On Sunday at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 38-10. Josh Jacobs scored three times and rushed for over 100 yards, Jordan Love threw a pair of touchdown passes in the red zone and Jeff Hafley’s defense resulted in three forceful tackles in the second half.
The Packers led by at least two points for most of the game and used a pair of behind schedule points to build a 28-point final lead.
The Packers are currently 8-3 and in a great position in the NFC playoff race.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
Which went well
— Josh Jacobs was a man on a mission. He rushed 26 times for 106 yards – unremarkable numbers – but that was largely due to his ability to get through tacklers. According to Next Gen Stats, Jacobs broke 15 tackles. He also scored three 1-yard touchdowns.
—Speaking of low touchdowns, the Packers scored a perfect 5-for-5 touchdowns in the red zone.
— Packers had more first downs (22 to 11), more third-down conversions (6 to 3), more plays (67 to 47), more total yards (325 to 241), more rushing yards (169 to 44) , more red zone trips (5 to 1) and longer time of possession (36:43 to 23:17) and fewer penalties (5 to 9) and turnovers (0 to 3).
— The defense scored three takeaways — the sixth time the Packers have scored at least three in a game this season. Green Bay scored 21 points off turnovers. The turning point was Xavier McKinney’s interception – his seventh of the season.
— The Packers restricted Christian McCaffrey to just 31 rushing yards on 11 carries. Deebo Samuel had one touch for just 21 yards.
— Emanuel Wilson had a third-down conversion for the first touchdown and a 19-yard run for another score in the first half. He finished with 41 rushing yards.
— Tucker Kraft scored an 11-yard touchdown on a tight end screen and set up another score with a 15-yard catch at the 1-yard line. Dontayvion Wicks had an explosive game with a 25-yard catch in the second half.
— Linebacker Quay Walker had one of his best games. He recorded two tackles for loss and had a near interception.
— Kicker Brandon McManus connected on his first field goal of 50 or more yards this season. He also scored all five extra points.
— Xavier McKinney not only made a great interception, but he also covered Christian McCaffrey, who had given up fourth down one drive earlier. Both plays occurred in Packers territory, with Green Bay maintaining a 10-point lead.
What went wrong
— Christian Watson picked up Jordan Love on a 49-yard pass behind schedule in the first half. The drop meant the team should have been leading 24-7.
— George Kittle connected on all six targets for 82 yards, including a red zone touchdown and a 31-yarder. The Packers tried to cover him in zone and in people.
—Leonard Floyd had a pair of third sacks on Jordan Love.
— Romeo Doubs lost one pass and left in the third quarter with a concussion.
What does it mean
The Packers did exactly what they needed to do against an undermanned team and greatly strengthened their playoff position in the process. Matt LaFleur’s team took an early lead, dominated the line of scrimmage and scored the points needed to secure a comfortable victory over a 49ers team that was missing a quarterback, a left tackle and a top-shelf tackler. The victory improved the Packers’ record to 8-3, which didn’t aid the NFC North race after the Lions and Vikings won, but the victory made the Packers almost reach wild-card team status. Green Bay has at least two wins over other teams in the fight and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals. With six games remaining, the Packers are still actively involved in the NFC North race and are in great shape to make the playoffs in January.
Overview of the most vital events
What’s next?
The Miami Dolphins’ summer visit suddenly gained popularity and got four passes from Tua Tagovailoa during Sunday’s 34-15 victory over the New England Patriots. From 2-6, the Dolphins won three in a row and moved to 5-6. Tagovailoa’s return from a head injury created a spark. However, the low week creates challenges for both teams. The Packers and Dolphins will play before drinks on Thanksgiving Day from Lambeau Field.
