Green Bay Packers Have Chance to Put Run Defense on Map vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Green Bay Packers haven't beaten the San Francisco 49ers since December 5, 2010, since which date they have played, and lost, four straight games. 

Now, as the 3-0 Packers travel to San Francisco to face the 1-2 49ers, it would appear Green Bay finally has the chance to break that pattern, but it all starts with the run defense. 

It would be an oversimplification to say that the 49ers owe their last four victories over the Packers to the strength of their run game and, particularly, the read-option, but it's certainly a consistent factor.

Even in the most distant loss, the 2012 season opener in which Alex Smith was still starting for the 49ers and running decidedly less read-option than his successor Colin Kaepernick would, San Francisco still gashed Green Bay for 186 yards on the ground. 

The fact that Frank Gore—who ran for 66, 44, 119 and 112 yards in the last four meetings with the Packers—has since departed makes little difference. Carlos Hyde, one of the few bright spots on the 49ers team this season, has rushed for 262 yards on the season already in 2015, and you'd better believe that San Francisco is going to throw him at Green Bay. 

But just as this is a very different San Francisco team the Packers will face, so too has the Packers run defense changed. Though you wouldn't think so to glance casually at the rankings, where the Packers currently sit at No. 27 in the league against the run, having allowed 383 total yards, the Packers run defense is becoming better and better by the week.

Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette shared how much the defense jumped in the rankings after Week 3 alone:

If Green Bay can limit Hyde and Kaepernick—who himself has rushed for 314 yards in the teams' last four meetings—its run defense might even be on the verge of being called legitimate. 

The Packers' rushing defense average is skewed heavily by its Week 1 showing against the Chicago Bears, during which Matt Forte was able to rush for 141 yards against the Packers. 

But over the last two weeks, Green Bay has gone on to limit Seattle Seahawks rusher Marshawn Lynch to 41 yards and Kansas City Chiefs halfback Jamaal Charles to 49. Though Charles was able to score three touchdowns by the end of the game, two came in garbage time while the Packers held a significant lead.

While taking their foot off the gas could and has proven deadly against teams with strong rushing attacks and mobile quarterbacks, it didn't affect the final outcome against Kansas City. 

While Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was still able to find some success against the Packers using the read-option, rushing for 78 yards, it wasn't enough to take control of the game. 

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Green Bay owes much of its improvement against the run this season to improved execution by multiple players, but particularly Clay Matthews, playing inside, and nose tackle B.J. Raji.

Matthews is ranked as the seventh-best inside linebacker in the league against the run by Pro Football Focus. Raji had two stuffs against the Seahawks. 

In Week 4 against the 49ers, the Packers run defense will also get a boost with the return of defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who was serving a three-game suspension. 

The defense this season appears to be motivated and energized, contrasting perhaps from recent seasons in which the unit could sometimes appear listless or, worse, simply confused about assignments. 

"We prepare very well, and that just brings about confidence, and when you're confident you can bring a little something extra to the table, and that's where the energy comes from," defensive lineman Mike Daniels said after the matchup with the Chiefs, per Mike Spofford of Packers.com.

"We’re moving in the right direction, and this is the most energetic I’ve seen the defense. It’s an everyday thing."

As for the 49ers, while it would be unwise to underestimate any opponent, especially one that the Packers haven't been able to beat in three seasons, their zone-based ground attack should be easy for the Packers to both prepare for and defend. 

Kaepernick's development has been static, and he turned in one of his worst performances to date against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, with four interceptions and just 67 passing yards and 46 rushing yards. 

In fact, Kaepernick hasn't rushed for more than 55 yards in any game this season, a far cry from when he was gashing the Packers for 181 yards in 2013. 

This matchup will feature a 49ers team with an offense that has stood pat, if not declined, and a much worse defense than in recent matchups against the Packers, against a Green Bay team operating on a much higher level defensively than it has in the last four games. 

And if the Packers can hold both Hyde and Kaepernick to fewer than 100 yards, it might finally be time to give their run defense respect.