The San Francisco 49ers face the Green Bay Packers to kick off a key three-game swing. If you sat down before the season started and took a look at the schedule, your best-case scenario probably was somewhere south of nine wins. The fact that the 49ers are 9-1 heading into Sunday night’s game with Green Bay is remarkable.
Green Bay Packers Matchup the First Leg of a Key Three-Game Swing for San Francisco 49ers
The NFL opted to flex this weekend’s key matchup between the 49ers and the Packers to Sunday night. It makes sense, as it is the biggest game on the schedule. It will undoubtedly play a huge role in the playoff seedings. The 49ers rebounded from their lone loss of the season by beating Arizona Sunday.
Green Bay Packers (8-2) – Sunday Night
The Niners will open their three-game swing by hosting the Packers this Sunday night on a nationally televised game. The two teams have a combined 17-3 record and the winner of this game takes the inside track to home-field advantage in the NFC playoff picture.
The 49ers are hoping to have the services of George Kittle, Emmanuel Sanders, and Matt Breida back in the lineup. Kittle has missed two games with knee and ankle injuries and Sanders and Breida both have been banged up and missed time as well. Breida looks to be a long shot to play again this week, and his absence really hurts the 49ers’ ability to run the football.
Where the 49ers have an advantage is when their defense is on the field. Their ability to pressure the quarterback is second to none, and Aaron Rodgers isn’t the most fleet of foot under center. Nick Bosa will be busy in the Packers backfield and will attempt to put Rogers on the ground as often as possible.
Key Players and Their Potential Impact on the Game
Jimmy Garoppolo – If Jimmy G can keep the ball moving and not turn it over, the 49ers will be in good shape.
Tevin Coleman – Tevin simply stated needs to run the ball more consistently. The 49ers really miss Matt Breida’s speed. I think we might see multiple ball carriers handle the load Sunday night. We should see Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and Jeff Wilson all share the load.
George Kittle – If he plays and plays well, the 49ers will win. He’s important to both the passing and rushing games. More than anything, he’s the spark that lights the offense’s fuse.
Nick Bosa – Nick needs to pressure Rogers and keep him off-balance and uncomfortable. Primarily near the red zone where the Packers excel.
The defensive backs – Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, and K’Waun Williams need to show up and keep the Packers receivers quiet. It’s a tall order, but it’s going to be important to keep Rogers bottled up.
The two Aarons – Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones are going to be big factors Sunday night. Jones is a massive weapon inside the red zone and he’s been almost impossible to keep out of the endzone. The 49ers are going to rely on Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw to keep Jones bottled up. One of those two will have to shadow Jones.
The 49ers start this monster stretch against the Packers. They’ll then head on the road and play the Baltimore Ravens (8-2) and New Orleans Saints (8-2) in back-to-back weeks. If somehow the 49ers can win two of these three, they’ll be in great shape to solidify themselves as the number one seed heading into the playoffs. We’ll dig into those games in the coming weeks.
It’s a great time to be a 49ers fan.
