Thursday Night Football open thread: Packers at 49ers

Positional depth is critical to the success of an NFL team, and the depth of both teams will be put to the test tonight on Thursday Night Football.

The Green Bay Packers had a stunning 20 players on the injury report this week. Many of them are slated to play tonight, but perhaps the biggest name to watch is Aaron Jones. He is coming off a calf injury, and his backups are both out due to COVID testing. The likes of Tyler Ervin or Dexter Williams could have expanded roles. Davante Adams had just 53 receiving yards last week, but he added three touchdowns and figures to be Aaron Rodgers’ go-to guy as always.

The San Francisco 49ers are going to be without Jimmy Garoppolo and star tight end George Kittle, adding the woes already facing a beat-up team. Tevin Coleman is out, and coupled with Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson on the Injured Reserve, the previously dominant run game is up in the air. A position with equally shallow depth is at wide receiver. Richie James and Trent Taylor are the only receivers on the active roster, with Kevin White and River Cracraft being promoted temporarily from the practice squad. Nick Mullens will have his work cut out for him.

Here’s how to watch:

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2020
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium - Santa Clara, CA
TV: FOX, NFL Network
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews & Kristina Pink
Online Stream/Replay: Twitch, NFL Gamepass