The Green Bay Packers started strong and never looked back as they beat the San Francisco 49ers 38-10 in Green Bay. Josh Jacobs led the way with 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Packers defense held San Francisco to just 11 first downs all game and 241 total net yards. The win increased the Packers record to 8-3 on the season while the loss dropped San Francisco to 5-6. Here are 10 things we learned in the Packers 38-10 win over the 49ers in Week 12:

Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the 49ers, Number One: Josh Jacobs Set the Tone

Jacobs set the tone from the start of the game and never looked back. He gained 39 yards rushing on the opening drive to establish the Packers dominance. He finished the game with 106 yards on 26 carries and three rushing touchdowns. He probably would have gained more yardage, but he cramped up and had to leave the game for a while.

Jacobs made people miss constantly. He gained 56 yards after missed tackles and forced the 49ers defense to miss him 14 times. So, Jacobs was punishing defenders and being elusive despite running between the tackles in close quarters.

The Packers passing game has been inconsistent, but Jacobs has stepped up and become the engine that makes the Packers offense go. He proved it again against the 49ers.

Number Two: Turnovers Were Crucial

The Packers won the turnover battle 3-0. They then turned those turnovers into 21 points. That was the biggest reason Green Bay held a comfortable lead for most of this game.

Every time the 49ers started to mount a comeback, the Packers defense came up with a turnover and extended their lead.

First, Xavier McKinney intercepted a pass and returned it deep into 49ers territory. Then, Lukas Van Ness forced a fumble that Kenny Clark recovered. Finally, Keisean Nixon forced a fumble that was recovered by Karl Brooks.

Those three turnovers led to 21 points in a game the Packers won by 28.

Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the 49ers, Number Three: Penalties Helped the Packers

For a change, the opposing team was victimized by costly penalties. For the game, San Francisco committed nine penalties for 77 yards.  The Packers had five infractions for 40 yards.

But the penalties were very costly for the 49ers. One wiped out a long kick return by Deebo Samuel that would have given San Francisco the ball at the Packers 8 to start the second half. Instead, they started at their own 21. The drive stalled when the 49ers turned the ball over on downs.

San Francisco had many pre-snap penalties which put them behind the sticks. That’s even more challenging when you’re playing a backup quarterback. Brandon Allen was unable to overcome most of those penalties and it hurt the 49ers momentum.

The Packers were able to take advantage of these mistakes, and it helped them win the game.

Number Four: Xavier McKinney Made Another Big Play

McKinney continues to make big plays. His interception was the turning point of the game. The Packers led 17-7 but the 49ers were driving and in Packers territory with six minutes left in the third quarter.

McKinney picked off the pass intended for Samuel and returned it 48 yards to give the Packers the ball at the San Francisco 26. Three plays later, the Packers scored a touchdown and led 24-7.

The signing of McKinney has made a big impact on the Packers defense. He remains tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with seven. McKinney is the best ball hawking defensive back the Packers have had in more than a decade. His play and leadership have had a major impact on the Packers defense this season.

Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the 49ers, Number Five: Jordan Love Was Inconsistent but Didn’t Throw a Pick

The good news is that Jordan Love did not throw an interception for the first time this season. The bad news is, he did throw at least two turnover worthy passes but at least they didn’t end up costing the Packers. He even had an interception canceled by offsetting penalties although he knew that was a free play at the snap of the ball.

Love finished the game completing 13-of-23 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. His accuracy was solid but not spectacular. He did have a few dropped passes including a spectacular long pass that Christian Watson dropped that would have been an easy touchdown.

There is no doubt Love is not playing at the level he did in the second half of last season. Still, the lack of interceptions and a 107.7 quarterback rating is something to build on.

Number Six: Quay Walker Played His Best Game

Linebacker Quay Walker has struggled this season. Although he leads the Packers in tackles, most of the plays he made until this week came well down the field. His poor decision making and missed tackles caused him to be one of the lowest graded linebackers according to Pro Football Focus.

But in this game, Walker made plays. He tied for the team lead with seven tackles. That included two tackles for loss including a clutch short yardage stop. He also broke up a pass.

He did drop what appeared to be an easy interception, but overall, Walker had a positive impact on this game.

The Packers coaches have to be encouraged by Walker’s strong play in this game and will need more of these performances from him down the stretch.

Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the 49ers, Number Seven: Romeo Doubs Injured

Wide receiver Romeo Doubs left the game early with a head injury that is believed to be a concussion. He hit the ground hard after being interfered with in the end zone late in the third quarter.

Doubs led Green Bay receivers in this game with three catches for 54 yards including a 29-yard effort that was the longest gain of the game for the Packers. They all came during the team’s third drive of the game which helped put them up 17-0 in the second quarter.

Because the Packers have a short week and play on Thursday, it may be difficult for Doubs to play if he indeed suffered a concussion. We will check his status as we get closer to game time.

Number Eight: The Packers Stopped the Run

The Packers did a good job of stopping the run in this game. This was especially important because the 49ers were playing a backup quarterback.

Getting off to an early lead certainly helped. But for the game, San Francisco gained just 44 yards on the ground on 16 carries for an average of just 2.8-yards per carry.

Christian McCaffrey carried 11 times for 31 yards and had a long gain of just nine yards. McCaffrey isn’t 100 percent healthy, but he is still a dangerous weapon, and the Green Bay defense shut him down as a runner.

This was a good performance by the run defense. There weren’t many missed tackles and Jeff Hafley’s crew did a good job of keeping contain and rushing to the ball.

Ten Things We Learned from the Packers Win Over the 49ers, Number Nine: Red Zone Offense Clicked

The Packers offense has had problems converting in the red zone all season. In this game, however, the Pack made five trips inside the 49ers 20 and scored a touchdown on all five tries.

While it’s unlikely the team will have many perfect games in the red zone, this strong performance is a positive sign that the team can hopefully build on going forward.

Number Ten: A Short Week Ahead

This was a big win that greatly increased the Packers chances of making the playoffs. They are now 8-3 on the season and this was also a big win for wild card tie breaking purposes. The Packers also dealt the 49ers a big blow to their playoff chances.

But there is little time to gloat. The Pack has a short week with the Miami Dolphins coming to town on Thanksgiving night at Lambeau Field.

The Packers need to keep winning to keep pace with the Vikings and Lions who are both ahead of them in the NFC North standings right now. This will also be Green Bay’s final game against an AFC opponent this season.

 

 

Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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