It's kinda funny to think about how much excitement there was heading into Week 12's Packers-49ers game. In theory, it makes sense: the two teams have a (weirdly?) strong rivalry, dating back decades at this point.
And even in more recent history, the 49ers have been about as big a thorn in the Packers' side as any team in football since Kyle Shannahan took over in San Francisco, and it certainly doesn't hurt the narrative that he's one of Matt LaFleur's closest friends.
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It looked like *the* game in an otherwise boring week. Yet, after four wildly uninteresting quarters of football, the Packers waltzed to a 28-point blowout win. People were quick to point out that the 49ers never had a chance after ruling out quarterback Brock Purdy and edge-rusher Nick Bosa earlier in the week, which is probably true to some degree.
But don't tell that to Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, who wasted absolutely no time whatsoever pushing back against that narrative after Green Bay's win on Sunday night.
Keisean Nixon isn't buying all the excuses about the 49ers this season
Keisean Nixon doesn't want to hear that the 49ers were banged up:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 25, 2024
"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."
It is the NFL! They didn't have their quarterback! That's all very true, so it's not like Nixon's wrong about anything here. Also, he won the game – this is just what you're allowed to do after winning.
Were the 49ers definitely in a much worse position without two of their best four players? Yeah. But you can hardly blame the Packers for not having that type of sympathy for another team (and one that just happens to keep beating them in the playoffs) after winning three games earlier this season with Malik Willis under center.
Some people may roll their eyes at this quote, but I'd argue this is exactly what this rivalry needed. Sunday's chapter was wholly uninteresting, which isn't a bad thing for Packers fans necessarily, but still – you like your rivalries to have a little juice.
Nixon added that juice, so he deserves a good bit of credit for keeping the heat high during an otherwise boring afternoon. No one ever feels bad for the 49ers, just like no one ever feels bad for the Packers. Fair play, Keisean Nixon.