Best chance is to pressure Pack

In their attempt to beat the Packers in Green Bay for the first time since 1990, the 49ers might want to zero in on their opponent's one glaring weakness today at Lambeau Field: Sacks. Specifically, giving up sacks. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having a fine season in his second year as starter for the Packers, he does lead the league in a category in which he'd rather not be the league leader. He's been sacked 41 times in nine games for an aggregate loss of 236 yards. That puts him on pace to be dumped on the seat of his pants 72 times for a full season. That's an awful lot of angry defensive linemen and linebackers bent on doing him harm. "Nobody likes to take a sack," said outside linebacker Manny Lawson, who will be chasing Rodgers around today on the un-frozen tundra of Lambeau. "If he holds the ball a little long, he thinks he can make a play. We've got to be on our game. We can't just get to him. We have to get him down. Then we can breathe a little easier." Problem is, the 49ers are not one of the league's big-sacking teams. They have 17, tied for 23rd in the league. For sacks per passing play the 49ers are even worse at 29th. Their leading "sackmeister" is non-starting defensive end Ray McDonald, who has all of three. "Fans always understand sacks," Lawson said. "Quarterback pressures, quarterback hits, those are all things that help our defense out. It's all the same to us. We'd like to get the sack but if we can't get to him and force an incompletion or a pick, that's just as good." Rodgers was asked how he was doing physically after absorbing an average of 4 1/2 sacks a game since the start of the season. "I'm doing good," he said. "By this time of the season everybody has bumps and bruises. I've got a good massage therapist and a training staff that takes care of me." Sacks might be the one way the 49ers have of disrupting the Green Bay offense since Rodgers does a good job of taking care of the ball while the Packers as a team have the fewest turnovers in the league. Rodgers has thrown 296 passes this season, and only five have been intercepted. Add to that three fumbles lost in nine games and the Packers have only turned the ball over eight times this season, against 21 takeaways. Their plus-13 figure is No. 1 in the NFL. Then, too, Rodgers is No. 1 in the league in third-down passing and leads all NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 229 yards and three touchdowns. He averages 6.2 yards every time he saddles up and rides, making the former Cal star dangerous in every situation except when a defender traps him behind the line of scrimmage with the ball in his hands. "We want to get as much pressure on him as possible," defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. "Sometimes those are just as good as a sack." Given the condition of Green Bay's offensive line, pressure is the least the 49ers should expect today. Injuries have forced the Packers to start a different unit in almost every game this season. Left tackle Chad Clifton is playing on a bad knee and right tackle T.J. Lang is a rookie. "I know their offensive line is a little banged up," Lawson said. "If we do our job, we can get to him. Once the opportunity presents itself, capitalize on it." Sacking Rodgers might be the only opportunity the 49ers get to make life difficult for this otherwise rock-solid quarterback.