49ers vs. Packers: 3 keys to victory in this Sunday night showdown

The San Francisco 49ers are set to take on the Green Bay Packers in a Sunday night showdown. Here are three keys to ensuring a 49ers victory.

Alrighty now here we go! All season long the San Francisco 49ers naysayers have been pretty adamant about discrediting this current squad. The 2019 49ers are off to their hottest start since 1990 and their true test is on the horizon.

The next three opponents are all leaders in their respective divisions and we will finally get to see what these boys are made of. Here are three keys to beating the Green Bay Packers tonight.

1. Defense, Stay Disciplined

It’s no secret that Aaron Rodgers loves to burn defenses on free plays. It’ll be imperative for the 49ers defensive line to watch and respond to the movement of the ball.

Of course, this is always easier said than done especially when tips are coming from folks observing the game instead of actually playing it. However, these are professional grown men who get paid a pretty penny to limit opposing offenses.

With that said, Robert Saleh, Kris Kocurek and the rest of the 49ers coaching staff will have to emphasize the hard count that Rodgers makes a living doing. Rodgers has thrown about 80+ passes on free plays since 2006 which translates to almost 2,000 yards downfield on such plays.

This will be vital to the 49ers’ success because, they have an extremely fast, flowing, aggressive defense that may find themselves caught in the neutral zone a few times.

2 & 3. Offense Must Help Defense

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I’m combining both of these keys because they work in conjunction with one another. Since their Week 8 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night, the 49ers seemed to have misplaced their running game.

Prior to that game, the 49ers were steamrolling through the league because of their tantalizing ground game. Averaging around 250 yards per game, the 49ers were able to sustain drives, almost tripling their opponents in first downs.

This, in turn, allowed for a fresh defense to get after it towards the end of games. Over the last three games, the 49ers have been forced to rely on Jimmy Garoppolo and his merry band of young, undrafted receivers to make plays.

Unfortunately, there has been a little inconsistency when it comes to these wideouts but, nevertheless, they have remained steady enough to keep this boat afloat.