The San Francisco 49ers are ravaged by injury – especially on the offensive side of the ball but also on defense – entering Thursday night’s showdown with the Green Bay Packers.
Just how different will the 49ers look this week compared to January’s NFC title game?
Consider these two tweets on the 49ers offense:
Now that Kendrick Bourne is out the 49ers will not have a single offensive player who touched the ball in the NFC Championship Game on the field tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/jIiOxoOQdH
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) November 4, 2020
#49ers offensive starters from NFC Championship Game in January vs. #Packers available to play Thursday night vs. Packers:
FB Kyle Juszczyk
LG Laken Tomlinson
RT Mike McGlinchey— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) November 4, 2020
The 49ers won’t have Jimmy Garoppolo (injured), Raheem Mostert (injured), Deebo Samuel (injured), Tevin Coleman (injured), Matt Breida (traded), George Kittle (injured), Kendrick Bourne (COVID-19 reserve) and Emmanuel Sanders (signed with Saints), eliminating all eight players who touched the football and created 354 total yards (and 285 rushing yards) during San Francisco’s 37-20 win in the NFC title game.
And of the 49ers’ 11 offensive starters from that game, only three will be available on Thursday night.
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens will lead a mostly reserve group of offensive players, especially at the skill positions.
Maybe, just maybe, Mike Pettine’s defense will have a chance to survive at Levi’s Stadium after getting blown out of the water in both contests last year.
On defense, the 49ers won’t have linebacker Kwon Alexander (traded), edge rusher Nick Bosa (injured), interior defensive lineman DeForest Buckner (traded), cornerback Richard Sherman (injured), defensive lineman Soloman Thomas (injured) and cornerback K’Waun Williams (injured).
That’s a lot of talent missing for a group that terrorized Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense last season.
Of course, it’s possible Matt LaFleur’s team will also be shorthanded on Thursday. Left tackle David Bakhtiari, running back Aaron Jones, cornerback Kevin King and right tackle Rick Wagner are all dealing with injuries, and running backs A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin are on the COVID-19 reserve list.
Still, the 49ers team on the field Thursday night won’t even resemble the one that beat the Packers twice in Santa Clara last season.
