49ers at Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers beat the 49ers 34-16 at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football. Rodgers finished 21-of-30 for 298 yards. James Starks ran for 73 in his NFL debut. Troy Smith threw for 194 yards and a touchdown to Vernon Davis but added an interception. Davis caught four for 126. The 49ers fell to 4-8 with the loss.[1][2][3]

Aaron Rodgers went 21-of-30 for 298 yards and three touchdowns Sunday night at Lambeau Field. The 49ers lost 34-16 in the kind of primetime road game where the home team's quarterback produced exactly the kind of December Sunday Night Football production the matchup advertised.

Vernon Davis caught a 39-yard touchdown from Troy Smith and finished with four for 126. Brian Westbrook ran for 25 in his first start as the lead back at Lambeau. Anthony Dixon added 33. The defense, which had been the strength of the team during the bye-week reset, could not get Rodgers off the field on the long drives that built the Packers' two-score lead by halftime. James Starks, the Packers' rookie running back making his NFL debut, ran for 73 on 18 carries and signaled the Green Bay run-game identity that would come into play later in the season.

4-8. The kind of Sunday-night road loss that does not change the conversation but does keep the season alive in the NFC West because the division remains the league's weakest. The Seattle Seahawks come to Candlestick next Sunday for the home rematch. The kind of revenge spot the season needs to produce.

Packers 34, 49ers 16. Margin: -18. Twelve-game record: 4-8, -56 differential.

* Aaron Rodgers: 21-of-30 for 298, 3 TDs, 0 INTs.
* Greg Jennings: receiving production with TD.
* James Starks: 18 carries for 73 (NFL debut).
* Troy Smith: 10-of-25 for 194, 1 TD (39y to Davis), 1 INT, 64.4 rating.
* Vernon Davis: 4 catches for 126, 1 TD.
* Brian Westbrook: 25 rushing on limited carries.
* Anthony Dixon: 33 rushing.
* 49ers 4-8; Packers 8-4.

A 34-16 Sunday Night Football road loss at Lambeau Field. The 49ers fall to 4-8.

How it unfolded

The Packers scored on their opening drive with a Rodgers touchdown to make it 7-0. The 49ers answered with a Joe Nedney field goal. Rodgers added a second touchdown drive to make it 14-3. The second quarter was a Vernon Davis 39-yard touchdown from Troy Smith to make it 14-10, then a Rodgers touchdown to push the lead to 21-10. The Packers added a field goal before halftime to make it 24-10. The third quarter was a Rodgers third TD that pushed it to 31-10. The 49ers added a field goal and a late touchdown to make it 34-16 final. Green Bay added a fourth-quarter field goal.

The turning point

The Rodgers second-quarter touchdown that pushed the lead from 14-10 to 21-10. With the 49ers' Vernon Davis 39-yard touchdown bringing the team within a score, the Packers' answering drive, finished with another Rodgers touchdown, effectively put the game out of reach against an offense that had not produced two-score comebacks all year.

By the numbers

Troy Smith 194 passing on 25 attempts with a TD and an INT. Davis 126 receiving on 4 catches with the 39-yard TD. Westbrook 25 rushing. Anthony Dixon 33 rushing. Rodgers 298 on 30 attempts with three TDs. Starks 73 rushing on 18 carries in his debut.

Personnel watch

James Starks's NFL debut, the kind of late-season Packers personnel move that would later define their Super Bowl run. Vernon Davis as the bright spot in the 49ers' loss. Brian Westbrook in his second start as the lead back. Troy Smith struggling on intermediate throws.

What it means

4-8 with the Seahawks at home in Week 14. The kind of road loss that confirms the talent gap between the 49ers and the conference's actual contenders, even if the NFC West still leaves a divisional path on paper. The schedule's hardest game is behind them; the next two games against Seattle and San Diego will decide whether the season's last two weeks have any meaning.