Things are pretty good in Green Bay right now.
Victory Mondays always hit different, but this one is especially sweet. You'd think beating the Bears 11 times in a row would eventually lose its luster, but turns out, it super doesn't? And is equally wonderful every single time? Who would have thought. It's a little depressing to be 7-3 and still somehow third in the division, but that's we'll cross that bridge when we get there.
For now, the vibes are great. It's a nice place to be heading into yet another huge matchup this weekend, this time back in Green Bay against a *very* desperate 49ers team who are somehow only one game out of first in the NFC West and also dead last in the NFC West.
SF's schedule is brutal – they still have road games against the Bills and Dolphins, along with a penultimate regular season matchup against the Lions – so the Packers have a good opportunity to more-or-less destroy their playoff hopes with a win this weekend.
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The Packers may get the chance to do that without having to deal with one of, if not the best player on the 49ers. Edge-rusher Nick Bosa, who's been dealing with oblique injuries for a lot of the year, didn't sound particularly optimistic about his health after the Niners' Week 11 loss to the Seahawks. Bosa left the game with an injured oblique during the fourth quarter and didn't return, watching the final plays from the sideline.
Nick Bosa casts doubt on his ability to play in 49ers' Week 12 game vs. Packers
“I pushed through last week. And now the same thing happened to my other oblique.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 18, 2024
Nick Bosa on both obliques being injured now pic.twitter.com/0zD2nkrJiT
"Not great," he said when asked how he came out of the game feeling physically. "That's why I had to stop playing. I guess I was compensating. I pushed through last week, and now the same thing happened to my other oblique, so we'll see what I'm feeling like tomorrow."
Through 11 weeks, Bosa's continued to play like one of the best pass-rushers in football. Through 10 starts this season, he has seven sacks, 17 QB hits, and 10 tackles for a loss. If the season ended today, he'd finish with his third-straight season with a Pro Football Focus grade above 90, and is currently ranked fifth out of 111 eligible pass-rushers on the site.
He's basically the only Niners defensive lineman that's played well this season (I could hear an argument for Sam Okuayinonu though), so having him sit out this weekend would obviously play a major part in how this weekend's game goes.