49ers NFL schedule: Ranking 5 toughest games in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Packers @ 49ers, Week 9
The 49ers throttled the Green Bay Packers the last two times these teams met, first on Nov. 24 last year in a prime-time regular-season game, then again in the NFC Championship game on Jan. 19.
San Francisco outscored Green Bay 74-28 in the combined contests.
So why would this particular contest feature a tough matchup for Kyle Shanahan and Co.? The Packers didn’t exactly have a stellar offseason, grabbed zero wide receiver weapons for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the NFL Draft and instead created some potential controversy by selecting Rodgers’ potential replacement, Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
Perhaps the Packers were the league’s worst 13-3 team from a year ago. But teams don’t fall into a 13-3 record without good reasons. And if Love’s addition adds any fire to the equation, Rodgers will surely want to take advantage of it.
Yet there’s another caveat to this being a tough challenge in that it’s Week 9 on Thursday Night Football.
Granted, the 49ers are the home team here. Road teams are always at a disadvantage on short weeks. But the Niners will be traveling back from Seattle the previous week — a game which will assuredly take its toll, both physically and mentally.
Fortunately for San Francisco, Green Bay has its own rivalry game against the Minnesota Vikings the week prior. So it’ll be a tough matchup for the Packers, too.
Speaking of that Week 8 challenge in Seattle…