Saturday night's whipping in San Francisco was a step back for virtually every phase of the Packers. The offense was abysmal, the defense got gashed for a big play after a miscommunication and the special teams allowed a return for a touchdown. Other than that, things went pretty well.

Aaron Rodgers had a couple of passes dropped and didn't have much protection, but he also held the ball too long and looked indecisive. He was so crisp against Cincinnati and yet totally out of rhythm against the 49ers. Let's be clear about this: no one, absolutely no one, can be sure that Rodgers will succeed. I'm pulling for him but he's got a big job in front of him. Patience will not be in the vocabulary of fans this season. Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will be praying that Rodgers won't have many games like he did against San Francisco. I also think the Packers need to acquire a veteran quarterback as an insurance policy. If Rodgers is going to get sacked often, he's going to get hurt. Neither rookie behind him looks anywhere close to being ready for a regular season game.

I must admit that I was puzzled by the lack of running game early, but Rodgers apparently audibled out of some running plays. Ryan Grant is needed and soon. The Packers defense has designs on becoming a dominant unit but showed few signs of that Saturday. The special teams is always makeshift in the early stages of preseason so the return against them wasn't a shock. On the positive side, Jordy Nelson flashed outstanding return potential and Jon Ryan bounced back at punter.

In the end, the 49ers game won't mean much if the Packers turn around and play well Friday night in Denver. This is a big week in Green Bay. Another sloppy performance will mean a rush for the panic buttons.