The Green Bay Packers finally got the offense going in the second half on Monday night, thanks in large part to the run game. Now they take a 1-1 record to the West Coast and a place where they have struggled recently as they face the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers. The contest between two teams with Super Bowl aspirations will be featured on Sunday Night Football with an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC.
Last year the Packers won in San Francisco 34-17, just their second win there in six tries with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The 49ers ran all over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game in January 2020 and in the playoffs seven years prior. Rodgers is 5-6 against his hometown team, and the Packers have struggled in California in recent seasons.
Jones Leads Packers Attack
After a slow start on offense in the opener, the Packers rode running back Aaron Jones to beat the Detroit Lions on Monday. He ran 17 times for 67 yards and a touchdown while also catching six passes for 48 yards and three more scores. Jones was more of an afterthought in the loss to the Saints in Week 1 with two catches and five rushes for a combined 22 yards.
Rodgers took care of the ball against the Lions with 255 yards, four touchdown passes, and no turnovers. He completed 22-of-27 passes a week after going 15-for-27 with no scores and two interceptions. Rodgers will likely be under pressure Sunday night with a makeshift offensive line against a very talented 49ers pass rush.
Davante Adams leads the Packers with 13 catches for 177 yards on the season but has yet to find the end zone. Besides Jones, the only Packers pass-catcher with a touchdown this season is tight end Robert Tonyan who has seven catches for 60 yards.
The Packers defense gave up five touchdowns to Saints quarterback Jameis Winston and struggled in the first half against Jared Goff on Monday. They righted the ship in the second half with an interception and a forced fumble but only have one sack on the season. Linebacker Za’Darius Smith is on the IR and won’t be available against the Niners.
49ers Defense Looks to Leave a Mark
Through the first two games, the San Francisco 49ers have again been in a next man-up situation at running back with multiple players getting injured. They lost starter Raheem Mostert in the opener while rookie Trey Sermon suffered a concussion in Week 2. Sermon should play, but Jamycal Hasty and Elijah Mitchell are doubtful in the backfield.
Despite the injuries, the 49ers rank ninth in the NFL in rushing on the season and eighth in scoring. The defense is top 10 overall in yards allowed and 10th in points allowed.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is 2-0 against the Packers in his career. In two games, he hasn’t been picked off and has two touchdown passes to go with 503 yards and a 71 percent completion rate. Garoppolo has excelled getting the ball to wideout Deebo Samuel who has 282 yards on the season with 15 catches and one touchdown.
Injuries on defense, especially in the secondary, mean that veteran cornerback Josh Norman will be called on to cover Adams. He made his San Francisco debut against the Eagles last week and committed two pass interference penalties.
Betting Analysis
- Green Bay Packers +4 (-110). +145 Moneyline
- San Francisco 49ers -4 (-110) -155 Moneyline
- Total: 50.5 points. Over -105, Under -115
With tackled David Bakhtiari on IR and guard Elgton Jenkins likely out with an ankle injury, the Packers will have to be creative in slowing down 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. Sunday night’s game is the 49ers’ home opener, and the stadium will have fans for the first time since the 2020 Championship Game win over Green Bay. Crowd noise and an inexperienced line could make things tough for the Packers as the Niners look to stay undefeated.
Free Pick: 49ers -4 (-105)
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