49ers at Packers
Believe it or not, the San Francisco 49ers are back in the NFC West race. If they want to win the division, veteran Brian Westbrook will have to lead the way.
The Niners breezed past the woeful Arizona Cardinals 27-6 on Monday night, but lost running back Frank Gore for the season in the process with a broken hip.
San Francisco (5-6) visits Green Bay (7-4) in a crucial NFC contest Sunday.
Westbrook, who had carried the ball just five times for nine yards coming into Monday night’s game, lugged it 23 times for 136 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals.
He’ll have to replace Gore who has been the focal point of the Niners’ offense for several years. Gore had entered Monday’s game second in the NFL with 1,253 yards from scrimmage, trailing only Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson.
He appeared to be headed for another big night. Gore took his first handoff 25 yards and had 52 yards on just five carries before crumpling to the turf untouched on the Niners’ second offensive series.
Westbrook is no stranger to playoff runs. The 31-year-old led the Philadelphia Eagles to five postseason berths in his eight seasons, but Philadelphia felt he had reached his end after numerous injuries, including two concussions in 2009.
While he looked fresh on Monday, the competition wasn’t stiff.
San Francisco, which was the preseason favorite to win the NFC West, has gotten back in the race by winning three of the last four outings. Troy Smith has gone 3-1 as a starter but has thrown for just three touchdowns in those games. His accuracy remains a question, evident by missing tight end Vernon Davis badly while wide open in end zone on Monday night.
Things will get tougher for Westbrook and company on Sunday. The Packers are actually on the outside of the playoff picture after Sunday’s loss at Atlanta. The Falcons, unbeatable at home, tipped Green Bay 20-17 with another fourth-quarter game-winning drive by Matt Ryan.
Green Bay got a game-tying drive from Aaron Rodgers, but its solid defense couldn’t stop Ryan. Green Bay is ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense and is seventh against the pass, but Ryan moved the Falcons down the field in the final minute to set up Matt Bryant’s game-winning field goal.
Rodgers was spectacular again in throwing for 344 yards but, in what has been a troubling sign for Green Bay, Rodgers led the team with 51 yards rushing on 12 carries. He is fifth in the league with 2,945 yards passing despite playing without tight end Jermichael Finley for most of the season.
Green Bay hopes to have Greg Jennings back on Sunday. Jennings is dealing with a foot injury that forced him to the sidelines for several plays against the Falcons. He is expected to play although he was limited in practice during the week. Linebacker Brandon Chillar is out with a shoulder injury.
The Packers trail Chicago by a game in the NFC Central and finish the season against the Bears at Lambeau Field.