The San Francisco 49ers traveled to Lambeau Field to battle the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. They’re returning to the West Coast with their tails tucked after a humbling 38-10 defeat. Head coach Kyle Shanahan labeled the loss “embarrassing.”
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No matter the circumstance, a 28-point win in the NFL is impressive. However, some have dismissed the Packers’ performance because the 49ers were missing multiple key players, including quarterback Brock Purdy.
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Green Bay defensive back and kick returner Keisean Nixon has zero interest in entertaining that narrative. Highlighting how they won three games without QB Jordan Love, he said,
“”It’s the NFL. It’s not an excuse. We didn’t have our quarterback. We won three games, so we don’t wanna hear that. We came to play. They should’ve came to play.”
The Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in Weeks 3 and 4 this season with quarterback Malik Willis starting for an injured Jordan Love.
They also knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 after Willis entered for Love in the third quarter. Willis audibled into the game’s most pivotal play on the game-winning field goal drive.
Pretty cool story about the Leak Wheel to Jayden Reed
The play wasn’t in the gameplan.
They installed it on the sideline and it was a “Can” (Audible) by Malik Willis! pic.twitter.com/Lit1ki6Yuh
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) October 28, 2024
However, San Francisco quarterback Brandon Allen did not have as much success as Willis in his first start of the season.
How did Brandon Allen do in Purdy’s shoes?
Allen, a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, had made just nine career starts before filling in for Purdy on Sunday. His production – 17/29 (58.6%), 199 yards, one touchdown, one interception, two fumbles (one lost) – wasn’t the reason the 49ers lost.
It also wasn’t near good enough to help the 49ers claim a road win over an NFC contender.
For better or worse, Allen’s afternoon was pretty much doomed before it began. Green Bay brilliantly executed a ball-dominant gameplan throughout the first half.
They ran more plays on each of their first three drives than San Francisco tallied on their first two possessions combined. The offensive stats at the 6:33 mark of the second quarter for both teams can be seen below:
- Green Bay – 32 plays, 187 yards, 19:05 time of possession, 17 points
- San Francisco – 6 plays, 6 yards, 4:22 time of possession, 0 points
The 49ers would have struggled to overcome that deficit if Purdy were healthy. With Allen, it felt insurmountable.
San Francisco was sapped of some strength beyond Purdy against Green Bay. Defensive end Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams were also inactive. If the 49ers are to salvage their season, they’ll need all three men healthy for their Sunday Night Football meeting with the Buffalo Bills (9-2) in Week 13.
