Green Bay Packers v. 49ers: 7 Big Questions about Upcoming Matchup
By Paul Bretl
It’s a short week, with a cross-country flight, and up against a very good San Francisco 49ers team–the Green Bay Packers will have to be on their ‘A’ game if they’re going to win this one.
The 49ers enter this contest 2-0 after winning back-to-back road games against Detroit and Philadelphia. They come with a fierce pass rush and a run-heavy offense that can put up points quickly with Kyle Shanahan calling plays.
As part of my weekly preview series, I’ll be taking a look at the big questions facing the Green Bay Packers ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Niners. This week I have seven of them.
Can the Green Bay Packers slow the 49ers’ run game?
The 49ers may be short-handed at running back as they will be without Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty, both of whom are listed as “out” for this game, but we should still expect a heavy dose of the run game. Through two weeks, the Niners throw the ball on only 46 percent of their plays, which ranks 30th in the NFL.
The real question is, can the Green Bay Packers stop the run? Based on what we’ve seen so far, I have my doubts as Green Bay is allowing 139.5 rushing yards per game this season–ranking 29th in that category. If San Francisco is able to run the ball with success and sustain long scoring drives as they’ve done in the past against the Packers, it could be a long night for Green Bay.