If the Packers are as sloppy as they were last week against the Bears, they will suffer a home loss to the 49ers in Week 12. Fortunately for head coach Matt LaFleur, the win over Chicago caught his team’s attention in the final second. Packers fans can expect a better performance at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
That doesn’t mean this game will be a cakewalk for Green Bay. The 49ers come into the game and struggle with a mediocre record of 5-5. The upside for San Francisco is that it puts them just one game behind the Cardinals in the race for the NFC West crown. That means the ‘Niners will be desperate to overcome the adversity against the Packers this week.
The game isn’t a must-win for Green Bay, but losing to San Francisco would likely take away any hopes the Packers have of catching the Lions for the division title. They need to win this game to take another step forward toward securing a Wild Card berth in the NFC.
Packers fans who want to know how Sunday’s game will go should read on to learn about five bold predictions for how Green Bay will perform against the 49ers.
Green Bay leaned heavily on their ground game to win in Chicago last week. Only love threw 17 passes in the narrow victory. The 49ers defense will step up the line of scrimmage to ensure that Josh Jacobs and the Packers’ ground game doesn’t get going this weekend.
When you see eight men in the box, Love’s eyes light up. The 49ers will challenge him to beat them with deep shots down the field, which fits perfectly with what the Green Bay signal caller likes to do. Love is going to throw the ball early and often in this one. Expect him to make a lot of deep shots to force San Francisco to take a deep look at their safety. Love’s early throws will allow his running backs to have more success in the fourth quarter.
This game has serious potential to evolve into a gunfight. The Packers’ cornerbacks are outmatched at almost every position against San Francisco’s wide receiver corps. Green Bay’s quality at safety won’t be enough to keep the likes of Deebo Samuel from racking up receiving yards.
George Kittle’s absence is a concern for the 49ers, but keep a close eye on Ricky Pearsall as a wideout who could benefit from extra target share on Sunday. He has yet to truly break through to San Francisco, but this could be the week he makes good on his draft status.
Jaire Alexander won’t be 100 percent even going into this match. That leaves the Packers vulnerable without a true No. 1 cornerback to compete against Samuel. Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense will throw for over 300 yards that day, including some explosive plays that will help them keep pace with the Packers.
The 49ers’ commitment to stopping the run, coupled with the high-scoring nature of this game, will work against Jacobs’ chances of a big day. He will continue to be a big part of Green Bay’s game plan, but he won’t have a serious impact on San Francisco’s defense on the ground.
Look for Green Bay’s No. 1 running back to get about 15 carries, but he won’t average more than four yards per carry. A final rushing stat line of 15 carries and 55 yards seems good for Jacobs in this crucial matchup.
Jacobs’ ineffectiveness on the court in this game doesn’t mean he can’t hurt the 49ers’ defense in other ways. Specifically, he should be a useful outlet for love in the passing game when San Francisco brings blitzes against Green Bay’s offensive line.
He may not bust any of those catches for explosive gains, but he can help the Packers’ offense keep the chains moving. Set up Jacobs for 6 catches and over 50 yards, including a couple of key plays on third down to extend drives.
The 49ers need Bosa to play like the dominant edge rusher he is capable of if they want to upset the Packers down the stretch. Unfortunately for Bosa, he will face one of the most underrated right tackles in the NFL this Sunday. Zach Tom is going to shut him out in terms of sacks on Sunday.
Bosa will be able to apply some pressure from his defensive end position, but he won’t get home even once against Love. That will be a big story in this game because of how many deep throws Green Bay will take down the seam to loosen up the San Francisco secondary.
Tom won’t be in the highlights as he stones Bosa on the outside, but he will be a big reason why the Packers move their record to 8-3 with a valuable home win. His ability to keep Love clean will frustrate Bosa and San Francisco’s defense in Week 12.
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