Good evening, everyone. After the loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers look to get back in the win column on Thursday night. Their opponent on Thursday is the San Francisco 49ers, a team that bested them twice last season. I have a feeling that this game will be a different result than the previous 2 games. I am here to give you my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to win in Santa Clara on Thursday night. Without any further delay, let’s get started.
On offense, the Packers have a very interesting situation on their hands, to say the very least. After the Vikings game on Sunday, it was revealed that RB AJ Dillon had tested positive for COVID-19. After some contact tracing was done, RB Jamaal Williams was revealed as a close contact to Dillon. As a result, both Dillon and Williams are not able to play on Thursday night. If Aaron Jones is still not able to play due to his calf injury, then the Packers will be very thin at running back outside of Dexter Williams and Tyler Ervin. I hope that Jones is able to play on Thursday and make a huge impact for Green Bay offensively. As always, it is up to the offensive linemen to create the holes for the running backs to go through for plenty of positive yards. If the Packers are able to run the ball well, then there should be less pressure on Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball all over the yard. Regardless of whether that has to happen again on Thursday night, Rodgers needs to get the ball to his targets (including Davante Adams, Robert Tonyan, Jace Sternberger, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, plus the running backs). The receivers need to do their part in catching each and every pass without any crucial drops. What can help the receivers get open for these catches is the creative play-calling by head coach Matt LaFleur. In order for everything in the passing game to go smoothly, the offensive line needs to continue protecting Rodgers from any sacks or pressures. Winning the time of possession battle is always a good thing for a team to win games. For most of the season, the Packers have done that very well. Converting critical third and fourth downs, committing no turnovers or penalties, and scoring touchdowns on each possession (especially in the red zone) can help the Packers do just that. I have plenty of confidence in the Packers scoring at least 35 points, which can help their chances of winning on Thursday.
On defense, one thing has to be done above everything else: stop the running game. Whoever gets the call to run the ball for San Francisco needs to be stopped for minimum yardage by the defenders (who need to shed the blocks and tackle the ball carrier properly). If the Packers are able to keep the ground game in check, then they can get after QB Nick Mullens (Jimmy Garoppolo is out with an ankle injury). The pass rush, which includes the duo of Za’Darius and Preston Smith and Kenny Clark, needs to get after the quarterback and pressure him to bad throws. If they are not able to, then it is up to the secondary (which includes Jaire Alexander and Adrian Amos) to cover the receivers very well. To help the Packers win the time of possession battle, the defense needs to keep third down conversions to a minimum, actually tackle the ball carrier, and force a couple of turnovers (which can give the offense more chances to score touchdowns). In my opinion, Mike Pettine might be coaching for his job on Thursday night. If the defense is not able to stop a 49ers offense that is missing Raheem Mostert, George Kittle, and Tevin Coleman (among many other offensive weapons), then that seat of his should be very hot. I hope that the defense plays well on Thursday, even without Kamal Martin (close contact with AJ Dillon, who tested positive for COVID-19) and Kevin King (out due to injury, again).
On Special Teams, the key for the Packers (as always) is to avoid making crucial mistakes that can give the 49ers extra momentum. Whether it is Tyler Ervin or Darrius Shepherd, the return man needs to make solid decisions with the football. If there is no chance for a big return, then the most important thing for him to do is to not fumble the ball. For some punts, the best thing to do is to either fair catch the ball or let it bounce without accidentally touching it. If there is a chance for a big return, the returner needs to follow the blocks and break tackles for a potential field-tilting run (assuming there are no block in the back or holding penalties). On the other side, the Packers cannot allow any huge returns by the 49ers, regardless of who returns the kicks (at least the ones that are not touchbacks or fair catches). As for the kicking game, Mason Crosby should be able to continue making every kick when he is called upon. If the Packers need to punt, then JK Scott needs to flip the field and pin the 49ers deep in their own territory. Hunter Bradley needs to do his part by snapping the football accurately on every field goal or punt attempt. As long as there are no turnovers on Special Teams, I think that they will be fine on Thursday (especially with fewer winds).
This game should be a great opportunity for the Packers to get a win on the west coast, even on a short week. As long as they make little to no mistakes on all fronts, I think that Green Bay will be victorious against the 49ers. Regardless of the outcome, I hope for a game played with no additional injuries and COVID-19 cases for either team. Stay tuned for my post-game thoughts afterwards. Have a good night, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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