49ers vs. Packers: 4 critical matchups that determine Week 3 outcome
By Peter Panacy
49ers -3.5. 42. 49. NBC. Sunday, Sept. 26. 2-0. 8:20 p.m. ET. 1-1
The 49ers host the Packers on Sunday Night Football, and these four matchups could ultimately determine the outcome of the game.
The San Francisco 49ers look to improve to a perfect 3-0 start to the 2021 season, but standing in their way of that accomplishment are the 1-1 Green Bay Packers, who bounced back nicely after a Week 1 embarrassment at the hands of the New Orleans Saints by upending the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
The Niners’ home opener at Levi’s Stadium should give head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad a nice edge, as will the fact the Packers have to travel west on a short week.
Yet those odds in San Francisco’s favor only go so far. Ultimately, Week 3’s prime-time showdown on Sunday Night Football will be determined by matchups.
For the 49ers, they hope they’ll be on the right side of these four crucial matchups that could ultimately decide the outcome between these two rivals.
No. 4: 49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir vs. Packers WR Davante Adams
In a microcosm of the Niners’ toughest challenge to date this season, rookie cornerback Deommodore Lenoir faces his toughest task by going up against Packers No. 1 wide receiver Davante Adams, who torched the Lions in Week 2 with eight receptions for 121 yards.
Green Bay will want to figure out every way possible to get Adams lined up opposite the fifth-round NFL Draft pick, seeing whether or not Lenoir’s strong start to the year is a sign of things to come or just one of those strange first-year anomalies.
Lenoir, who has surrendered just five receptions on 11 targets with three pass breakups this season, has been equal to nearly every task assigned him thus far in 2021. Aside from one long gaffe of a reception allowed versus the Philadelphia Eagles, the former Oregon product has the signs of a quality starter.
Going up against Adams, though, will help determine whether or not San Francisco has something special in the secondary, as well as potentially providing a true X-factor for this game.