Josh Jacobs powers Green Bay Packers attack in 38-10 win over the overmatched San Francisco 49ers
GREEN BAY - Four days before Thanksgiving, the Green Bay Packers took advantage of an early holiday gift from their NFC nemesis.
The San Francisco 49ers were without quarterback Brock Purdy, defensive end Nick Bosa, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Charvarius Ward. The Packers made their rival look like a depleted lineup, beating them 38-10 to improve to 8-3 this season.
It’s a win that will give the Packers momentum heading into their short week. The Packers host the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night with a chance to improve to 9-3.
The Packers will take all the easy wins the schedule can afford in a loaded NFC North. They remain third in the division behind Detroit and Minnesota, but Sunday showed signs of a team trending in the right direction.
Here are some quick observations:
Josh Jacobs outplays Christian McCaffrey, showing why he’s the answer to fixing Packers' red-zone offense
A week ago, the Packers indicated their discovery that Josh Jacobs was the answer to how they could improve their season-long issues with red-zone efficiency. He proved them right Sunday. Jacobs had three rushing touchdowns from the 1-yard line, helping the Packers finish 5-for-5 scoring touchdowns inside the red zone against the 49ers. (Tucker Kraft, perhaps the Packers’ second-best red-zone option behind Jacobs, opened the scoring in the first quarter with a red-zone touchdown; Malik Heath's 3-yard TD in the fourth quarter was the other.) Jacobs now has seven rushing touchdowns this season, six inside the 7-yard line. He significantly outrushed 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, finishing with 26 carries for 106 yards and the three touchdowns. It was Jacobs’ first game with three rushing touchdowns since Oct. 23, 2022, against the Texans and only the third in his career. McCaffrey finished with 11 carries for 31 yards. The Packers offense’s consistent reliance on Jacobs was impressive, but with another game Thursday night against Miami, his heavy workload will be something to monitor this week. Jacobs, who briefly left with cramps in the third quarter, is built like a workhorse. The Packers will need him to be on a short week.
Jordan Love continues to show improved decision making in first game this season without a turnover
Jordan Love threw an interception in the end zone intended for Kraft on a free play that was nullified in the first half. In the second, he got away with a poor decision throwing to a covered Christian Watson, but 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown dropped the potential interception. Otherwise, Love showed much better ball security, a continuation from last week in Chicago. For the first time in nine games played this season, Love did not have a turnover. He finished 13-of-23 for 163 yards, two touchdowns and a 107.7 rating. It was his second straight game with a passer rating in triple digits, something Love did only once in his first seven games. Love’s line would have been much better if not for a handful of dropped passes. Late in the first half, Watson ran open behind the 49ers defense for what would have been a 49-yard touchdown, but Love’s perfectly thrown pass bounced off the receiver’s hands. The drop was reminiscent of the first play of Watson’s career, when he dropped a potential 75-yard touchdown from Aaron Rodgers against Minnesota to open the 2022 season. Romeo Doubs also had a couple of drops before exiting with a concussion in the third quarter.
Xavier McKinney takes over game in second half, snapping Packers takeaway drought
When the Packers needed a takeaway, it’s no surprise safety Xavier McKinney provided it. McKinney intercepted a pass from 49ers quarterback Brandon Allen that deflected off receiver Deebo Samuel’s hands, returning it 48 yards to set up a touchdown that gave the Packers a 24-7 lead. Before his pick, the Packers defense was midway through its third game without a takeaway. Its last takeaway was rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s strip sack of Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence on Oct. 27. McKinney pulled into a tie with Detroit safety Kerby Joseph for most interceptions in the NFL this season with seven, but he made plenty of other plays Sunday. Early in the third quarter, he single-handedly ended a 49ers drive, taking the proper angle on third down to knock Allen out of bounds before the marker on a scramble. On the next play, he blanketed McCaffrey on a route to force a fourth-and-2 incompletion. The Packers have become accustomed to their star safety making that kind of impact in his first season with the team.
Packers edge rushers display signs of life, potentially a springboard down the stretch
A week after what was perhaps the low point of this season for the Packers' pass rush, the defensive front showed significant signs of improvement. The Packers sacked Allen only twice, but they got steady pressure throughout the game. Lukas Van Ness made the signature play, stripping Allen of the football deep in 49ers territory to set up a Packers touchdown. It was only Van Ness’ second sack this season, his first since Week 3. Rashan Gary had the first sack, increasing his total this season to 4.5. Gary now has at least a half sack in three straight games, 3.5 sacks in his past five. Nothing would upgrade a Packers defense that has mostly played well more than untracking their edge rushers.
Brandon McManus’ consistency has stopped Packers’ revolving door at kicker
It's remarkable how Brandon McManus instantly fixed the Packers’ long kicking problem. A year ago, Anders Carlson’s missed 41-yarder in the fourth quarter at San Francisco ended the Packers’ season in an NFC divisional playoff game. The Packers replaced Carlson with Brayden Narveson to start this season, but the rookie didn’t last long. Since McManus replaced Narveson in Week 7, the revolving door has stopped. McManus made his lone field-goal attempt from 51 yards, the first time this season a Packers kicker has attempted from at least 50. He also made all four of his extra points. McManus is now 7-of-8 on field goals, with a pair of game-winners, and perfect on 12 extra points. With punter Daniel Whelan continuing to showcase his booming leg — Whelan averaged 48.8 yards on four punts Sunday — the Packers appear set at their two kicking positions.
(This story was updated to change or add a video).