FS Jimmie Ward

Limiting big plays is perhaps the single biggest key for the 49ers defense Sunday. That often comes down to Ward in the back end of the secondary, whether he’s making a tackle on a long run, or defending a deep throw. San Francisco’s free safety has been excellent all year as a tackler and defending deep balls. If Rodgers has time to unload a throw down the field to one of the myriad weapons he has capable of stretching a defense vertically, Ward has to ensure that throw doesn’t get completed. The 49ers did a nice job forcing the Packers to operate in a smaller box on offense in the first meeting,  and their defensive success relies a lot on doing that again. Ward will have the biggest hand in that.