The Good
The San Francisco 49ers defense came out hungry for a Green Bay Packers take down. Nick Bosa applied pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the right places at the right times. On the Packers first drive, Bosa recorded a batted pass, drew a 15-yard penalty and a notched a tackle for loss. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead recorded his first sack of the 2021 season in the second quarter. With a loss of eight yards, it helped slow Green Bay's momentum.
With just minutes left in the second quarter, Trenton Cannon had a breakout kick return run for 68 yards, giving hope to a scoreless 49ers offense. As Jimmy Garoppolo drove the ball closer to the end zone, rookie quarterback Trey Lance stepped in to take the 49ers home with a 1-yard touchdown to close out the half.
The Bad
As the 49ers offense struggled, San Francisco's defense attempted to clean up some of their mistakes. The Packers capitalized where San Francisco didn't, with a fast and accurate passing game from Rodgers. In his 200th game, Rodgers passed for 184 yards and 16 completions in the first half, leading the 49ers 17-7.
San Francisco lost key pieces of their secondary while already understaffed at cornerback. Nickel corner K'Waun Williams (calf) and Josh Norman (chest) did not return to the game. Emmanuel Moseley, Dontae Johnson and Deommodore Lenoir were the lone healthy corners in the contest.
The Ugly
The 49ers offense couldn't get much going in the first half. Garoppolo threw his first interception of the season on a pass intended for George Kittle. Fortunately for San Francisco, the turnover did not result in any points.
