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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The undefeated Green Bay Packers are far more than a one-man team. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 224 yards and one score, but Green Bay's defense turned in a dominant performance, leading the Packers to a 17-3 victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium.
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Green Bay (4-0), coming off a seven-sack game Monday night against Kansas City, sacked 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick six times and held San Francisco's offense to 196 net yards.
Packers linebacker Nick Perry had two sacks, while linebackers Clay Matthews, Jayrone Elliott, Julius Peppers and Mike Neal each had one at Levi's, which will host Super Bowl 50 this season.
"They always say defenses win championships," Perry said. "As long as we're all playing on all cylinders, we can't be beat. We're going to take it one game at a time and focus on our next opponent and we'll get there."
The 49ers (1-3) lost their third straight game, having been outscored 107-28 during that stretch.
"I think we just have to keep growing as a group," 49ers fullback Bruce Miller said. "We have a lot of new faces. We've got new guys in there and we're trying to build chemistry. We're still learning."
The Packers (4-0) had lost four straight games to San Francisco, including playoff defeats in the 2012 and 2013 seasons in which they had no answer for Kaepernick.
Rodgers completed 22 of 32 passes with no interceptions. Wide receiver James Jones caught five passes for 98 yards, and running back Eddie Lacy carried 18 times for 90 yards.
"It was a grind out there," said Rodgers, who was sacked three times. "We had a good first drive and we kind of stalled for a little while. Defense played incredible. I thought we ran the ball pretty well."
Kaepernick completed 13 of 25 passes for 160 yards and one interception. Running back Carlos Hyde gained just 20 yards on eight carries. Wide receiver Torrey Smith caught two passes for 54 yards.
"We're an offense that can run the ball and throw the ball," Smith said. "We're not doing either well right now."
Kaepernick was 3-0 against the Packers before Sunday. He passed for 412 yards during a regular-season win on Sept. 8, 2013. He ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff victory on Jan. 12, 2013. This time, the Packers held him in check.
"I think we just continue to get better as a defense, really," Matthews said. "The personnel is better too, the guys we have out there. And guys are maturing and getting better. And at the same time, we understand what type of player he is.
"If the read's not open he's going to tuck it and try to get that first down and extra yardage, so it really requires guys to be disciplined in their rush lanes. But it's a lot easier when they're winning up front and being the ones to create that pressure as opposed to on the back end having to cover up."
The Packers led 7-3 at halftime and made it 14-3 with 7:10 left in the third quarter on fullback John Kuhn's 1-yard touchdown plunge. Green Bay drove 61 yards in nine plays.
On third-and-7 from the 49ers' 46, Rodgers hit Jones along the left sideline for 38 yards, giving Green Bay first-and-goal at the 8. Jones got half a step behind cornerback Kenneth Acker, who never looked back for the ball, and got both feet down after grabbing Rodgers'
After a holding penalty moved the Packers back 10 yards, Rodgers scrambled 17 yards around right end, and Kuhn did the rest.
"It ain't going to be pretty all the time," Jones said of the win. "Just keep working. You're going to have games like that. It was a grinder."
The Packers forced a quick punt as Matthews sacked Kaepernck on third-and-4 from the 49ers 26. Rodgers marched the Packers to the San Francisco 13, and Mason Crosby drilled a 31-yard field goal, increasing Green Bay's lead to 17-3 with 45 seconds left in the third quarter.
Green Bay took the opening kick and drove 80 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown, Aaron Rodgers zipping a 9-yard scoring pass to tight end Richard Rodgers.
The 49ers cut Green Bay's lead to 7-3 with 4:25 left in the first half on Phil Dawson's 33-yard field goal. The 49ers had marched to Green Bay's 5, but back-to-back sacks by Perry and Elliott moved them back to the 22.
"Offensively we slugged it out," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "We knew it was going to be that kind of football game and we would need to hold up against their pass rush.
"Our defense played lights out. I think it's our best performance so far this year."
NOTES: TE Vernon Davis (knee) was inactive for the 49ers. Backup Vance McDonald started in his place. ... Packers DT Letroy Guion was added to the active roster and serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. ... Packers WR Davante Adams (ankle) was inactive. James Jones started in his place. WR Jared Abbrederis was signed off the practice squad. ... San Francisco RB Reggie Bush, who missed the previous two games with a calf injury, was active against Green Bay.
