Three Reasons Why the Packers Beat the 49ers

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Green Bay Packers can take a big step toward the NFL playoffs on Sunday when they host the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.

Here are three reasons why this march can continue with a victory over the 49ers.

1. Brock Purdy Out; Brandon Allen

Football is a complex game where 11 players on offense face 11 players on defense. The success of every game depends on the success of every player.

But sometimes it is quite simple. The quarterback matchup will be between Jordan Love and Brandon Allen.

With 49ers star Brock Purdy injured in his right shoulder, coach Kyle Shanahan made a call to the bullpen and summoned Allen.

– He has started nine NFL games with none since 2021.

– Won two of those starts, though none since 2020.

– He scored 10 goals against 6 interventions.

Allen isn’t that strict. In 2020 with the Bengals, he threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns with a 126.5 passer rating in a 37-31 victory over the Houston Texans. But he led his team to 17 points or fewer in six of nine starts.

Purdy is an excellent quarterback. Yes, he has physical limitations, but there is nothing to argue about in terms of numbers and success.

Among quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 900 career passing attempts, Purdy ranks No. 1 with a 106.3 passer rating (Aaron Rodgers, 102.9) and No. 1 with a 67.8 percent completion rate (slightly ahead of Joe Burrow’s 67.8 percent). ) and No. 1 with 8,986 yards per attempt (Otto Graham, 8,981).

“I think Brandon is a really good pitcher, he runs our offense well,” Shanahan told reporters before the team headed to Appleton on Friday. “He’s done a really good job since he’s been here. He’s been here for two years and everyone believes in him and he’ll give us a good chance to win.”

Shanahan expected Purdy to start, so this will be a Purdy game plan. This will help Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Allen isn’t a great runner either, so it’s not like they’re going to make a stylistic change.

Purdy has completed 66.0 percent of his passes this season and averaged 5.2 yards per rush. For his career, Allen has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 1.9 yards per carry.

“He’s playing at a really high level, and I mean (a) really high level,” Hafley said of Purdy. “We played some really good quarterbacks this year, it seems like every week. He’s impressive.

“He gets the ball out on time. He sits in the pocket. He goes over his reads. He doesn’t make a lot of bad throws. But then what you realize, especially when you start watching third downs, is the third most tackles for a first down (fifth) of any quarterback in the NFL.” is what it does.

The 49ers will miss Purdy’s accuracy and tackling ability. The Packers will welcome his absence, especially since they couldn’t handle the running skills of the Bears’ Caleb Williams last week.

2. Overwhelming Advantage of Packers

The 49ers will line up without a jersey…

-The best defensive player is Nick Bosa. The 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year ranks second among edge defenders under pressure this season. He has more pressure than all of Green Bay’s defensive ends combined.

– Top defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who made 11 sacks for the Eagles in 2022 and seven for the 49ers last year while making his second Pro Bowler.

-The second-best linebacker is Dre Greenlaw, who is the second-best linebacker only because his best linebacker is All-Pro Fred Warner. He had two interceptions in last year’s playoff win over Green Bay.

– Top cornerback Charvarius Ward is out after a family tragedy. He was a second-team All-Pro last year with an NFL-best 23 pass defense.

-The best safety is Talanoa Hufanga, who was the hero of the Niners’ playoff win at Lambeau in 2021. He was first-team All-Pro in 2022 with four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 97 tackles.

Coaches can talk about the “next man” until they’re blue in the face, but what team has such a competent next man, especially given the star power that needs to be replaced?

This is especially true for Bosa.

He had five quarterback hits in the 49ers’ playoff win over Green Bay last year and 12 in last year’s postseason; that was four more than any other defender.

“There are some plays you definitely don’t want to make with him,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s that type of player. He’s a game disruptor and can definitely impact the game.”

3. Special Teams and Situations

Green Bay’s special teams have a big game in Chicago. Karl Brooks’ blocked field goal won the game, punter Daniel Whelan pinned the Bears at 5, and Jayden Reed’s 16-yard punt return started the game-winning drive.

On a cold afternoon, opportunities could arise for Packers All-Pro running back Keisean Nixon. The 49ers are 27th in kickoff returns (29.9 yards per return) and 31st in punt coverage (17.8). Former Packers punter Pat O’Donnell replaced the injured Mitch Wishnowsky, whose punt was blocked against Minnesota.

Here’s another potential advantage for Green Bay.

San Francisco’s defense ranks 25th on third down (43.4 percent conversion) and 23rd in the red zone (62.5 percent conversions).

Green Bay’s offense isn’t very good in either area, ranking 22nd on third down (36.6%) and 27th in the red zone (48.7%). Last week the Packers converted just one third down, forcing turnovers and turnovers on downs in the Bears’ red zone.

“That was one of the weirdest plays,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “It was very strange. “We had the ball for six real possessions and a punt and the rest we were in the red zone.

“We did a great job moving the ball. It’s one of those things, you can see how explosive we are, you can see how productive we can be, but we really have to focus on finishing, whether it’s third down, whether it’s in the red zone, whether it’s a touchdown or finishing on field goals, at least.” Of course, we need to be better in these situations.”

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