TNF PREVIEW: GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

BY ADAM GREENE

There was a two-day window where this game didn’t look like trash, but with the San Francisco 49ers placing both quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and All-Universe tight end George Kittle on injured reserve, it became a raccoon smorgasbord.

Still, you got to play out the schedule as the suddenly reeling Green Bay Packers travel to Santa Clara to take on the Niners on Thursday Night Football.

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (+7, O/U: 48.5)

Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. EST

Broadcast: FOX/NFL Network

THE HISTORY

This will be the 70^th meeting between the Pack and 49ers since 1950, with Green Bay holding a 36-32-1 lead in the all time series. Of those 69 previous games, eight have been in the playoffs, all since 1996. While Green Bay knocked off San Fran in their first three postseason match ups, it’s been all Niners this decade as the team from the Bay has taken all three contests since 2013.

Their last meeting was in the NFC Championship a season ago. A 37-20 49ers win in which Garoppolo threw for only 77 yards, but San Francisco ran for over 280 as a team. Raheem Mostert carried the ball 29 times for 220 yards and four touchdowns. On the Green Bay side, Aaron Rodgers finished 31 of 39 passing for 326 yards, two touchdowns and two picks.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-2)

A month ago the Packers were in the conversation as the best team in football. Rodgers was resurgent, with the narrative out there that he was pissed at the team for picking Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of April’s NFL Draft and taking it out on everybody else. Then, Green Bay lost bad to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-10. They followed it with a bounce back victory over the hapless Houston Texans, but dropped an absolute atrocity to the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, 28-22.

Of course, last week was a weird one all around and plenty of teams got hit with losses that will make them want to burn the game film. Against the Vikes, Rodgers was 27 of 41 for 291 yards and three touchdowns with no picks. Jamal Williams had 16 carries for 75 yards. Robert Tonyan caught five passes for 79 yards and Devante Adams hauled in all three of Rodgers’ TDs.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-4)

For the 49ers, this has been a year that would make you toss your controller into the wall while playing Madden. They’ve lost half the team to injury and it’s the good half, with Garoppolo and Kittle the latest casualties in their NFC title defense.

They even have a COVID-19 issue now that could get this game moved around thanks to a positive test from wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.

Last week San Fran dropped a 37-27 decision to the Seattle Seahawks. Nick Mullens, who will start this game, went 18 for 25 in relief of Garoppolo for 238 yards and two touchdowns.

THE PICK

The 49ers have an offense that doesn’t demand elite QB play, so Mullens won’t be a huge drop off from Garoppolo in this one. Rodgers has been notoriously bad against the team he wanted to draft him No. 1 overall in 2005. He’s 4-6 against them in all their coaching and quarterback situations and 1-2 against Kyle Shanahan’s crew. Still, I don’t think Green Bay is losing two in a row. Packers 27, 49ers 23

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