The 49ers and Packers will be squaring off in a couple days in a battle of two teams battling for a playoff spot.  The 49ers have a better shot than the Packers at winning their division, but it doesn't make this game any less important.  Acme Packing Company is the SB Nation Packers blog, and Brandon runs things over there.  Big thanks to Brandon for taking a few minutes to answer some of our questions.

Fooch: The Packers lead the league in sacks allowed.  Can you explain this problem and how (or even if) the Packers are working to solve it?

APC: The offensive tackles have been the problem. Veteran LT Chad Clifton has only played about half the snaps, and he's not as good as he was a couple years ago. Unfortunately his replacements, either LG Daryn Colledge has slid over or rookie OL T.J. Lang, have been beaten badly. Lang has shown some promise, and played well last week as the starting right tackle, which he may do again this week, but he's still playing like a rookie. RT Allen Barbre started the first 7 games, but he's currently buried deep on the bench. The Packers recently resigned veteran RT Mark Tauscher, who tore his ACL last December, but he reinjured that same knee. He could be back as soon as next week. Once Clifton is finally over the bad ankle that's been bothering him this season, and Tauscher returns, the pass protection should improve.

Fooch: The Packers are fourth in the league in defensive interceptions, thanks in large part to Charles Woodson and Al Harris.  Some folks have come over to NN and said Woodson would likely cover Vernon Davis.  Is that accurate, and if so, do you know the best ways for teams to beat the Packers secondary?

APC: Woodson doesn't play like a conventional corner. While Harris will always lineup opposite the outside receiver, Woodson is often in the slot. Against the Cowboys, Woodson lined up mostly against Jason Witten, and the Packers played a lot of nickel. But that alignment was unusual for them and probably designed specifically for Witten. I expect they'll cover Davis with a linebacker or safety. However their best LB in pass coverage is Brandon Chillar, who hasn't played at all the last two weeks due to a broken hand. He can play with a cast, and he was active last week, but they didn't use him.

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Through nine games the San Francisco 49ers have sacked quarterbacks a grand total of 17 times, good for seventh worst in the NFL.  That number doesn't reflect hurries and knock-downs, but most folks will agree the pass rush has been an issue at times for the 49ers.  On the other side of the ball, the Green Bay Packers have surrendered a league leading 41 sacks.  While again, that number does not reflect quarterbacks pressures and whatnot, it's safe to say the Packers pass protection is pretty awful.

Earlier today, ESPN's Mike Sando and Matt Williamson were discussing pass protection on both sides of the ball for this Sunday's matchup.  We've had plenty of discussion about the often lingering ineptitude of the 49ers offensive line, so let's focus this discussion on the 49ers occasionally struggling pass rush.

When asked how the Packers were attempting to decrease the pressure, he said:

They are starting to wise up a little bit by calling fewer 7- and 5-step drops. They are getting it out quicker and their wide receivers are very good after the catch, which is what they were two years ago. Last year, the Packers were very vertical and they cannot do that as much any more. They have everything but the protection.

A quick look at Aaron Rodgers game log shows a player who's only no-sack game was at Cleveland.  Even with that one goose-egg, Rodgers is still being sacked 4.5 times per game.  The 49ers are averaging just under two sacks a game.  So maybe this is the opposite of the irresistible force meets the immovable object?  Will the 49ers finally manage a consistent pass rush against the Packers?

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The 49ers head to the not so frozen tundra of Lambeau Field this weekend in a battle between two teams who are fast approach must-win territory.  Given that the Packers are at home this is probably "must-win" for them.  On the other side, the 49ers definitely need the win, but I don't think many people outside of Niners Nation would be shocked if they lost this game.  I wouldn't be shocked, but I'd like to think they have a better shot than most people are giving them.

The 49ers travel to Green Bay for the first time since 2003 to face the Packers in what will be the 60th meeting between the two teams, dating back to 1950. The Packers maintain a 32-26-1 edge over the 49ers. The last time the two teams squared off was in 2006 at Candlestick Park when the Packers defeated the 49ers 30-19.

