Live Updates: Packers at 49ers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are facing the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in Santa Clara, Calif., in what was supposed to be a marquee rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game. Follow along for updates.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (5-2) are facing the San Francisco 49ers (4-4) on Thursday night in Santa Clara, Calif., in what was supposed to be a marquee rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game. Follow along for updates.

Fourth Quarter

Packers 34, 49ers 3 (6:15 remaining)

Mason Crosby improved to 11 of 11 on field goals with a 53-yarder. On the drive, Aaron Rodgers brought his total to 305 yards.

With that, the Packers have emptied the bench.

Packers 31, 49ers 3 (14:29 remaining)

On fourth-and-1 from the 5, Packers linebacker Ty Summers stuffed a quarterback sneak by Nick Mullens. The unsung hero? Defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster hustled off the field so it was not a 12-men penalty.

Third Quarter

Packers 31, 49ers 3 (2:01 remaining)

Mason Crosby made a 19-yard field goal. Starting at the Niners’ 47 following Za’Darius Smith’s sack, strip and recovery, Green Bay got into scoring position on a 23-yard screen to Tyler Ervin. Rodgers’ third-down throwaway was his sixth incompletion of the night compared to four touchdowns.

Packers 28, 49ers 3 (7:17 remaining)

This is officially a blowout. Even with a shuffled offensive line, Aaron Rodgers and Co. are rolling. On third-and-7, Davante Adams toasted top cornerback Jason Verrett for a gain of 49. On third-and-3, Rodgers threw a short pass to Adams for a gain of 11. Finally, on third-and-goal at the 1, Rodgers rolled right and found Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown against Verrett. Rodgers has four touchdown passes (vs. five incompletions) and Adams has seven receptions for 123 yards.

Halftime

The Packers lead 21-3. Aaron Rodgers is 13-of-18 for 149 yards and three touchdowns. His 136.3 passer rating is almost 100 points better than Nick Mullens’ 40.4. Green Bay has feasted on the 49ers’ watered-down offense. San Francisco is 1-of-6 on third down.

Injury updates: The Packers have lost three players due to injuries: CB Jaire Alexander (concussion), LB Krys Barnes (calf) and RB Dexter Williams (knee). That means snaps at cornerback for Ka'dar Hollman and linebacker for Ty Summers.

Make that four, with fill-in right tackle Rick Wagner out with a knee injury. He was questionable on the injury report. Green Bay adjusted by moving Elgton Jenkins from left guard to left tackle, inserting Jon Runyan at left guard and shifting Billy Turner from left tackle to his customary spot at right tackle.

Second Quarter

Packers 21, 49ers 3 (1:53 remaining)

Marquez Valdes-Scantling more than made up for his third-down drop early in the second quarter with a 52-yard touchdown. He blew right past cornerback Marcell Harris, caught the ball at the 2 and backpedaled across the goal line for an easy score. Aaron Rodgers converted a third-and-5 by catching the Niners with 12 men on the field and another third-and-5 with a 7-yard scramble.

Injury update: LB Krys Barnes (calf) is questionable. The Packers closed the second half with Ty Summers as the lone linebacker on the field.

Packers 14, 49ers 3 (7:01 remaining)

Aaron Rodgers threw the 386th touchdown pass of his career. Perhaps none were was easy as the 1-yarder to tight end Marcedes Lewis. On first-and-goal from the 1, the Packers went play-action. Lewis leaked into the flat and was open by 10 yards. Green Bay took over at the Niners’ 38 following an interception by Raven Greene. On fourth-and-1 at the 18, Rodgers hit Davante Adams for a gain of 4. Adams had zero separation against cornerback Jamar Taylor, who had both mitts on Adams but couldn’t prevent the completion.

Injury update: Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is being evaluated for a concussion. That’s a big deal. The Packers are down their top corners, Alexander and Kevin King (inactive; quad). Plus, combo cornerback/safety Will Redmond (shoulder) is inactive. Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan are now Green Bay’s lead combo, with Ka'dar Hollman the third corner. Of course, the 49ers are without top receivers Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne and Brandon Aiyuk.

Packers 7, 49ers 3 (11:51 remaining)

The Packers, who entered the week with a league-low four takeaways, picked off Nick Mullens on third-and-16. Preston Smith’s rush against backup left tackle Justin Skule got right in the face of Nick Mullens, and his flutterball was intercepted by Raven Greene. His 17-yard return set up the offense at the Niners’ 38.

Packers 7, 49ers 3 (14:54 remaining)

On third-and-4 on the first play of the second quarter, Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a pass for what should have been a first down. Among all receivers targeted at least 30 times, Valdes-Scantling entered the night with a league-worst 20.0 percent drop rate, according to Pro Football Focus.

First Quarter

Packers 7, 49ers 3 (47 seconds remaining)

On third-and-goal from the 4, one of San Francisco’s legion of backups, receiver River Cracraft, made a leaping, toe-tapping catch in the end zone on a well-thrown ball by backup quarterback Nick Mullens. Cracraft beat cornerback Josh Jackson on the play but Jackson gave Cracraft a shove and he was unable to hang onto the ball upon hitting the ground. Initially ruled complete, it was overturned upon review. Robbie Gould booted a 22-yard field goal. The big play was a 43-yard catch-and-run to Richie James, who was totally uncovered over the middle. He tacked on 25 yards after the catch.

Packers 7, 49ers 0 (11:42 remaining)

Green Bay has played in eight games and its scored on the opening drive in all eight games. Aaron Rodgers threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams to cap a sterling opening drive. Adams made a twisting, tumbling catch in the end zone vs. Emmanuel Moseley. Despite missing two-and-a-half games, he leads the NFL with eight touchdown receptions. So much for easing Aaron Jones back into the lineup. The star running back, who had missed the last two games and was questionable for this game, first four plays was a 5-yard catch, 11-yard run, 5-yard run and 15-yard catch. One play later, the Packers were in the end zone.

Prediction

Take nothing for granted. The 49ers demolished the Packers in both matchups last season. Coach Kyle Shanahan is a brilliant offensive mind and Robert Saleh is one of the top defensive coordinators in the NFL. They’ll figure out a way to make the game interesting.

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Still, let’s not overthink it, either. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, running back Raheem Mostert, tight end George Kittle, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, left tackle Trent Williams, defensive linemen Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Solomon Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman aren’t just starters. They are 10 quality starters. None of them will play.

If Green Bay doesn’t win this game, then general manager Brian Gutekunst’s stand-pat approach at the trade deadline will have been proven correct. One player can’t fix a team, especially one that loses to a team down many of its best players.

Prediction: Packers 31, 49ers 17. (Record: 5-2).