49ers' Pass Rush Dominates in Primetime With 37-8 win vs. Packers
The "pretenders' narrative that was given to the San Francisco 49ers continues to look delusional after every win. With a blowout win against the Green Packers in primetime, that narrative should officially dissipate. This game was the start of the 49ers' difficult three-game stretch of the schedule, yet they just made the Packers, who are 8-2, look pedestrian.
With the entire nation watching, the 49ers battered Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to win 37-8. As usual, the pass rush of the 49ers had a dominant performance by pressuring Rodgers all night. Five sacks is what the defense tallied on Rodgers, but the pressure was felt on the Packers' very first drive.
A strip-sack fumble on Rodgers caused by Fred Warner immediately set the tone for the 49ers. Nick Bosa would recover the fumble to give the 49ers an easy touchdown run for Tevin Coleman. It was the first of many scores for the offense of the 49ers who got their best player George Kittle back. In his return to the lineup, Kittle put astonishing numbers of 6 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown.
Everything went perfect for the 49ers in every facet of the game. It was encouraging to see the offense get back on track and deliver another message on the national stage. However, as great as the offense was, the strongest message was delivered by the 49ers' pass rush.
They do not have an "off" game recorded this season. Their impact has been felt in all 11 of the game this season, which is why the 49ers will always have a chance. Against the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers went down 16-0, yet managed to comeback. Even against the Seattle Seahawks in week nine looked bleak, yet it was the pass rush that was a constant for the 49ers.
No matter what the situation is, the pass rushers of the 49ers can be relied upon for the team. They just hammered Rodgers all game without Dee Ford, who may be out next week against Balitmore as well, which is telling. These guys are hungry beasts that cannot be contained. So many have tried different variations of how to attack them, but it never matters. The pass rushers always manage to come through in the end.
It is impossible to ever doubt the San Francisco 49ers because they make this look easy. Their last three games entering week 12 was by far their ugliest stretch of the season. Even with that, it did not prove as something that detracted them. Their spirits and mentality never wavered. The regular season is entering the last quarter of the season and the 49ers continue to push forward with a strong mind and heart.
It also helps that Kyle Shanahan is mad genius with his schemes and play-calling. A win like tonight shows that the 49ers can very well win against the Ravens next week and the New Orleans Saints the following week. So many critics try to look for flaws in the 49ers, but the flaws they have are very minimal. The few flaws they do have are not really significant.
It was believed that the defense of the 49ers was weak against the run, however Robert Saleh saw otherwise. He saw a defense that was actually solid against it and that the stats are skewed due to outlier runs that were big gainers. He clearly was onto something since the Packers were quite on the ground game with Aaron Jones. This is a win that should continue to fuel this team into a strong position going into Baltimore next week.
The Ravens will not allow the 49ers to come into their house and punk them like how the Packers allowed them tonight. Lamar Jackson is in the running for MVP with Russell Wilson, so he will be more than a handful for this defense. Despite that, the 49ers still have a good chance of coming out with a win. Pretty soon they will finally be acknowledged as the best team, not only in the NFC, but the entire NFL.
