Injuries Give Packers Enormous Advantage Over 49ers

The Green Bay Packers are about as healthy as a team could hope to be entering Week 12. The same can’t be said for their opponent, the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw tackles former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers might never be better positioned to beat the San Francisco 49ers than they will be on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

While cornerback Jaire Alexander might not play because of a knee injury and running back MarShawn Lloyd is facing another four-game absence, the Packers are incredibly healthy entering Sunday’s showdown.

The 49ers, on the other hand, have been slammed by various bumps, bruises and tears. Those injuries have taken their toll, which is why they are 5-5 and facing what amounts to a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive.

It’s not just this week’s injury report, with star defensive end Nick Bosa (hip/oblique) not practicing on Wednesday and quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) limited.

Their injured reserve list includes five important starters.

Receiver Brandon Aiyuk: A second-team All-Pro, Aiyuk caught 78 passes for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 and 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last year. The Packers kept him under wraps in last year’s playoff game, but he had a key third-down conversion during the game-deciding drive.

Jauan Jennings has filled in nicely, but Aiyuk averaged 17.9 yards per catch last year while Jennings’ career mark is 12.9.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave: The 31-year-old is one of the better playmaking defensive tackles in the NFL. He had 11 sacks for the Eagles in 2022 and seven sacks for the 49ers in 2023, when he was voted to his second Pro Bowl. He had six tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in the Super Bowl.

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw (PUP): The underappreciated linebacker tore his Achilles in freak fashion in the Super Bowl. He could start practicing next week, coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday. 

No doubt the Packers are thrilled about the timing. He had 127 tackles in 2022 and 120 tackles in 2023. In the playoff game against the Packers, he had eight tackles and two interceptions – including the clincher in the final moments.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga: As a rookie in 2021, Hufanga blocked the punt that the 49ers scooped up for the game-winning touchdown in the playoff game at Lambeau Field. In 2022, he was a first-team All-Pro. He tore his ACL in 2023, and knee, ankle and wrist injuries have limited him to two games in 2024.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky: One of the top punters in the NFL, Wishnowsky last season ranked 11th in the NFL in net average. His net was down this year, but he had 11 inside-the-20 punts and zero touchbacks. Former Packers punter Pat O’Donnell, who does not have a great leg, has replaced Wishnowsky.

Other than Bosa, the 49ers’ injury report for this week doesn’t appear to be too problematic.

Bosa, the 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, led the NFL in tackles for losses in 2021 and sacks in 2022, and he paces the NFL in pressures per game in 2024. He could be a gametime decision.

“He’s a game-wrecker, and he can definitely impact the game,” LaFleur said.

Running back Christian McCaffrey, who missed the first eight games of the season, has played the last two games but hasn’t been at his best. Last year, en route to winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year with league-leading totals in rushing yards and total yards, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry with 3.4 yards after contact. This year, he’s averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 2.5 per carry.

Tight end George Kittle, who was inactive for a key loss against Seattle last week, proclaimed that he’ll be ready to go against the Packers. One of the top tight ends in NFL history because of his dominance as a receiver and blocker, Kittle had 1,020 receiving yards last season and has 560 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games this season.

Against Green Bay, he had a 32-yard touchdown and another 32-yard catch on third down to set up a touchdown in last year’s playoff game, and games of 129 and 92 yards in the regular season.

Purdy is expected to start despite a sore right shoulder. Purdy is not renowned for his arm strength even on his best day, but he is third in yards per attempt this year after ranking first in passer rating, first in yards per attempt and fourth in completion percentage last year.

“I think he’s a damn good quarterback,” LaFleur said. “You don’t put up the kind of numbers that they’re able to put up offensively without a quarterback that can go out there and do it.”

Packers quarterback Jordan Love, on the other hand, said he’s feeling as good as he has since the Week 1 knee injury. His mobility was a major factor in Green Bay’s win at Chicago last week.

“I definitely felt more comfortable getting out of the pocket, things like that, even just running on some of the scrambles,” Love said on Wednesday.

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The 49ers knocked LaFleur’s #Packers out of the playoffs in 2019, 2021 and 2023.

On Sunday, Green Bay could take a giant step toward returning to the playoffs while dealing a major blow to the 49ers’ postseason hopes.

The preview by @hibbard_casey ⬇️https://t.co/bk9RWmD5kP

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 21, 2024

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