Packers: What a difference a week makes! After week one when Jameis Winston and the Saints routed Green Bay in Jacksonville, many people thought the Pack were finished. There were whispers that perhaps Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t try hard this season due to his dissatisfaction with how the front office handled his request to have more control over organizational decisions. Rodgers put those rumors to rest with a dominant four touchdown effort against the Lions, as Green Bay got back on track with a comfortable win after falling behind early in the game. The defense also did its part by pitching a second half shutout. The more Green Bay keeps winning, the more the offseason drama will fade as they attempt to make it further than they did last year by punching their ticket to the Super Bowl. After splitting their first two contests, they’ll have a tough test against a San Francisco 49ers team that they beat in 2020 (while they were injured) but were blown out by twice the year before (when they were fully healthy).

49ers: After two close road wins back East, the 49ers return to Levi’s Stadium for their home opener under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. Through just two games, San Francisco has already shown it can win in multiple ways. First, there was the 41 point barrage by the offense in Detroit, in which both quarterbacks on the roster threw a touchdown pass and a sixth round rookie rushed for over 100 yards. Then, there was the defensive clinic in Philadelphia last Sunday, as Jalen Hurts and the Eagles managed just a field goal over the first 56 minutes and suffered from a blocked field goal attempt along with a failed Philly Special on fourth and goal. Health is going to be a big factor for the team this year, as the 2020 squad was doomed by injuries to several key players. Fortunately, both quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and defensive end Nick Bosa look to be back to their pre injury selves. Unfortunately, 2021 has already brought a new wave of injuries, as running back Raheem Mostert and cornerback Jason Verrett are both out for the season while linebacker Dre Greenlaw will miss at least eight weeks.

Packers X-Factor: Adrian Amos: The veteran safety has registered sixteen combined tackles so far this season, which leads the team. The defense views him as a leader, as he was named team captain for the first time in his career this season. Amos will see plenty of All-Pro tight end George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, the league’s leading receiver. Shutting them down will be critical for the Green Bay defense.

49ers X-Factor: Deommodore Lenoir: The Fifth-Round rookie corner from Oregon has made quite the impression so far, becoming a starter and allowing just one catch for three yards against the Lions. With the injuries in San Francisco’s secondary, he will be heavily trusted to neutralize one of the best receivers in the game in Green Bay’s Devante Adams.

Final Thoughts: When these teams met with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, San Francisco bullied Green Bay in the trenches and won the game by running the ball heavily as Raheem Mostert had over 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns. They may not be able to do that this week, with Mostert himself sitting on IR and JaMycal Hasty injured as well, plus Elijah Mitchell is also hurt. Tonight, Trey Sermon will start at running back. The Niners may need to get creative and throw in some jet sweeps to Deebo Samuel and first rounder Brandon Aiyuk, who’s been held to a single catch for six yards after being the darling of the offense a year ago. Of course, they also have Trey Lance available who can come off the bench and run some option plays. For Green Bay, they will need a big game from Mr. MVP himself, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is 5-3 in the regular season against his childhood team with a passer rating of 106.9, although he has never beaten them in the playoffs in three tries. He will need to distribute the ball to the talented playmakers on the team such as Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling; in week two Davante Adams and Aaron Jones accounted for 14 of the team’s 22 receptions. The Packers also need to avoid falling into an early hole like they did against the Lions; unlike Detroit, San Francisco has the firepower on offense to pull away early and never look back. This should be a fun battle with both teams looking for an early statement win in the grueling NFC playoff race.

Prediction: 49ers 27, Packers 24