Good morning, everyone. On Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers will take on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Whoever wins this game will be in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the NFC. I am here to give you my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to win on Sunday night. Let‘s get started.
On offense, there are a few keys to victory for Green Bay. One of those keys is to get to a fast start in terms of scoring points. What can help the Packers do this is avoiding silly pre-snap penalties that turn manageable second and third downs into long ones. These penalties include false start and delay of game. Another key is to run the ball at the 49ers pass rushers (who include Nick Bosa) to tire them out. Entering this 6-game stretch to end the regular season, I think that Aaron Jones will be the feature back for the Packers. This doesn’t mean that the Packers should not use Jamaal Williams. I just think that Jones will be used a bit more in both the running game and the passing game. What can help the Packers run the ball well is the offensive line creating the holes for Jones and Williams to run through. If the Packers can run the ball well, then the play-action passing can be used to confuse the 49ers pass rushers. Even with that, they can’t chase explosive plays every time. Aaron Rodgers needs to find the open receiver and throw the ball to him. The pass catchers, in turn, need to catch every ball thrown by Rodgers. These include Davante Adams, Jimmy Graham, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow, and the three backs (Jones, Williams, and Danny Vitale). The offensive line needs to keep Aaron Rodgers uptight and protect him from any sacks or pressures. As always, the Packers need to convert third downs and avoid turnovers to sustain long drives and win the time of possession battle on Sunday night. Touchdowns need to be scored in the red zone instead of field goals to put more pressure on San Francisco to catch up scoring-wise. Doing all of these things on offense will help the Packers win against the 49ers.
On defense, the key for the Packers is to shut down the 49ers running game. With Matt Brieda most likely out, it’s up to Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert to lead the rushing attack. If the 49ers run the ball on early downs, it’s up to the defensive front (led by Kenny Clark) to make sure that the backs don’t get 5 yards per carry. If the defense can stop them for negative yardage, then they will have a big advantage in terms of knowing what the 49ers will do next. Stopping the run game will make the 49ers one-dimensional on offense. With Joe Staley injured and out, I think that the Smiths (Za’Darius and Preston) will have an easy time getting pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo and sacking him. It would be nice if other players get sacks as well, including Kenny Clark and Kyler Fackrell. Even if they don’t get the sack, pressuring Garoppolo can force him to throw a few balls that hopefully turn into interceptions. For the defensive backs (including Jaire Alexander and Kevin King), they need to make those plays and get the pick. I think that Jaire Alexander will redeem himself after dropping a pick-six against Carolina.
The pass catcher that the defense needs to look out for is tight end George Kittle, who leads the 49ers in catches and receiving yards. The Packers defense needs to make sure that he and the rest of the receivers are kept in check. They can’t be wide open for easy catches, especially on crossing routes. One way to avoid these situations is to make sure everyone knows what to do on a particular play. If a catch is made by a receiver, the tackle has to be done almost immediately after it to minimize the yards after the catch. It is important for the Packers to stop the 49ers from converting third downs (especially long ones). In the red zone, the defense needs to force the 49ers to settle for field goals instead of letting them score touchdowns. Turnovers of any kind on defense will give the Packers more chances to score on offense. The defense needs to make sure that there are no missed opportunities for a pick or a fumble recovery. With that said, they can’t be too greedy for the turnover, in the case they miss a tackle and let a big play happen. Doing these things on defense will help the Packers win on Sunday night.
On Special Teams, the key for the Packers is to avoid making mistakes. Those mistakes include turning the ball over and penalties during kickoffs and punts that give the Packers a disadvantage in terms of field position. As long as each player knows what to do during punt and kickoff returns, these mistakes can be avoided. I still think that a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown will happen this season in Green Bay’s favor. If he is given some good blocks, Tremon Smith should pull it off. On the other side, the Packers can’t allow any big returns for the 49ers. This part can be mitigated with Mason Crosby kicking the ball into the end zone for a touchback. Every field goal and extra point kick needs to be made by Mason Crosby. JK Scott needs to continue flipping the field with his punts, giving the 49ers terrible field position. Hunter Bradley needs to do his part by snapping the ball accurately. If there is an opportunity for a blocked field goal or punt, the Packers need to take advantage of it without offsides penalties or running into the kicker. Doing these things on Special Teams will help the Packers win on Sunday night.
If the Packers do all of these things, then they will win against the 49ers and improve to 9-2 on the season. This game will most likely determine who will be getting the top seed in the NFC, assuming the winner of this game doesn’t lose games that they should win later on. Regardless of the outcome, I will be here on Monday morning with my post-game thoughts. Have a great day, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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