San Francisco 49ers: 3 Big takeaways from loss vs. Packers in Week 6

Ward injury leads to defensive collapse

After giving up 17 points in an ominous first quarter, the Niners defense settled down and played almost three full quarters of excellent football.

San Francisco got consistent pressure on Rodgers, hitting him seven times and logging three sacks of the Green Bay signal-caller as DeForest Buckner and Ronald Blair performed brilliantly up front, while the secondary largely did a nice job in coverage against a banged-up Packers wide receiver corps.

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The turning point that saw them collapse at the last may have gone unnoticed by many. Cornerback Jimmie Ward covered Adams very well for the majority of the game, but was lost to a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter. Greg Mabin was his replacement and gave up the game-tying touchdown, and was then picked on by Rodgers after the key penalty, giving up three catches to help set up Crosby for the chip shot decisive three-pointer.

Time and again in the second half the 49ers defense stepped up to stymie Rodgers in the second half. It wasn’t until Ward, a much-maligned former first-round pick, was forced off that he was able to rediscover his magic and hand a defense that deserved victory a heartbreaking loss.

Goodwin, ground game fuel offense

Beathard’s performance, in which he was poised in the pocket and was able to escape pressure when it came, is worthy of great praise.

Yet it may not have been as impressive had the 49ers not had Marquise Goodwin, whose return from injury gave the offense the spark it lacked in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. Goodwin had 126 yards on four catches and caught two touchdowns, one a perfectly thrown 67-yard bomb from Beathard and the other a 30-yard connection on which he beat Tramon Williams by faking to the post and then running the corner route.

Goodwin is not only the fastest player on the team, but also the Niners best route-runner. He provided San Francisco with a game-breaking element that was sorely missed in weeks gone by, but what allowed the 49ers to dictate the game was the ground attack.

Matt Breida battled through an ankle injury to run for 61 yards and a touchdown while Raheem Mostert had a career-high 87 yards on 12 carries as an offensive line that is one of the best run-blocking units in football dominated the Packers defensive line.

In a season that will likely bring more frustration, there are still reasons for the 49ers to feel positive. An offensive line that can help them control games is one and will likely play a significant role in what the Niners hope will be a playoff campaign in 2019 when Garoppolo returns.