), outside linebacker Dan Skuta, nose tackle Ian Williams, and slot CB Tramaine Brock — four key pieces to their defense. Yet thanks to their depth, they were still able to keep the game close by limiting the Giants running game to 65 yards on 21 carries, coming up with five interceptions, and breaking up 12 of Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s 45 pass attempts.

–S Jimmie Ward was placed on the injured reserve list the day before the game with a right foot injury. Ward, the 49ers’ first-round (30th overall) draft pick this year, finished his rookie season with 23 tackles and two passes defensed.

–LB Aldon Smith, who had been on the Reserve/suspended list for violating the NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies, was reinstated in time for the game. Smith finished with no tackles and just two quarterback hits in his first regular season action this season.

–LB Chris Borland continues to be nothing short of phenomenal in relief of Patrick Willis, who’s now on injured reserve. Borland recorded his first career interceptions, coming up with two of Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s five picks for 12 yards. Borland also finished with 12 total tackles to lead the 49ers defense, and recorded three passes defensed, tying him with cornerback Chris Culliver for the team lead this week.

What we learned about the Giants:

1. Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is more than just a rising star. The Giants’ first-round pick this year is fast becoming a respected leader among his teammates. Beckham was chosen to deliver the pregame pep talk in the huddle following the Giants’ pregame warmups. The rookie then backed up whatever message he delivered with another strong outing, catching seven out of 15 pass targets for 93 yards, the highlight of which was a spectacular 37-yard reception along the Giants’ sideline that gave his team first-and-goal at the 49ers’ 4-yard line.

2. The Giants sink even lower. This week’s loss marks the third time in the Tom Coughlin-Eli Manning era where the team has dropped five games in a row — the other two times being in 2004, their first season together, and last year, when they dropped their first six. The Giants finished both of those seasons under .500, going 6-10 in 2004 and 7-9 last year. Interestingly, in years in which the Giants have been able to stop a consecutive-game losing streak after four games (2006, 2009 and 2011) they went on to finish .500 or better each season, with the 2011 season resulting in the team’s second Super Bowl championship in the Coughlin-Manning era.

–WR Rueben Randle set a career high with his 112 receiving yards, which came on seven catches. Randle’s previous career high in receiving yards was 101 yards, set in Week 1 of last season against Dallas. Randle is now the Giants team leader in both receptions (50) and receiving yards (521), but he is next to last among the Giants’ receivers in touchdown catches with two, which puts him just ahead of Victor Cruz, Preston Parker and Corey Washington, all of whom have one apiece.

–RT Justin Pugh left the game in the first quarter with a left quad strain, an injury that he apparently first suffered last week against Seattle. Head coach Tom Coughlin told reporters that he didn’t know what was going on with Pugh, whom he said took all the snaps in practice this week and who wasn’t on the team’s injury report. “Had we known something was [wrong], we could have done something about it,” he said of Pugh.

–WR Odell Beckham Jr., who finished with 93 receiving yards Sunday, saw his streak of consecutive 100-yard receiving games end at two. Still, he became the first Giants rookie to have two consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Byron Williams did it in 1983. That season, Williams finished with 100-yard games in three of the Giants’ final four games of that season. With six games to go, Beckham, who has caught 21 passes for 357 yards in his last three games, still has a chance to record three 100-yard receiving games as a rookie.