The 49ers can't figure out how to defend against Josh Jacobs and the Packers run game, which could derail their already slim chances for a win.
The San Francisco 49ers were already at a significant disadvantage in Week 12 on the road against the Green Bay Packers.
For starters, the Niners lacked a plethora of their best talent, including quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder). Joining him on the game's inactive list were offensive tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (hip/oblique).
Bosa's absence figured to hinder San Francisco's dangerously thin pass rush, but there's another aspect to the former Defensive Player of the Year's game that San Francisco is sorely missing at Lambeau Field.
The 49ers have had no answers early against running back Josh Jacobs and the Packers' ground attack, which gouged the defense consistently for huge gains on their first two possessions, both of which resulted in points.
After just two drives, Jacobs managed 58 yards on 10 attemps, while reserve rusher Emanuel Wilson had 29 yards on just three carries.
As a team, Green Bay averaged 6.7 yards per carry on its first two possessions to take an early 10-0 lead.
Bosa would have likely made a difference here, if healthy. While he's known for his pass-rushing prowess, the defensive end is also more than savvy against the run, even though this has been a comparative Niners weakness for the last year-plus.
Nine missed tackles sattest to just some of the problems.
This could turn into a compounding problem, too, as San Francisco's defense has already been on the field for more than 12 minutes out of the first quarter.
Not unlike how the 49ers ran rampant over the Packers back in the 2020 NFC Championship game, it wouldn't be a shock if Green Bay tries a similar approach against the Niners here, especially with Purdy out of action and his offense so severely shorthanded.