Good road win for GB...
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers booed for the first time in the fourth quarter, when quarterback Colin Kaepernick heaved a pass down the right sideline that landed closer to the bench than the field of play. They booed again one snap later, when Kaepernick issued a carbon copy throw toward no one in particular.
And they booed for the final time later on the drive, when on fourth down with time running out in the game Kaepernick was flung to the ground by Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Mike Neal. He had burst off the line of scrimmage, untouched, and smothered Kaepernick before the quarterback so much as glanced down the field.
Those three plays — two defined by Kaepernick’s inabilities and one hellacious defensive effort — personified a convincing 17-3 win for the Packers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Though their offense struggled at times, evidenced by three sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their lowest point total of the season, the Packers turned to their defense to finally corral a player that tortured them plenty of times before.
The defense forced a turnover, held the 49ers to less than 200 yards of total offense and, for the third week in a row, shut down a talented running back in Carlos Hyde.
Player of the Game: Rodgers. Sacked as many times Sunday as he had been all season, Rodgers still found a way to play efficiently (22-for-32) and productively (224 yards and one touchdown). He avoided an interception for the fourth consecutive game and controlled a game in which he was under a lot of pressure.
Turning point: Trailing by only 4 points at halftime, the 49ers defense could be nothing less than ecstatic with a first-half performance that generated pressure on Rodgers and oozed discipline by not gifting free plays to the Packers. But Rodgers turned a stalling drive into a touchdown march thanks to a 38-yard completion to James Jones down the left sideline on third-and 7 during the first drive of the second half. Rodgers heaved deep, Jones high-pointed the football and tapped his toes, and three plays later John Kuhn plunged into the end zone to extend the lead to 14-3. A rough 49ers offense suddenly came under legitimate pressure.
Big number: 20 — Rushing yards for 49ers’ running back Carlos Hyde, who entered Sunday’s game averaging better than 87 yards per game and gashed the Minnesota Vikings for 187 and two touchdowns.
What went right: For all of the 49ers’ struggles in recent weeks, which were due in part to the subpar play of Kaepernick, an important statistic loomed ahead of Sunday’s game: In three career starts against the Packers, Kaepernick boasted a 3-0 record. But despite the fits Kaepernick caused this defense over the years — the game with 180-plus rushing yards, the game with 400-plus passing yards — the Packers responded with a terrific effort. They limited Kapernick’s legs, and the quarterback finished with 57 yards rushing. They limited his throwing options down the field, and Kaepernick racked up only 152 yards and threw one interception. His backfield partner, running back Carlos Hyde, was stifled as well. Hyde finished with 20 yards on eight carries. His longest run went for just 7 yards.
What went wrong: In a game where the defense did not allow a touchdown, where Rodgers remained as efficient as ever by throwing just 10 incompletions, where no key players were lost due to injury, the negativity turns to a single mistake by kicker Mason Crosby. A perfect 6-for-6 on the season entering Sunday, including a stellar 4-for-4 performance against the Seattle Seahawks, Crosby missed his first field goal of the season in his first game at Levi’s Stadium. He pulled a 44-yarder to the left as time expired. He had hit the ball beautifully all throughout training camp and the first three weeks of the season.
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers booed for the first time in the fourth quarter, when quarterback Colin Kaepernick heaved a pass down the right sideline that landed closer to the bench than the field of play. They booed again one snap later, when Kaepernick issued a carbon copy throw toward no one in particular.
And they booed for the final time later on the drive, when on fourth down with time running out in the game Kaepernick was flung to the ground by Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Mike Neal. He had burst off the line of scrimmage, untouched, and smothered Kaepernick before the quarterback so much as glanced down the field.
Those three plays — two defined by Kaepernick’s inabilities and one hellacious defensive effort — personified a convincing 17-3 win for the Packers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. Though their offense struggled at times, evidenced by three sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and their lowest point total of the season, the Packers turned to their defense to finally corral a player that tortured them plenty of times before.
The defense forced a turnover, held the 49ers to less than 200 yards of total offense and, for the third week in a row, shut down a talented running back in Carlos Hyde.
Player of the Game: Rodgers. Sacked as many times Sunday as he had been all season, Rodgers still found a way to play efficiently (22-for-32) and productively (224 yards and one touchdown). He avoided an interception for the fourth consecutive game and controlled a game in which he was under a lot of pressure.
Turning point: Trailing by only 4 points at halftime, the 49ers defense could be nothing less than ecstatic with a first-half performance that generated pressure on Rodgers and oozed discipline by not gifting free plays to the Packers. But Rodgers turned a stalling drive into a touchdown march thanks to a 38-yard completion to James Jones down the left sideline on third-and 7 during the first drive of the second half. Rodgers heaved deep, Jones high-pointed the football and tapped his toes, and three plays later John Kuhn plunged into the end zone to extend the lead to 14-3. A rough 49ers offense suddenly came under legitimate pressure.
Big number: 20 — Rushing yards for 49ers’ running back Carlos Hyde, who entered Sunday’s game averaging better than 87 yards per game and gashed the Minnesota Vikings for 187 and two touchdowns.
What went right: For all of the 49ers’ struggles in recent weeks, which were due in part to the subpar play of Kaepernick, an important statistic loomed ahead of Sunday’s game: In three career starts against the Packers, Kaepernick boasted a 3-0 record. But despite the fits Kaepernick caused this defense over the years — the game with 180-plus rushing yards, the game with 400-plus passing yards — the Packers responded with a terrific effort. They limited Kapernick’s legs, and the quarterback finished with 57 yards rushing. They limited his throwing options down the field, and Kaepernick racked up only 152 yards and threw one interception. His backfield partner, running back Carlos Hyde, was stifled as well. Hyde finished with 20 yards on eight carries. His longest run went for just 7 yards.
What went wrong: In a game where the defense did not allow a touchdown, where Rodgers remained as efficient as ever by throwing just 10 incompletions, where no key players were lost due to injury, the negativity turns to a single mistake by kicker Mason Crosby. A perfect 6-for-6 on the season entering Sunday, including a stellar 4-for-4 performance against the Seattle Seahawks, Crosby missed his first field goal of the season in his first game at Levi’s Stadium. He pulled a 44-yarder to the left as time expired. He had hit the ball beautifully all throughout training camp and the first three weeks of the season.
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