Five 49ers to watch in pivotal Week 12 NFC showdown vs. Packers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There is not a lot of clarity at this stage of the week for the 49ers.
It seems likely the 49ers will not have Brock Purdy, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa in uniform for their all-important game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
One or more of those players might not be available due to injuries.
Heck, it’s possible all three will have to sit this one out. Purdy tossed a few warmup passes on Thursday and left the field before the start of practice due to a right shoulder issue. Williams (ankle) and Bosa (hip/oblique) were not seen on the practice field Wednesday or Thursday.
Obviously, if Purdy and Williams are not available, backup quarterback Brandon Allen and swing tackle Jaylon Moore become the most important players on the team.
But we’re going to focus on the players who definitely will play and will unquestionably need to step it up in any event:
RB Christian McCaffrey
The production in the running game has not been as consistent for Christian McCaffrey in his first two games back from experiencing bilateral Achilles tendinitis.
He played 115 snaps in two games or 91 percent of the 49ers’ offensive plays. But he has just 118 yards on 32 carries. His 3.7 yards per attempt is quite a step back from his 5.4 average of last season.
“Even though you’ve seen it in previous years, you still have to go out and do it,” 49ers run game coordinator Chris Foerster said. “So it’s just a matter of getting a few more looks at it, I think, for him.”
The 49ers will have to experience more success with their running game to control the clock and stay out of third-and-long situations.
RT Colton McKivitz
Right tackle Colton McKivitz could be on an island Sunday, depending on what happens on the other side of the team’s offensive line.
The Packers do not have one dominant pass-rusher, so defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will mix things up with a lot of pressures. Fifteen different Green Bay defenders have combined for 25 sacks this season. The 49ers’ offensive line has to stay on the same page.
McKivitz has graded significantly higher this season from a year ago, his first season as a full-time NFL starter. Although PFF has him rated as yielding just one sack this season, he is responsible for a team-worst 24 pressures in 10 games.
McKivitz, rated as the seventh-best right tackle in the league, needs to have a close-to-clean pass-block sheet for the 49ers’ offense to run at peak efficiency.
LB Fred Warner
When times get tough, the stars have to come out.
Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m., local time, with the Green Bay sunset at 4:17 p.m. That means it will be dark for most of the game, and the temperatures will drop with a clear sky.
The star the 49ers need to produce on defense is linebacker Fred Warner.
Warner’s biggest matchup will be against Packers running back Josh Jacobs, the No. 3 rusher in the NFL behind Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Jacobs has 838 yards with a 4.8 average.
The 49ers need to keep Jacobs in check, and Warner should get plenty of opportunities to make plays.
WR Deebo Samuel
While McCaffrey was out, Deebo Samuel often served as the 49ers’ No. 2 running back behind Jordan Mason. But things look differently this season, as the rushing yards have not come with much consistency for Samuel. What’s up?
“I have no idea,” Samuel said.
He has just 79 yards rushing on 27 attempts for a 2.9 average.
As a receiver, Samuel is No. 3 on the 49ers behind George Kittle and Jauan Jennings, and they have both missed multiple games. Samuel has gotten into the end zone just twice all season — once as a rusher and once as a receiver.
The 49ers need more from Samuel if they are going to get hot and make a spirited push for the postseason.
DE Leonard Floyd
Veteran Leonard Floyd has given the 49ers probably about what they expected when they signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract in the offseason.
He has been around the 10-sack figure in each of the four previous seasons. And with 4.5 sacks in 10 games, he’s only slightly off that pace this year, too.
Bosa banged up, so there is little question Floyd provides the 49ers with their best chance to put pressure on Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Bosa leads the team with seven sacks and 34 hurries. Floyd has 21 hurries.
Love has thrown at least one interception in nine consecutive games, beginning with the 49ers’ victory over Green Bay in the playoffs last season. If they get pressure on him Sunday, they should be able to force a big takeaway or two.
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