What Did We Learn from the San Francisco 49ers-Green Bay Packers Game?

It’s important not to read too much into Week 1 results. Teams that are hungry for a win have had an entire offseason to scheme for the team they’re facing, while others are just shaking the rust off. However, there are important lessons that can be gleaned from the results.

The biggest game of the weekend was the San Francisco 49ers at the Green Bay Packers. Both were in the hunt for the Super Bowl last year and are expected to be in much the same position at the end of this season.

I was looking forward to this game because of its implications for the entire NFC. What did these two teams do (or not do) to improve? How did their new personnel perform? Here are a few of the things I took away from the game.

The Packers have zero running game

You’ve heard it a million times by now: the NFL has become a passing league. It’s quarterback-friendly, running backs are virtually irrelevant, etc. The oft-cited example is last year’s New York Giants team that won the Super Bowl with the worst rushing attack in the NFL. Perhaps no two teams exemplify this split in offensive philosophies better than the Packers and 49ers.

As a team in Sunday’s game, the 49ers carried the ball 35 times for 186 yards, producing a robust 5.8 yards per attempt. The Packers, meanwhile, rushed a mind-bogglingly low 14 times for 45 yards, producing a measly 3.2 yards per attempt.

When so much of a tight game is clock management, that massive disparity in rushing attempts can make all the difference. The 49ers possessed the ball for six more minutes than the Packers, a critical disruption to a Packers offense built on quick strikes and building a rhythm through short passes.

How did the new personnel perform?

The 49ers made two splashy offseason acquisitions in wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Moss had a productive game, catching four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown, while Manningham had a pedestrian four catches for 29 yards.

The Packers, meanwhile, signed Cedric Benson in an attempt to shore up their running game. It’s safe to say that the signing may have backfired: Benson rushed for 18 yards on nine carries.

Both teams returned their essential cores from last offseason, but the 49ers simply looked faster, more prepared and more physical. The Packers mostly addressed their defense in the offseason and ignored the most gaping hole in their offense: the running game.

The Giants proved that you don’t need a stellar running game to win, but you do need some semblance of one to keep defenses honest. Aaron Rodgers attempted 44 passes on Sunday. A quarterback can’t be expected to do that week in and week out and drag his team to victories (there are exceptions, like last year’s Lions team).

Outlook for both teams

Ultimately, I think the Packers will be fine. This was a brutal first test for their team. And while it doesn’t look good that they were beaten at home, they also won’t play a defense that talented again this season.

They looked like the epitome of a rusty team, and their passing game will eventually find its rhythm and thrive again. However, the 49ers exposed serious weaknesses in their fundamental makeup that will likely come back to haunt them in the playoffs. If your team can neither stop the run nor run the ball, it likely won’t go very far come December.

However, the 49ers look like the class of the NFC. They out-muscled the Packers in virtually every aspect of the game, and look like a hyper-realized version of last year’s ground-and-pound (and Packers) team.

The Packers’ biggest challenge for the rest of the season will be balancing their offense; the 49ers biggest challenge will be avoiding the injury bug, because they appear to be firing on all playoff cylinders already. 

Lucas McMillan writes for FootballSchedule.me. For the latest NFL & college football news, commentary and schedule information, visit FootballSchedule.me. Follow Football Schedule on Facebook and Twitter @FBSchedule.