Shorthanded 49ers buried by Packers in 38-10 loss

The San Francisco 49ers walked into Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sunday with a roster decimated by injuries, and what they were left to work with was not nearly enough to avoid stumbling into what would become their worst loss of the 2024 season.

On a day where they were without quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder), left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique), among others, the 49ers dug themselves into a 17-0 hole with poor defensive play in the first half before three second half turnovers sealed their fate in a 38-10 blowout loss to the Packers. The 49ers also committed nine penalties for 77 yards on the day, while being outgained on the ground 169 to 44.

Brandon Allen started at quarterback for the 49ers in place of Purdy and finished with 199 yards on 17-of-29 passing with one touchdown and one interception, while Jordan Love threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-23 passing for the Packers. Running back Josh Jacobs had a big day running the ball for the Packers with 26 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns.

First Half

The Packers began the game with possession and made an immediate statement with a 12-play, 67-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock and ended in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Love to tight end Tucker Kraft. The Packers got six carries for 39 yards from Jacobs on the drive along with 37 yards passing from Love, who connected with Kraft on a 2nd-and-7 play to give the Packers a 7-0 lead.

In contrast, things started ominously on offense for the 49ers, who after a 9-yard completion to tight end George Kittle at the start of their first possession moved backwards on a false start penalty on guard Dominick Puni and were eventually forced to punt following a third-down sack. The Packers then put together another steady drive that chewed up 47 more yards on the ground between Jacobs and running back Emanuel Wilson, but the 49ers were able to get off the field on third down and forced the Packers to settle for a 51-yard field goal from kicker Brandon McManus for a 10-0 late first quarter lead.

The 49ers were held to a three-and-out after the field goal, then the misery continued for the 49ers defense. The Packers followed the three-and-out with a 12-play, 71-yard drive that took almost seven minutes off the clock and finished with a one-yard run from Jacobs to open up a 17-0 lead. Much of the damage on this drive came through the air, in particular on three third-down completions for 54 yards to wide recceiver Romeo Doubs. The 49ers were also flagged for back-to-back penalties for 12 men on the field before Jacobs ended the drive with his fifth rushing touchdown of the season.

There was finally some momentum on offense for the 49ers on the next possession, which spanned 65 yards in 11 plays and ended in a three-yard touchdown pass to Kittle to cut the Packers' lead to 17-7. The 49ers overcame two third-down false starts on the drive (their third and fourth false start penalties of the first half) before Allen found Kittle in the back of the end zone on a 3rd-and-Goal, and Kittle delivered with a dazzling catch for his eighth touchdown of the season.

The Packers punted on their final possession of the half (and narrowly missed extending the lead on a dropped touchdown by wide receiver Christian Watson), then the 49ers took a knee to send the game to halftime. The damage was certainly done to the 49ers defense in the first half, however, with the Packers holding a yardage edge of 218 to 95 (125 on the ground to just three from the 49ers) with a 14 to 5 advantage in first downs. The 49ers missed 15 tackles in the first half, while racking up five penalties for 30 yards.

Second Half

What would have been a huge start to the second half for the 49ers was wiped out by a penalty, as an 87-yard kick return from Deebo Samuel was called back due to a holding call on tight end Eric Saubert. The 49ers then started their first possession of the second half on their own 21-yard line and moved across midfifeld to the Packers' 39-yard line, where they faced a 4th-and-2. The 49ers decided to go for the first down but fell short when a pass from Allen went high and off the hands of running back Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers held the Packers to a three-and-out from there, then took over at their own 10-yard line following a punt. They moved across midfield in four plays due in large part to a 31-yard reception from Kittle, but their momentum came to a halt when Allen was picked off by safety Xavier McKinney, who returned the ball to the 49ers' 26-yard line.

It didn't take long for the Packers to turn the interception into points. On a 3rd-and-2 from the 18-yard line, Love threw a pass into the end zone for Doubs, who drew a pass interference call on the play from cornerback Renardo Green. The penalty set the Packers up at the 1-yard line, and Jacobs followed with his second touchdown of the day to give the Packers a 24-10 lead.

Three consecutive punts followed Moody's field goal, then the door closed for the 49ers following their second turnover of the second half. The Packers took over at the 49ers' 15-yard line following a strip sack of Allen by defensive end Lukas Van Ness, then after a 14-yard completion to Kraft, Jacobs ran in from one yard out for his third touchdown of the day and a 31-10 lead.

Yet another turnover took place on the next possession for the 49ers when McCaffrey fumbled after a long run to the Packers' 44-yard line. The Packers then cashed in with a 10-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Malik Heath, which gave the Packers a 38-10 lead with just over four minutes to play.

The beatdown mercifully came to an end from there for the 49ers, who turned the ball over on downs on the next series before the Packers did the same. The 49ers then ran out the clock on their final possession.

The loss sent the 49ers at 5-6 for the season, while sending the Packers to 8-3. The 49ers currently sit in last place in the NFC West, one game back of the Seattle Seahawks (6-5) and Arizona Cardinals (6-5) and a half-game back of the Los Angeles Rams (5-5).

Game Notes: The Packers were listed as 6.5-point favorites coming into the game... The 49ers had a dismal first quarter defensively, giving up 126 yards (87 on the ground) while missing ten tackles... With the win, the Packers now lead the all-time series against the 49ers 39-34-1. The Packers hae now won three straight against the 49ers in the regular season, with the 49ers carrying a three-game winning streak against the Packers in the postseason... Next up for the 49ers will be a road game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. The game will air on NBC's Sunday Night Football with a kickoff time of 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT.