Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers: 5 matchups to watch

1. Aaron Rodgers vs Himself

When going back to look at the Packers games from this season, Rodgers has been up-and-down in every game, and he will admit it. When he’s on, there isn’t a quarterback in the history of the NFL that can do the things he can do. However, whether it’s his knee or rust, he hasn’t looked like himself this year. If he comes out right on Monday, then the Packers could be up 30-0 before the end of the first half.

If he doesn’t come out right, the Packers could be dealing with a situation like last week where they beat themselves on drive after drive. Rodgers lost two fumbles for the first time in his career, and he missed multiple open receivers. He plays better at home, and the hope is that the friendly confines of Lambeau Field give Rodgers his get right game, before the backstretch of the season comes down the pike.

If Rodgers continues to stumble, the entire team will follow him in the stumble. While the running game and defense are improved over what they have had for the majority of his career, they are built to play with Rodgers at the height of his powers and leading. Trailing and spending extended amounts of time on the field is not how they were designed to be successful. If all goes well this week, the rumors will subside, but they will grow even louder if they don’t blow San Fran out.