The Green Bay Packers earned a 38-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Josh Jacobs scored three times and rushed for over 100 yards, Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes in the red zone and Jeff Hafley's defense produced three big takeaways in the second half.
The Packers led by at least two points for most of the game and used two late takeaways to build a final lead of 28 points.
The Packers are now 8-3 and in a great position in the NFC playoff race.
Here's what went right, what went wrong, and what it means for the Packers' future:
What went well
— Josh Jacobs was a man on a mission. He rushed 26 times for 106 yards — hardly impressive numbers — but much of that was the result of his ability to force his way through tacklers. According to Next Gen Stats, Jacobs broke 15 tackle attempts. He also scored three 1-yard touchdowns.
– Speaking of short touchdowns, the Packers scored a perfect 5-for-5 touchdowns in the red zone.
– The Packers had more first downs (22 to 11), more third down conversions (6 to 3), more plays (67 to 47), more total yards (325 to 241), more rushing yards (169 to 44), more Trips to the red zone (5 to 1) and more time of possession (36:43 to 23:17) and fewer penalties (5 to 9) and turnovers (0 to 3).
– The defense produced three takeaways – the sixth time the Packers have scored at least three in a game this season. Green Bay scored 21 points off turnovers. Xavier McKinney's interception – his seventh of the season – was the .
– The Packers limited Christian McCaffrey to just 31 rushing yards on 11 carries. Deebo Samuel had one touch for just 21 yards.
– Emanuel Wilson scored a third-down conversion on the first touchdown drive and added a 19-yard run for another first-half score. He finished with 41 rushing yards.
– Tucker Kraft scored an 11-yard touchdown on a tight end screen and set up another score with a 15-yard catch at the 1-yard line. Dontayvion Wicks had an explosive game – a 25-yard catch in the second half.
— Linebacker Quay Walker played one of his best games. He made two tackles for loss and almost intercepted the ball.
– Kicker Brandon McManus hit the team's first field goal attempt of 50 or more yards this season. He also scored all five extra points.
– Xavier McKinney not only had a big interception, but he also covered Christian McCaffrey on a fourth down that had not been completed a drive earlier. Both drive-enders occurred inside Packers territory, with Green Bay defending a 10-point lead.
What went wrong?
– Christian Watson dropped a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love at the end of the first half. The drop prevented what should have been a 24-7 lead.
– George Kittle caught all six of his targets for 82 yards, including a red zone touchdown and a 31-yarder. The Packers struggled to cover him in zone and man.
– Leonard Floyd had two third-down sacks against Jordan Love.
– Romeo Doubs dropped a pass and left in the third quarter with a concussion.
What it means
The Packers did exactly what they needed to do against an undermanned team and significantly strengthened their playoff position in the process. Matt LaFleur's team took an early lead, dominated the line of scrimmage and got the takeaways they needed to earn a comfortable victory over a 49ers team missing its quarterback, left tackle and top edge rusher. With the win, the Packers improved to 8-3, which didn't help in the NFC North race after both the Lions and Vikings won, but the win puts the Packers close to being a wild card team. Green Bay has at least a two-win lead over the other teams in the hunt and a head-to-head tiebreaker against the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals. With six games to go, the Packers are still very much alive in the NFC North race and in great shape to play playoff football in January.
Highlights
What's next?
A holiday visit from the suddenly surging Miami Dolphins, who got four touchdown passes from Tua Tagovailoa in a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Since starting 2-6, the Dolphins have won three straight and are now 5-6. Tagovailoa's return from a head injury provided a spark. However, a short week presents challenges for both teams. The Packers and Dolphins will play the nightcap from Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving.
