10 lessons Packers can learn from Panthers-49ers clash
8. Emmanuel Sanders headlines talented groups of wide receivers
Neither team has a bona fide superstar wide receiver. But both have some dangerous talent who can produce when called upon.
Carolina’s top wide receivers are DJ Moore, a first-round pick in 2018, and Curtis Samuel, a second-round pick this year. For San Francisco, it’s second-round rookie Deebo Samuel and recently-acquired veteran Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders is the best receiver on either team, and it will likely fall to Jaire Alexander to shadow him.
9. McCaffrey, Kittle present two different matchup nightmares
The most vexing pass catchers for Mike Pettine to scheme against, though, won’t be wide receivers at all. Rather, it will be Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
The Packers have no obvious candidates to man up with either of these players. A combination of Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos might work best, but they’ll undoubtedly be forced to use other players and creative schemes as well.
10. The turnover battle will be crucial in each game
It seems inevitable that McCaffrey, Breida, and Coleman will pick up their yards on the Packers’ defense. That, in turn, can easily lead to significant advantages in total yards and time-of-possession for the Panthers and 49ers.
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It’s aways crucial to win the turnover battle. But this will become even more paramount to the Packers’ success if they can’t dominate the games on a play-by-play basis. Creating just a couple timely plays on defense, while not committing any turnovers on offense, could enable the Packers to come away with a win or two regardless of other potential shortcomings.