NFL Previews 12th October 2018 by Gracenote
49ers vs. Packers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/12/2018
The Green Bay Packers have stumbled badly in both of their road games, but they will be hoping the home crowd will help provide an offensive spark when they host the struggling San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Slow starts continue to plague the Packers, who fell into a 24-point hole on the road against NFC North rival Detroit last week en route to a 31-23 defeat.
Green Bay also trailed by 18 points at halftime in a loss at Washington in Week 3 and was down 17 points at the break versus Chicago in the season opener before Aaron Rodgers led a stirring comeback in the fourth quarter. "I feel like if we can get off to a better start on offense, it makes the entire squad play with a different type of confidence," Rodgers told reporters. "We need to lead from the front as an offense and as a team, and give our defense an opportunity to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback and make them a little more one-dimensional." That could happen against San Francisco, which already has lost starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and No. 1 running back Jerick McKinnon and could be missing current top rusher Matt Breida for the prime-time clash. "I know we've been through some adversity," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "It's never easy. It definitely gets harder when you do have injuries and things like that. But we have people in here who can win games."
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Packers -9.5. O/U: 46.5
ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-4): Shanahan noted that eight of the team's 11 offensive players did not practice Wednesday and, while he did not officially rule out Breida, veteran Alfred Morris is expected to receive a heavy workload in the backfield. C.J. Beathard has thrown for two touchdowns and two interceptions in each of his first two starts but could get a boost with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin expected to return to the lineup. Goodwin has been limited to parts of three games but would represent another key target to go along with tight end George Kittle, who has a team-leading 33 receptions. San Francisco is 10th overall in defense but is allowing 29.2 points per game.
ABOUT THE PACKERS (2-2-1): Rodgers sat out Thursday's practice for what he termed a "setback" in his knee, which he originally hurt in Green Bay's season opener against Chicago. The injury notwithstanding, Rodgers has thrown for 10 touchdowns against only one interception and is coming off a season-best 442-yard performance at Detroit despite the absences of wide receivers Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison, who both were limited in practice this week. Davante Adams made nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown versus the Lions, giving him 37 receptions and four scores on the season. The Packers rank fourth overall in total defense and are No. 2 against the pass (208.8 yards per game).
EXTRA POINTS
1. Rodgers is 8-0-1 in his last nine home starts, throwing 22 TD passes and three interceptions.
2. San Francisco has registered a league-best 48 wins on Monday Night Football, including nine in a row.
3. Packers LB Clay Matthews has recorded 4.5 sacks in his last three games versus the 49ers.
PREDICTION: Packers 27, 49ers 16
49ers vs. Packers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 10/12/2018
The Green Bay Packers have stumbled badly in both of their road games, but they will be hoping the home crowd will help provide an offensive spark when they host the struggling San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Slow starts continue to plague the Packers, who fell into a 24-point hole on the road against NFC North rival Detroit last week en route to a 31-23 defeat.
Green Bay also trailed by 18 points at halftime in a loss at Washington in Week 3 and was down 17 points at the break versus Chicago in the season opener before Aaron Rodgers led a stirring comeback in the fourth quarter. "I feel like if we can get off to a better start on offense, it makes the entire squad play with a different type of confidence," Rodgers told reporters. "We need to lead from the front as an offense and as a team, and give our defense an opportunity to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback and make them a little more one-dimensional." That could happen against San Francisco, which already has lost starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and No. 1 running back Jerick McKinnon and could be missing current top rusher Matt Breida for the prime-time clash. "I know we've been through some adversity," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "It's never easy. It definitely gets harder when you do have injuries and things like that. But we have people in here who can win games."
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Packers -9.5. O/U: 46.5
ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-4): Shanahan noted that eight of the team's 11 offensive players did not practice Wednesday and, while he did not officially rule out Breida, veteran Alfred Morris is expected to receive a heavy workload in the backfield. C.J. Beathard has thrown for two touchdowns and two interceptions in each of his first two starts but could get a boost with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin expected to return to the lineup. Goodwin has been limited to parts of three games but would represent another key target to go along with tight end George Kittle, who has a team-leading 33 receptions. San Francisco is 10th overall in defense but is allowing 29.2 points per game.
ABOUT THE PACKERS (2-2-1): Rodgers sat out Thursday's practice for what he termed a "setback" in his knee, which he originally hurt in Green Bay's season opener against Chicago. The injury notwithstanding, Rodgers has thrown for 10 touchdowns against only one interception and is coming off a season-best 442-yard performance at Detroit despite the absences of wide receivers Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison, who both were limited in practice this week. Davante Adams made nine catches for 140 yards and a touchdown versus the Lions, giving him 37 receptions and four scores on the season. The Packers rank fourth overall in total defense and are No. 2 against the pass (208.8 yards per game).
EXTRA POINTS
1. Rodgers is 8-0-1 in his last nine home starts, throwing 22 TD passes and three interceptions.
2. San Francisco has registered a league-best 48 wins on Monday Night Football, including nine in a row.
3. Packers LB Clay Matthews has recorded 4.5 sacks in his last three games versus the 49ers.
PREDICTION: Packers 27, 49ers 16
