The San Francisco 49ers entered Sunday's game at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers at a clear disadvantage. They were without starting quarterback Brock Purdy and key stars like tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa.
The lengthy injury list likely influenced the game's outcome—a decisive 38-10 Packers victory. However, Green Bay players were quick to dismiss any talk of excuses, celebrating their revenge for last season's playoff defeat to the 49ers.
"It's the NFL. It's not an excuse," Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon said after the game. "We didn't have our quarterback. We won three games, so we don't wanna hear that. We came to play. They should've came to play."
Keisean Nixon doesn't want to hear that the 49ers were banged up:
"It's the NFL. It's not an excuse. We didn't have our quarterback. We won three games, so we don't wanna hear that. We came to play. They should've came to play."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 25, 2024
Nixon is referencing Packers quarterback Jordan Love's MCL sprain suffered in Week 1, which sidelined him for the next two games. Green Bay managed to go 2-1 during that stretch (not 3-0, as Nixon stated), showing resilience despite their own setbacks.
Love echoed his teammate's sentiment, showing little sympathy for the 49ers' challenges.
"It's the NFL. They've got other good players," the quarterback stated. "We've had injuries, guys are banged up. You gotta find a way to win, no matter who's out there. It's tough for them, but we will take the win."
The 49ers started Brandon Allen under center. While Allen is a veteran with starting experience, Sunday marked his first start since 2021 and his first with San Francisco.
"I'm really not concerned right now about how many guys we missed today," head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked about the impact of his team's injuries. "We didn't play good enough, so that's not a factor. But when you are missing some guys, you do have to be better. And when you have those penalties, when we didn't stop the run like we did, and having those three turnovers in the second half, that's how you get embarrassed."
San Francisco hopes to have Purdy back for next weekend's game against the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback's status remains uncertain, though there is optimism within the organization that he might play. The team plans to evaluate his injured shoulder on Monday.
For the Packers, Sunday's win carried extra significance after last season's playoff defeat at the hands of the 49ers.
"It's huge. We talked about it all week," Love said. "Just the fact that they knocked us out, and the last time we played them, we lost. So we knew it was gonna be a four-quarter fight, and obviously, them not having guys out there is tough for them, but it feels good to be able to go out there and have a win like this. We're gonna move past it now, but definitely it feels good."