At some point, every routine contender in the NFL establishes a fierce, intra-conference rivalry that grows in bitterness each January. During the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay, that rivalry has been formed with the team that passed on him with the first overall pick in the 2005 draft.
Rodgers has lost to the Niners three separate times in the postseason, going 0-6 against San Francisco in the 2012, 2013 and 2019 seasons. Unfortunately for the northern California native, all but two of those games were played in the Bay Area.
On Sunday, Rodgers and the Packers will renew the rivalry with yet another prime time showdown with the Forty-Niners.
Offense
During their meetings with the Niners in 2019, the Packers couldn't match the level of physicality that the San Francisco front seven delivered - and that was with an offensive line that included Corey Linsley and David Bakhtiari. Now without both of those all-pro linemen, the pressure is on Packers' O-line coach Adam Stenavich to prevent the type of backfield penetration that the Saints were able to achieve in Week 1.
Knowing that the offense will regularly encounter small running lanes and collapsing pockets, Matt LaFleur must add an extra layer of creativity into this week's play calling. Expect plenty of screen passes, both to the Packers' running backs and, more recently, to tight end Robert Tonyan. You can also count on pre-snap motion from the likes of Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers, as LaFleur uses the jet sweep as a threat to keep San Francisco's linebacking corps. off the line of scrimmage.
Defense
In Week 1, head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance will be a part of the Niners' offensive game plan, even if not officially deemed the starting quarterback. For that reason, the Packers must prepare for two wildly different offensive attacks rather than solely Jimmy Garoppolo's 7-yards-downfield threat. Unlike Garoppolo, Lance showed both mobility and comfort with the deep ball during the preseason, neither of which Joe Barry has demonstrated the ability to stop in his two weeks as Packers D-coordinator.
As Packers fans know all too well, the Niners also have an exemplary ground game. While they'll escape another potential nightmare in Raheem Mostert, the Packers' run D must slow down the combination of JaMycal Hasty, Elijah Mitchell and rookie Trey Sermon. Just marginally successful in containing the Lions' much less-talented backfield during Week 2, Barry will need to consider packages that offer additional run support from the second shelf of the defense.
Prediction
Ever since the beginning of training camp, the Packers' Week 3 date with the Niners looked to be one of the most difficult games of the season. Just days before kickoff - especially given the Packers' many glaring issues on defense - the idea of a win in Santa Clara seems even more farfetched. With that said, I don't anticipate the Packers to lay quite the same egg they have in big road games under LaFleur.
PackerDay Prediction: 49ers 31, Packers 27
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