The 49ers snapped a four-game losing streak last week with a 10-6 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. In that game, San Francisco’s defense recorded 5 interceptions while holding Chicago to 2.0 rushing yards per carry. RB Frank Gore recorded 104 rushing yards and one touchdown, marking the second time in his career that he has posted a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games.

The 49ers run defense enters this week’s game ranked 3rd in the NFL (87.7 ypg) and 1st in yards allowed per carry (3.3 ypc).

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More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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It's a short week, but we were able to get some questions answered by Adam from our Bears blog, Windy City Gridiron.  The Bears have had a very topsy-turvy season ever since making the big deal in getting QB Jay Cutler.  Many folks were expecting a solid season from the Bears, but it's been a mixed-bag so far.  They appeared to be a solid home team and poor road team, but that might have been flipped on its head after getting pounded by the Cardinals.  Let's hope it's not a complete reversal this week.  Thanks again to Adam for taking the time to answer some questions.

Fooch: Let's cut to the chase, the Bears have been incredibly inconsistent, but still find themselves only 1 game out of the wildcard spots.  Big picture the rest of the year, do you have any idea what to expect from this team?

WCG: The Bears are right slap in the middle of gut-check time.  Our GM Jerry Angelo hit a homerun in pulling off the trade for Jay Cutler, but failed miserably with the 3 free agent OLinemen he signed.  Frankly, our OL stinks.  On the defensive side of the ball, we brought in Rod Marinelli, who is well-known throughout the league as one of the best DL coaches, to help with our pass rush.  The Tampa-2 defense hinges directly on the pass rush, but the last 3 or 4 games, it has disappeared.  Big picture, for the rest of the year, we will continue to struggle on both sides of the ball if we can't figure out the OL and DL.

After the jump we get a few more questions answered...

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The 49ers host the Chicago Bears in the first Thursday game of the season on the NFL Network.  At some point today I'm hoping to hear from someone in the NFL's media department as to whether the game will be airing somewhere online.  NBC streams the Sunday Night Football game, so I'd certainly hope the NFL Network would do something similar.  We'll see.  Either way, the 49ers face a quick turnaround and will hopefully get their act together sooner rather than later.

The 49ers host the Chicago Bears in what will be the 62nd meeting between the two teams, dating back to 1950. The last time San Francisco played the Bears at home was in 2003, when they defeated Chicago, 49-7, at Candlestick Park. The 49ers have a 6-1-1 record when playing on Thursdays, having last defeated the Seahawks, 24-14, at Seattle
(12/14/06).

The 49ers look to snap a four-game losing streak after falling to the Tennessee Titans, 34-27, last week. In that game, TE Vernon Davis recorded career-highs with 10 receptions and 102 yards, while QB Alex Smith completed a career-high 29 passes on 45 attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns. However, four costly turnovers (3 INTs and
1 fumble) by San Francisco proved to be the difference as the Titans scored 24 of their points following takeaways.

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Thus far this week we've discussed plenty about what the Tennessee Titans bring to the table on offense.  Their primary weapon is Chris Johnson and most of us probably agree that he is the key player to stop tomorrow.  And of course there is plenty of discussion about Vince Young and what he might or might not bring to the table.  But what about the Titans defense against the 49ers offense?  The 49ers defense has scored some points, but the offense is likely going to need to get some points on the board if this team is going to win.

The title is probably one that can be used each week for most of the rest of the year.  Whether you are strongly behind Alex Smith or not, everyone will agree that the offensive line needs to step up for anything to develop on offense.  If Frank Gore is going to make plays, he needs to get some holes to burst through.  if Alex Smith is going to make plays, he needs time to progress through his reads.  Simply put, the offensive line is once again the key.

The line has been riddled with injuries, so it's probably a lot to expect a fantastic performance.  However, they could still put together a mediocre performance and the team still wins.  The Titans defense has a lot of question marks, particularly in a rather young secondary.  This could be a legit chance for Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree to both take advantage.

