Lombardi Ave
FanSided

10 lessons Packers can learn from Panthers-49ers clash

By Kevin Culligan

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Kyle Allen #7 of the Carolina Panthers gets his pass off under pressure from Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Kyle Allen #7 of the Carolina Panthers gets his pass off under pressure from Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Green Bay Packers, Matt LaFleur
ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 6: Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the sideline during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 6, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. The Packers defeated the Cowboys 34-24. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

What can the Green Bay Packers learn from the recent clash between the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers?

Of the Green Bay Packers’ seven remaining games, the next two are among the three most challenging. Going 2-0 or even 1-1 in their contests vs. the Carolina Panthers (5-3) and at the San Francisco 49ers (8-0) would set them up beautifully in the NFC playoff race.

Just two weeks ago, the 49ers blew out Carolina by a score of 51-13 at Levi’s Stadium. Although the score was lopsided, there’s still plenty that we can learn about both teams from the game.

Here are 10 takeaways for the Packers to consider from that game:

1. Packers’ run defense is in serious trouble

Both the 49ers’ and Panthers’ offenses are built on the foundation of a strong running game. Each team is excellent at both consistently getting ahead of the sticks and also ripping off long gains.

Christian McCaffrey is an MVP candidate due in large part to his prowess as a rusher. Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman, meanwhile, form a devastating 1-2 punch in San Francisco.

This is all horrible news for Mike Pettine’s run defense, which has been among the league’s worst all season. The good news? They’ve only allowed four runs of 20-plus yards. They’ll hope to continue limiting big gains against the Panthers and 49ers, who have seven and eight gains of 20-plus yards this season, respectively.

Home/Green Bay Packers News