The 49ers’ margin for error is smaller than ever as they head into a Week 12 showdown with the Green Bay Packers. The two clubs represent the top two teams in the NFC, and a win for Green Bay moves them to the top of the conference, while a loss for San Francisco drops them to the No. 5 seed.
It’s as must-win as a Week 12 game gets for a 9-1 team like the 49ers. Here are our three keys to victory:
1. Get the run game going
San Francisco’s three closest games of the year have all come in the three games their run game has struggled the most. They’ve averaged just 74 yards per game the last three weeks after posting 181 through their first seven. The 49ers’ offense is fine without the effective ground game, but they’re elite with it, and they’ll need that version of their offense Sunday night.
2. Jimmy G’s A-game
Jimmy Garoppolo has been on both ends of the quarterback scale this season. He’s an elite passer at times, but he mixes in flurries of head-scratching interceptions and passes thrown right at defenders. Giving free possessions to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense is an easy way to get on the fast track to losing. Garoppolo has to take care of the ball, but he also needs to convert on third downs and in the red zone the way he did in two games against Arizona.
3. Give Aaron Rodgers a pass (rush)
Stopping Rodgers is nearly impossible, but the 49ers can slow him down if their pass rush that spearheaded their dominant defensive efforts early in the year shows up. Nick Bosa hasn’t had a sack since Week 8, and DeForest Buckner has 2.0 in the last six weeks. Getting big showings out of those two is vital with Dee Ford ruled out with a hamstring injury. Damontre Moore should see plenty of action as well, and Arik Armstead needs to continue his career-year. If they get some production out of their entire defensive line, they have a good chance of keeping Rodgers and the Packers from lighting up the scoreboard.
4. Keep Aaron Jones out of the end zone
Packers running back Aaron Jones has been a touchdown machine this season. He has 11 on the ground and three in the air. His 14 touchdowns account for nearly half of the 30 offensive scores Green Bay has this season. With a relatively shallow receiving corps outside of Pro Bowler Davante Adams, keeping Jones out of the end zone could mean keeping the Packers out of the TD column.