49ers Week 12 preview vs. Packers: Jimmy Garoppolo must be on point
By Peter Panacy
Packers vs. 49ers: Week 12 by the Numbers
Both the Niners and Packers have undergone some midseason transformations over the course of 2019.
Early in the year, Green Bay’s offense wasn’t exactly jelling, as Aaron Rodgers looked more the part of a pedestrian quarterback slowly adjusting to first-year head coach Matt LaFleur’s system. Simultaneously, the 49ers were the biggest running threat around, at one point averaging 200 rush yards per game.
San Francisco’s ground efforts have been hindered the last three weeks, however, but Kyle Shanahan’s squad still boasts the No. 2 scoring offense overall.
The Packers, meanwhile, rank ninth in this same category.
Offensive Comparison
- 49ers Offense
- Rush Offense: 1,490 yards (second)
- Pass Offense: 2,376 yards (15th)
- Yards per Play: 5.6 (15th)
- Packers Offense
- Rush Offense: 1,021 (18th)
- Pass Offense: 2,539 (11th)
- Yards per Play: 5.8 (ninth)
One of the aspects making Green Bay such a balanced offense has been the emergence of running back Aaron Jones, whose 11 touchdowns are tied for the league lead on the ground.
Interestingly enough, both the 49ers and Packers have had some difficulty stopping opponents’ rushing attacks this season.
Defensive Comparison
- 49ers Defense
- Rush Defense: 1,105 yards (20th)
- Pass Defense: 1,425 yards (first)
- Yards per Play Allowed: 4.5 (second)
- Packers Defense
- Rush Defense: 1,269 (25th)
- Pass Defense: 2,578 (23rd)
- Yards per Play Allowed: 6.0 (26th)
Based solely off the stats, the Niners defense seems far ahead of its Week 12 counterpart. Yet many of those stats were heavily influenced by San Francisco’s defensive dominance early in the season.
Over the last three weeks, the 49ers have allowed an average of 319.7 yards per game. Green Bay has surrendered 393.3 yards over that same span, however.