Green Bay Packers: 8 Quick Observations from Dominant Win in SF

After digesting the Green Bay Packers performance in San Francisco, here are eight quick observations from what we saw.

I imagine that leading up to the Green Bay Packers’ Thursday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers that were a lot of mixed feelings among fans. On one hand, the Niners have been the boogeyman for Green Bay after dominating them twice last season. However, this 49ers team looked nothing like the one the Packers saw back in January.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, they have been ravaged by injuries and were also missing a few players who were placed on the COVID/reserve list. Now sure, given the circumstances, this wasn’t exactly a very good measuring stick for the Packers. But they did what they should have done, and that’s come away with a convincing win.

Ultimately, you can only play who’s in front of you, and as the more clearly talented team, the Green Bay Packers took care of business.

Just as I always do the morning after game day, I have my quick observations from the Packers’ performance. And this time, I have eight of them to dive into.

Despite the shuffling, the OL continues to impress

On numerous occasions this season, we’ve seen the Green Bay Packers have to make adjustments and shuffle players along the offensive line. And once again, that was no different in San Francisco. Rick Wagner left with a knee injury, and that meant Billy Turner moved back to right tackle, Elgton Jenkins took over at left tackle, and rookie Jon Runyan entered at left guard.

Yet as they’ve done all season long, despite the movement, the offensive line held up very well. Aaron Rodgers was sacked just one time, although that sack falls more on his shoulders than anyone else’s. And according to ESPN, that was also the only quarterback hit the Niners had all night as well.

Now granted, the Packers didn’t have to go up against Dee Ford or Nick Bosa, who would have made things much more difficult, but what this unit has done this season cannot go unnoticed either. Overall, Green Bay has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and they’re doing so while playing musical chairs.

Davante Adams is so special

My goodness, there really aren’t many superlatives left to describe Davante Adams’ play over the last year. He isn’t just playing on another level, but he’s playing like he’s from a different planet.  On Thursday night, Adams would have another double-digit reception game with 10 while totaling 173 yards with a touchdown.

Afterward, Packer Report’s Andy Herman found this little nugget that shows just how impressive Adams has been. Over his last 10 games where he’s both started and finished, Adams has 94 receptions for 1,249 yards with 12 touchdowns. Over a full 16 game season, that would equal out to 150 catches for 1,998 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Make sure you’re enjoying this Packer fans because what Davante Adams is doing is very special.

Pressure is a beautiful thing

After being one of the best defenses at pressuring the quarterback in 2019, this season, the Green Bay Packers have been one of the worst. However, against the Niners, we saw them constantly in Nick Mullens’ face.

When it was all said and done, the Packers recorded a sack, five quarterback hits, along with several other hurries. Preston Smith forced an interception, while Za’Darius Smith caused a fumble coming around the edge. Mullens was uncomfortable for much of the game, and it led to poor decisions, bad throws, and some much-needed turnovers.

MVS, I Don’t Know

I recently wrote about how over this last month or so, it’s been a pretty quiet stretch for Marquez Valdes-Scantling. But that certainly wasn’t the case on Thursday. For what felt like the third or fourth time this season, he dropped a crucial third-down reception on a shallow crossing route, and from there, I think many of us expected his night to be over.

However, in typical MVS fashion, he bounced back with two huge receptions. The first was a 52-yard touchdown where he spun the defender around and then flew past him. While the other was another touchdown reception, but this time at the goal line.

At this point in his career, I just think that this is who he is. He will make spectacular plays, but he will break your heart as well. This offseason, the Packers can save roughly $2 million in cap space if they move on from him, and given his ups and downs, I imagine it’s a decision that they’ll consider.

Aaron Jones is just different

This is by no means a knock on Jamaal Williams, who is a very good running back in his own right and has been called an RB1 by Matt LaFleur. But this offense is just different when Aaron Jones is on the field. In both the running game and the passing game, he brings a dynamic element where it feels like any play can turn into a big one.

I know that the 49er defense was beaten up, but it’s also not a coincidence that the Packer offense looked so smooth and efficient with Jones back in the mix. You certainly have to wonder if Sunday’s matchup with Minnesota would have turned out different if Jones was healthy enough to play. Either way, let’s hope he can stay on the field for the remainder of the season.

Green Bay Packers take care of business as they should have

I mentioned this in the intro, but the Green Bay Packers did exactly what good teams do against inferior opponents; they dominated. With the 49ers essentially fielding a JV squad between all of their injuries and the players that they have on the COVID/reserve list, there was no question that the Packers were the more talented team. And that’s how things played out on the field.

So while no, this game wasn’t the best measuring stick, as Davante Adams says, you can only eat what’s in front of you. And on Thursday night, the Packers filled up.

A much-needed mini-bye

Green Bay’s bye week came very early this season, and since then, they’ve suffered several key injuries, and unfortunately, they continued to pile up on Thursday. We saw Jaire Alexander leave with a concussion, while both Rick Wagner and Dexter Williams left with knee injuries. So this is as good of a time as any to have a mini-bye.

Hopefully, in 10 days, when the Packers take the field again, the aforementioned players are all good to go, along with David Bakhtiari, Kevin King, Allen Lazard, and Christian Kirksey for the final half of the season.

Green Bay Packers survive a brutal stretch

This game in San Francisco was the end of what was Green Bay’s toughest four-game stretch of the season. Coming off a bye, they had to travel to Tampa Bay, then travel to Houston the following week. After that, they faced a divisional foe in Minnesota, who was coming off their own bye, and then on a short week, travel to San Francisco for a Thursday night matchup.

The Packers ended up going 2-2, and truthfully, if over the summer you could have promised me that they’d go .500 during this stretch of games, I’d have taken that and ran. While you never want to look too far ahead in the NFL, things do get much easier for Green Bay moving forward, including five of their final eight games at Lambeau Field.