Of course, Smith will need more than a second or two to make things happen.  The Titans have some guys who can get to the quarterback, but like the 49ers they haven't been able to be all that consistent.  They have one fewer sack than the 49ers, but I'd love some more insight on general pass rush.  After all, a lack of sacks doesn't automatically mean no pass rush.  For example, the 49ers have had games with limited sacks, but they've still managed to keep the quarterback running.

A quick look at DVOA (speaking of which, Florida Danny is dealing with some important stuff this week and will not be posting his rankings) indicates the Titans are 28th overall, 28th against the pass, and 14th against the run.  On the same page it ranks a team's defense against various receivers (1st, 2nd, Other WR, TE, RB) and the Titans rank, in order, 28th, 18th, 30th, 26th, and 6th.

Needless to say, those rankings against receivers and tight ends has to be rather enticing.  So, will Alex Smith get enough time to make plays tomorrow?  Even if he has enough time, will the team utilize enough of a vertical game for it to make a difference?  I guess I'm asking for general predictions about what kind of scheme we'll see from the offense tomorrow.

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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As always, there is plenty of value to be had in hearing about the 49ers upcoming opponent straight from the horses mouth.  Jimmy over at Music City Miracles, was kind enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions I had of him.  I also answered five questions for him and if you feel like offering your own take on his questions, head on over.

Fooch: Can you nail down what caused the Titans early season losing streak, or was it a combination of factors?

MCM: It  has been a combination of a lot of things.  It starts on the defensive side of the ball.  New defensive Chuck Cecil seemed to be having trouble making the in game adjustments that needed to be made early on.  The secondary wasn't playing well and then they got banged up.

On offense Kerry Collins seemed to regress from last season.  The receivers couldn't catch when he was actually on the mark, and the offensive line wasn't playing as well as they did last season.

On special teams the Titans didn't have anyone that could catch a punt or return a kickoff.  So you can see that it was a combination of a lot of things working against them.

We continue with a few more questions after the jump...

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More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

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I'd be intrigued to hear what others have to say, but I'm of the impression that the most important thing the 49ers need to accomplish this weekend is shutting down, or at least containing Titans running back Chris Johnson.  If the 49ers can contain Johnson, the Titans will need to have Vince Young making plays.  Of course maybe that makes Vinsanity the ultimate x-factor in this game.  For now though, let's focus on Johnson.

Chris Johnson has obliterated any possibility of a sophomore slump as he is on pace to easily surpass his very impressive rookie season.  Johnson currently leads the NFL with 824 yards, averaging a robust 6.9 yards per carry, and also leading the NFL with ten rushes of 20+ yards.  Needless to say, Chris Johnson is rushing with a lot of confidence and is taking aim at 2,000 rushing yards.  So there you have an irresistible force.

On the other side of the field, the 49ers roll out a rushing defense that leads the league in yards per carry allowed at 3.2.  Often times this can be due to an abysmal pass defense.  The 49ers pass defense has issues, but it's certainly not abysmal.  Football Outsiders updated their unit rankings (Florida Danny will have more on that this week) and at this point, the 49ers rank third against the rush and 11th against the pass in terms of DVOA.  So while the 49ers defense might not be #1 like Chris Johnson is #1, it is certainly turning into the proverbial immovable object.

So, as the classic question asks, what happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object?  Vince Young or Alex Smith could certainly go wild and be the difference-maker in this matchup.  But I actually think this game comes down to who can win the matchup of Chris Johnson vs. 49ers rushing defense.

In looking at the matchup, it's certainly hard to bet against a guy like Johnson.  I certainly don't doubt Chris Johnson's ability, but I also think some of his numbers can be questioned at least a little bit.  For example, this past week he put up 228 yards...against the Jaguars.  It's a great number, but it must be put in context.  The two previous games he put up 128 yards in a 59-0 loss to the Patriots, and 34 yards in a 31-9 home loss to the Colts.  The Patriots number is probably the most misleading given that it was 45-0 at the half.  One might be able to infer that the Patriots were not exactly playing the toughest rush defense.  I could be wrong, but when you lose by that matchup, I'm less inclined to be impressed by the numbers.

After the jump we look at the 49ers rush defense against quality running backs...

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