4 reasons why 49ers will be better vs. Packers this time around

Reason No. 1: 49ers run game is much more dynamic now

Again, rewinding back to Week 3 against Green Bay. The Niners were two weeks removed from losing No. 1 running back Raheem Mostert to a season-ending knee injury, and rookie tailback (now starter) Elijah Mitchell was sidelined with an injury at the time, effectively leaving another rookie rusher, Trey Sermon, to handle starting duties.

Sermon, now relegated to the regular inactive list, had only 10 rushes for 31 yards and a touchdown in that game, still leading San Francisco’s ground efforts nonetheless.

Entering the divisional-round game, though, the 49ers’ rushing prowess is much more formidable.

Mitchell is back and healthy, and his Mostert-like speed could be a vital X-factor, just like Mostert’s 220 rush yards and four touchdowns were in the 2020 NFC Championship game. Going up against a Packers defense that allowed an average of 4.7 yards per carry during the regular season (third worst in the NFL) presents a juicy opportunity for the Niners offense to replicate the kind of success it had against Green Bay in the playoffs two years ago.

Week 3 was also a time when wide receiver Deebo Samuel wasn’t featured anywhere as much as a lethal ground weapon, and those exploits have been on full display during San Francisco’s desperate stretch to get into the postseason and advance beyond the Wild Card round.

That’s another X-factor, too, and the Packers may not have the complete defensive wherewithal to stop both Mitchell and Samuel on the ground, unlike containing the 49ers’ rushing efforts way back in Week 3.

These two teams kick off from Lambeau Field on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET.