Josh Jacobs was born to be a Packer

Speaking of rounding into form, Jacobs is proving week after week why Green Bay brought him in this offseason.

He tallied 26 carries for 106 yards and a hat-trick of touchdowns versus San Francisco, finally giving him a touchdown total (seven on the season) to match his rushing yardage production. 

Jacobs seems to be gathering steam each week.

Over the last five games, Jacobs’s yards per carry is now up to 5.1, and he forced 15 missed tackles on Sunday, more than any back in any game this season. He became the first running back in the last 55 regular season games to rush for over 100 yards against the Niners.

Jacobs spoke after the game about why he chose to sign with the Packers, telling Tom Brady he felt he was “the missing piece”. It seems like he was born to run the ball in the winter in Green Bay.

Interception-free game for Love

For the first time this season, Jordan Love made it through a game without throwing a pick, but that is not to say it was a pristine game from Green Bay’s quarterback.

Love put the ball in jeopardy on multiple occasions, with one toss in particular fortunate not to be picked off, with a 49ers defender getting both hands on it.

Another pass slightly behind Romeo Doubs on a slant was tipped up in the air by the receiver and could have been hauled in by San Francisco, and Love also almost fumbled the ball when trying to escape a sack.

However, these few instances of good fortune arguably make up for his lone interception versus the Cardinals, which was solely due to Bo Melton slipping and not on Love.

There will probably always be a part of Love that takes unnecessary risks, but it is part and parcel of his playstyle and you have to take the bad with the good. He has played much cleaner over the last two weeks and is showing signs of rounding into form at the right time.

Xavier McKinney makes his mark

Brian Gutekunst is not a perfect GM, and has misses on his resume, but he has shown that he knows how to build a quality roster, and he has a remarkably strong track record in free agency.

The additions of Jacobs and McKinney are two more feathers in his cap, with both players contributing significantly to Green Bay’s 8-3 start to the 2024 season.

McKinney more than played his part on Sunday after an uncharacteristically lackluster performance against the Bears, breaking up a fourth down pass and later registering his seventh interception of the season.

In a defensive backfield which has been in flux all season, McKinney has been the constant reliable presence on the back end, producing game-changing plays regularly. Reminder: he is still only 25 years old and is under contract for three more years after this one.

Packers find red zone formula

After mixed results against the best red zone defense in the league last week in Chicago, the Packers found a recipe for success against a comparatively uninspiring 49ers unit.

Being able to run the ball effectively in a tight area of the field helped, with Jacobs slamming the ball into the end zone three times from close range.

Tight end Tucker Kraft has also proved to be a weapon in the red area, with his ability to break tackles and fight for extra yards proving valuable. He rumbled into the end zone on Sunday on a tight end screen, knocking over his own center Josh Myers in the process.

After going five for five in the red zone this week, the Packers will hope to build on a successful day and replicate that success going forward and lift their success rate away from the bottom of the league.

Drops continue to be an issue

While the red zone issues were not present on Sunday, Green Bay’s problem with drops continued to rear its head.

The most high profile drop was Christian Watson’s, failing to bring in a sure score before halftime which would have served as the killshot for the 49ers and added a 49-yard touchdown to Love’s statline.

Doubs also failed to corral a pass from Love which was not thrown perfectly, but was certainly catchable, and this nearly led to an interception.

Drops did not ultimately hurt the Packers this time, but it is something the pass-catching group must continue to work on.

With Doubs now dealing with a concussion and unlikely to be ready to face the Dolphins on Thanksgiving, it should open the door for Dontayvion Wicks to see more playing time and prove he has put his dropping problem behind him.