It’s a hot potato for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brandon Allen (17) who fumbles the ball against the Green Bay Packers at frigid Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sun Nov 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco 49ers (5-6) played a very important game on Sunday taking on the Green Bay Packers (8-3) losing 38-10 in a blowout. After a tough loss last week to the Seattle Seahawks 20-17 they were looking to get back on track but it went sideways from the start of the game falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter.

The team had to play without quarterback Brock Purdy due to a shoulder injury which was a huge blow for the team. Brandon Allen who stepped in for Purdy finished with 17 of 29, one touchdown and one interception.

Christian McCaffrey rushed for only 31 yards and had 37 receiving yards. It has been said that the season really gets going in earnest in week 11 and so the loss last week and now today’s loss in week 12 was a real disappointment especially since they face the 9-2 Buffalo Bills next week.

The game was playing pretty close in the first half of the opening quarter. Mid-way through the first quarter, the Packers scored the first touchdown of the game taking the early 7-0 lead. Jordan Love connected with Tucker Kraft for 11 yards and the Pack was off and running. They extended their lead to 10-0 with 11 seconds left in the first quarter; a 51 yard Brandon McManus Field Goal.

Both teams scored a touchdown in the second quarter. At 6:33 in the quarter Josh Jacobs rushed for one yard and Green Bay had a 17-0 lead threatening to bust this game wide open. San Francisco fought back and finally got up on the scoreboard with 1:02 left in the first half. Brandon Allen connected with George Kittle for three yards and the score at the half was 17-7 in favor of the Packers.

The 49ers were only able to score three points in the entire second half. Jake Moody kicked a 48 yard field goal but that would be it for San Francisco. Jacobs scored his second rushing touchdown of the day punching it in for one yard and a 24-10 Packer lead. After three, Green Bay was leading by the score of 24-10.

A turning point for San Francisco in the second half could have come down to the 87-yard kickoff return by Deebo Samuel which was called back when Eric Saubert was called for holding. The 49ers had wasted a first-and-goal. It all seemed to go downhill from that point on.

The Packers had a productive fourth quarter with Jacobs scoring his third touchdown of the day, another one for one yard and a 31-10 lead. These three touchdowns would match a career high for Jacobs. They would cap this game off with 4:14 left in the game.

Love connected with Malik Heath for three yards and an insurmountable 38-10 lead. A very poor defensive effort from San Francisco was certainly a big part of the final score.

Allen finished the day going 17-29, with one touchdown, two fumbles and one interception. It was a very disappointing day for McCaffrey who rushed for only 31 yards and 37 receiving yards. George Kittle finished with 82 receiving yards and scored the only San Francisco touchdown of the day.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon the 49ers traveled to Green Bay to take on the Packers at frigid Lambeau Field braving the 42 degree temperature with freezing rains at the game. San Francisco is currently in second place in a tight race with the Rams.

The Phoenix Cardinals were holding down first place with a 6-5 record but fell to the Seattle Seahawks Sunday and so first place is knotted at 6-5 apiece. The bottom line is that the 49ers lost Sunday’s game in this tight NFC West.

This weekend is week 12 and would have been the time for San Francisco to turn things around after some tough losses. This was a tough game for the team losing quarterback Brock Purdy to a shoulder injury which is serious enough to keep him out of this game.

There is the hope that he will be able to bounce back in next week’s game against the Buffalo Bills in week 13. A further blow will be the absence of Nick Bosa and Trent Williams. Sunday’s game was a challenge for San Francisco and the loss was a turning point of their season. For sure it was a huge impact.

Next week the 49ers will face another huge challenge facing Josh Allen and the 9-2 Buffalo Bills. They will also be on the road for this game and the team will need Brock Purdy back at the helm. The status of Purdy, Bosa and WIlliams will be updated in the coming week. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for next Sunday night at 5:20 PM.