Green Bay Packers Change Course vs. 49ers and Shut Down Kaepernick, Run Game

The fifth time was the charm for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers for the first time since December 5, 2010, breaking a four-game losing streak in the process. 

More important than the fact that the Packers defeated the 49ers, advancing to 4-0 on the season, is how they were able to do it. Namely, by they shut down everything that has plagued them in the recent winless matchups: Colin Kaepernick, the read option and the run game. 

Against a team like the 49ers, the best defense starts with a good offense.

Building a lead on San Francisco forces Kaepernick to pass from the pocket, which isn't his strength and takes away the dangerous elements of his game that Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his unit have found so hard to defend in the last few years. 

That's exactly what the Packers were able to do on Sunday, holding a 14-point lead for most of the matchup and eliciting some ugly play from Kaepernick.

	1st Three Starts	2015, Week 4
Pass Yds/Game	300.7	160
Rush Yds/Game	100.3	57
TDs/Game	2	0
INTs/Game	0.7	1

But while Aaron Rodgers—who was 22-of-32 for 224 yards and a touchdown—and his offense were a fundamental part of being able to change the 49ers' offensive game plan and eventually get the win, Green Bay's defense deserves serious credit after the quarter mark of the season. 

With four games under their belts, it's finally time to acknowledge that the Packers defense has made a vast improvement over last season. 

First, there was the pressure up front. The Packers sacked Kaepernick six times, with Jayrone Elliott, Mike Neal, Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Nick Perry all getting in on the action.

Perry, who is in effect in a contract year after the Packers elected not to pick up his fifth-year option this offseason, had two sacks. 

Green Bay's defense also had three passes defensed and seven quarterback hits. Kaepernick, who was only averaging 187 passing yards per game heading into this matchup, was held to just 160. 

A 40-yard connection with receiver Quinton Patton and big 47-yard completion to Torrey Smith in garbage time helped pad Kaepernick's average yards per attempt, with the final tally being 6.4.

However, no other receiver caught a pass from Kaepernick that was longer than 13 yards, despite the team playing from behind and airing the ball out for more than half the game. 

Because the 49ers were playing catch-up, they had to rely less on the run game, which ironically helped seal their fate. In his first three matchups with Green Bay, all of which the 49ers won, Kaepernick averaged 100.3 rushing yards per game, his legs being the element the Packers couldn't contain and the thread running through each game. 

On Sunday, Kaepernick rushed just 10 times for 57 total yards. 

It wasn't just Kaepernick who couldn't get anything going on the ground versus Green Bay. Carlos Hyde, who has been averaging 87.3 yards per game and coming into Week 4 was fourth among all running backs in total yards, had a mere 20 yards on eight carries against Green Bay's run defense. 

In fact, the 49ers as a team had just 77 yards on the ground. 

That unit continues to improve every week, from allowing Chicago's Matt Forte 141 rushing yards in Week 1, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch 41 yards in Week 2, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles 49 yards in Week 3 and, now, 20 for Hyde. 

Green Bay's signal-caller was certainly impressed with what he saw from the defense on Sunday. "An incredible effort from them," Aaron Rodgers told Erin Andrews on the Fox broadcast. 

Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette noted last week how much the Packers defense jumped in the rankings after Week 3:

It will likely make a similar jump following the conclusion of Monday night's game.

After giving up an average of 127.6 rushing yards per game prior to Week 4, Green Bay's run defense gave up just 77 on Sunday.

After allowing an average of 22.7 points per game in the first three weeks of the season, the Packers allowed just three against the 49ers. 

And, perhaps most convincingly, after surrendering an average of 350 total yards per game in Weeks 1-3, Green Bay held San Francisco to only 196.

The Packers are 4-0 after facing two quarterbacks who have given them trouble in recent seasons in Seattle's Russell Wilson and Kaepernick—and after playing what was thought to be a difficult stretch of their schedule. 

Now, they are set to face the St. Louis Rams and the San Diego Chargers before entering the Week 7 bye.  

Both of those teams won on Sunday, the Rams in a shocker over the Arizona Cardinals, but with the way the Packers have been playing through these first four games, can any upcoming opponent stop them?