Aaron Rodgers passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers romped to a convincing 34-17 victory over a banged-up San Francisco 49ers outfit on Thursday night.
Packers receiver Davante Adams, who missed time earlier in the season to injury, had 10 catches for 173 yards and one TD; Adams now has a massive 420 yards and six scores in his Green Bay's last three games. The Packers move to 6-2 on the season, sitting in first place in the NFC North.
- Packers stats: Aaron Rodgers, 25/31, 305 yards, 4 TDs
- Rushing leader: Aaron Jones, 15 carries, 58 yards
- Receiving leader: Davante Adams, 10 catches, 173 yards, 1 TD
Marquez Valdes-Scantling also stepped up, catching two of Rodgers' touchdown passes, while veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis also found the endzone for the Packers, who put up 405 total yards of offence. Green Bay running back Aaron Jones returned from a calf injury and had 79 yards from scrimmage - 58 rushing, 21 receiving.
San Francisco quarterback Nick Mullens, standing in for regular starter Jimmy Garoppolo, completed 22 of 35 passes, for 291 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble as the injury-depleted 49ers (4-5) dropped their second-straight game.
- 49ers stats: Nick Mullens, 22/35, 291 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing leader: Jerick McKinnon, 12 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving leader: Richie James, nine catches, 184 yards, 1 TD
Richie James caught a touchdown pass and established career highs of nine receptions and 184 yards for San Francisco, but 149 yards of the team's 337 yards came in the final quarter after the game was already gone.
The Packers were quick out of the blocks in the game, driving 75 yards down the field on six plays, ending with Adams making a stellar 36-yard scoring grab just inside the left sideline of the endzone.
Robbie Gould booted a 22-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in the first quarter to get the 49ers on the board, but Lewis caught a one-yard TD off the back of Mullens' interception, and then Valdes-Scantling hauled in the first of his two scoring receptions - a 52-yard deep ball - to stretch the Packers' lead at half time.
Rodgers teamed up with Valdes-Scantling after the break to make it 28-3 midway through the third quarter, while Mullens and the 49ers continued to misfire, as he fumbled the football and then they turned it over on downs on their next two possessions. Mason Crosby tacked on field goals of 19 and 53 yards for Green Bay.
Mullens did find a wide-open James for a 41-yard TD with five minutes to play, and Jerick McKinnon scored on a one-yard run in the dying seconds of the defeat for the 49ers.
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