5 Players to Watch in the 49ers' TNF Game Against Green Bay
The San Francisco 49ers (4-4) return home after an up-and-down two weeks on the road to host the Green Bay Packers (5-2) on Thursday Night Football.
Both teams are coming off disappointing showings against division rivals and look to bounce back on a short week.
This was written Tuesday, so you might be too elated or distraught to watch football. In the event you do turn on the game, here are five players to watch Thursday night:
Emmanuel Moseley, Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
Teams are staying away from Jason Verrett. He’s by far the team’s best cover-corner.
As a result, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is drawing a lot of attention, especially on deep passes.
In Moseley’s most recent game, Russell Wilson and D.K. Metcalf went after him.
Metcalf hauled in 12 of 15 targets for 161 yards and two touchdowns in the game. The majority of his success came with Moseley in coverage (eight catches on 11 targets for 134 yards and both touchdowns).
It would be wise for Green Bay to replicate this game plan with their own matchup nightmare wide receiver, and put Davante Adams in one-on-one situations with Moseley.
Adams had seven catches for 53 yards and three touchdowns in his most recent game. In five games this season, Adams has 43 receptions for 502 yards and seven touchdowns.
Moseley did intercept Rodgers last season, but that was also with a much better 49er pass rush.
The 49ers should win this game if Moseley can limit Adams’ impact.
Kerry Hyder Jr., Defensive End, San Francisco 49ers
The Buccaneers’ pass rush overpowered Green Bay in the Packers’ first loss of the season. Tampa Bay had five sacks, six TFLs, and 13 QB hits in the 28-point victory.
In two games against Green Bay last season, the 49ers totaled eight sacks, nine TFLs and 12 QB hits.
It should come as no surprise that Rodgers is worse when dealt pressure. Unlike Tampa Bay and the 2019 49ers, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has to rely on role players and blitzes to create any consistent pressure.
Blitzes with K’Waun Williams and Fred Warner supplement some of the pass-rush deficiency, but the 49ers must receive some production from Kerry Hyder Jr.
Hyder leads the team with 4.5 sacks, five TFLs and 12 QB hits.
For a variety of reasons, the 49ers just aren’t receiving the necessary output from Arik Armstead.
Until Armstead translates his skill into actual stats, Hyder is the only pass-rusher the 49ers can count on.
Hyder has exceeded expectations in Nick Bosa’s stead. The 49ers need him to raise the bar even further if they want to win on Thursday.
JaMycal Hasty, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay lost to a one-win Vikings team due to their inability to stop Dalvin Cook. The Minnesota running back had 30 rushes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, the only running back that comes close to Cook is the injured Raheem Mostert.
Tevin Coleman (knee) looked good in his six snaps before exiting with a re-injury.
With Jerick McKinnon’s pitch count dwindling, and Mostert still on injured reserve, the 49ers will likely rely on JaMycal Hasty once again.
In a career-high 12 carries last week, Hasty had just 29 yards, but did score his first NFL touchdown.
The 49ers have a history of running the ball at volume against Green Bay. They ran 42 times for 285 yards and four touchdowns in last season’s NFC Championship.
At their best, the 49ers used their rush-attack to not only control the game, but to give confidence to the offensive line and open up play action passes for their limited quarterback.
With Garoppolo out and the hot-and-cold Nick Mullens in, it would be wise to get Hasty going.
Tyler Ervin, Running Back, Green Bay Packers
Speaking of injured backfields, the Packers are in a similar situation.
With Aaron Jones (calf) potentially inactive, and reserves Jamaal Williams and A.J. Dillon out due to Covid protocol, the Packers might need to get creative.
A healthy Jones obviously changes the entire situation. He’s one of the best backs in the league and has 550 yards and seven touchdowns as a runner/receiver.
In the event Jones misses his third game, Ervin would be Green Bay’s lone experienced running back.
The weird thing is that Ervin isn’t really a running back. He is used similarly to Deebo Samuel. The majority of his touches come in motion off sweeps, shovels and screens.
The San Jose State product has just four rushes for 43 yards and six catches for 33 yards.
Other than Ervin, Dexter Williams would receive the majority of between-the-tackle runs. Yet, he only has five career rushes for 11 yards (all in 2019).
Expect head coach Matt LaFleur to keep the 49ers’ linebackers busy with motions and screens to simulate a run game.
Adrian Amos, Safety, Green Bay Packers
Mullens looked horrendous when Philadelphia pressured him. He made bad decisions that ultimately cost the 49ers the win.
In mop-up duty against Seattle, Mullens didn’t face a lot of pressure. The Seahawks were up and prevented the big throw. Mullens looked good as a result.
The Packers are the 29th-ranked DVOA defense. They can’t stop the run. And outside of Jaire Alexander, they’re not good at defending the pass, either.
They must create pressure and force turnovers to win.
Za’Darius Smith has been the Packers’ only source of pressure. Green Bay must increase its blitz-rate to mess with the inexperienced quarterback’s rhythm.
The Packers’ 26.1% blitz per drop back (per Pro Football Reference) is 22nd in the NFL.
Ironically, Mullens’ two starts came against the only teams the 49ers have played that rank below the Packers (Eagles and Giants).
With no Kittle, and potentially Jordan Reed, safety Adrian Amos could be freed for a few extra blitzes.
Amos (68.2 PFF grade) ranks in the team’s top four in tackles (31), TFLs (two), QB hits (two) and sacks (one).
The Packers must use Amos, and any other free defender, to pressure Mullens and revert him back to his Philadelphia form.
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