Injuries derail San Francisco-Green Bay matchup

Teams far different from the NFC powers that dominated in 2019 will face off tonight. A spate of injuries has devastated the 49ers, while the Packers have several running backs sidelined.

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November 5, 2020 - 8:50 AM

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) reacts after catching a first-half pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIV. Photo by Charles Trainor Jr. / Miami Herald / TNS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When the San Francisco 49ers dealt Green Bay a humiliating loss last November, it was Nick Bosa controlling the line of scrimmage and George Kittle and Deebo Samuel catching long TD passes from Jimmy Garoppolo.

When the teams met again two months later in the NFC title game, the Niners won behind 229 yards rushing and four TDs from Raheem Mostert.

When they face off at Levi’s Stadium for the third time in less than a year tonight, the Niners (4-4) will look nothing like that juggernaut that dealt the Packers (5-2) two lopsided losses. A spate of injuries has derailed the defending NFC champions.

“It makes things more of a challenge,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We have experience of losing guys in the past where our team knows how to deal with it. Kind of what we’re going through now is a little unprecedented, just I think for us and probably for anybody, but I think our guys take it as a challenge.”

The Niners have been decimated by injuries this season, with Garoppolo and Kittle the latest to go down this week. San Francisco will also be without Mostert, Samuel, Bosa and Richard Sherman among others. Receiver Kendrick Bourne then tested positive for the coronavirus, meaning no player who gained a yard on offense for San Francisco in those two games in which the 49ers outscored the Packers 74-28 will play Thursday.

The Packers are dealing with their own issues, with running backs A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams on the COVID-19 list and leading rusher Aaron Jones (calf) a game-time decision.

That will put even more pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers to carry the offense.

“I think as a competitor you’re always excited about the challenges,” Rodgers said. “You’d love having your guys in there at full strength, for sure, but there is that fun challenge of going in there without some of those guys and trying to find a way to win.”

Rodgers struggled against the Niners last season. His 3.2 yards per attempt in the regular-season meeting were the lowest in 181 career starts. The Packers then got down 27-0 at halftime in the NFC title game before Rodgers got going a bit in the second half.

Niners linebacker Fred Warner believes those results will fuel the Packers.

“This is probably one of the games they talked about a lot, probably early on in the season or in the offseason just because of the way it went,” Warner said. “I know they’re looking forward to it.”

UNCERTAIN RB SITUATION

The Packers may be playing without their top three running backs. Missing Jones is the most damaging.

“We’ll give him up to game time, and then we’ll figure it out,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.

The Packers’ only other running backs are Tyler Ervin and Dexter Williams, who is currently on the practice squad. Ervin has four carries and Dexter Williams has none this season.

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