The Packers know firsthand what the 49ers are going through.
It was a year ago today that Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone against the Vikings, sending Green Bay into new realms of total oblivion.
Three weeks removed from losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a season-ending ACL tear, the Niners (1-4) ride into Monday night minus their north star, leaving San Francisco fans with little to cling to in what amounts to a drifting campaign.
Feelings of aimlessness do not apply to Green Bay, a squad angling to author a win for just the second time in the past calendar month.
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New coordinator Mike Pettine has brought creative flair to help the Packers notch a respectable 16 sacks in five outings. The unit allowed just 145 total yards in a rugged 20-0 trouncing of the Bills two weeks ago, but that result was sandwiched in between two losses that saw Green Bay give up 31 points to the Redskins and Lions.
Bottom line: We'd think differently about this team's place in the NFC had linebacker Clay Matthews not been flagged on a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty that wiped out a game-altering interception in Green Bay's Week 2 tie with the Vikings.
As for your plans, we suggest you dial in some middle-tier Chinese takeout, pour some overly priced craft beer and carve out some "me time" this evening on the couch. Kill Monday with style.
Marc Sessler wrote: