Wildcard Weekend Packers vs 49ers

[Pat4DaPack]

Excited to see these teams play for my first Packers game, Go Pack Go!

 

[Poppa San]

So do you think we can give up 700 yards at Lambeau on Sunday and be in the same position?

If the Packers def gives up 700 yds? No. But they didn't give that up last time and I don't expect them to this time. Last time it was just under 500 yds. Offense needs to do better than 2 3&outs in the 4th quarter and def don't give up a 4 1/2 minute game killing TD drive at the same time.

 

[Forget Favre]

For what it's worth, if the 49ers lose this match up I'll be rooting for the Packers. Considering the past, that's almost blasphemy as a 49ers fan.

Despite my dislike of Clay Matthew's cheap shot (and the praise he received by some on here for it), a actually like Aaron Rodgers and I appreciate the rich history of the Green Bay Packers.

It wasn't a "cheap shot" it was a late hit.
My team right or wrong.

And you should like the rich history of the Packers.
Still playing in the same stadium in the same town which is still named for it's founder, coach and player.
It will never be torn down or replaced (At least for a very, very, very long time) and they won't make fans drive an hour away to watch them in a stadium named after a greedy corporation (Levis) whose product is outsourced and made in slave labor conditions in sweat shops.
Knowing this, there is tons of pride in being a Packers fan and only shame in being a 49ers fan.
Sorry, had to.

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

It wasn't a "cheap shot" it was a late hit.
My team right or wrong.

And you should like the rich history of the Packers.
Still playing in the same stadium in the same town which is still named for it's founder, coach and player.
It will never be torn down or replaced (At least for a very, very, very long time) and they won't make fans drive an hour away to watch them in a stadium named after a greedy corporation (Levis) whose product is outsourced and made in slave labor conditions in sweat shops.
Knowing this, there is tons of pride in being a Packers fan and only shame in being a 49ers fan.
Sorry, had to.

This is a cheap shot. It wasn't incidental contact. He boasted about hitting Kaepernick and he couldn't get a clean hard hit on him, so he decided to "get his" when Kaepernick was way out of bounds. It was dirty, classless and cheap.

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[ExpatPacker]

Packer fans, you all have to admit this:

Playoff loss last season, we made Kaepernick look like Gale Sayers.
Opener this year, we made Kaepernick look like, well, I would say 1984 Dan Marino, but how about 2013 Peyton Manning.

He had guys wide open all game long, had his best passing game of his life, still as of now.
And he didn't even have his #1 WR for that game Michael Crabtree.
And this: We DID have Matthews. And we DID have Jolly. And Perry wasn't hurt yet. Not sure if we had Hayward then or not, but we don't know.

Also, their same exact OLB-ILB-ILB-OLB as well as LT-LG-C-RG-RT, RB, TE, and QB and Justin Smith.... are all-wait for it.... STILL amazingly healthy right now. None of them lost to IR on the season, miraculously. Just great luck again for that program.

Anyway, as great as Rodgers is, he's going against a great and healthy front 7. The best in the NFL.
Kaepernick -against us twice and once missing his #1 WR- has looked like the best QB to ever play the game.

Let's tone it down acting like our QB is so much better. Not in this matchup with respective defenses.
Unfortunately. And much of that, crappily, due to injuries over the past 2 1/2 seasons.

This. In the playoff game last year SF ran all over this defense. In the first game of the season this year this defense stopped the SF running attack but receivers were wide open all game and Kaepernick had all day to throw.

What's going to change this time and where are the defensive stops going to come from?

 

[13 Times Champs]

If the Packers def gives up 700 yds? No. But they didn't give that up last time and I don't expect them to this time. Last time it was just under 500 yds. Offense needs to do better than 2 3&outs in the 4th quarter and def don't give up a 4 1/2 minute game killing TD drive at the same time.

The Packers gave up 579 yards in that game. They didn't win then and they won't on Sunday if they give up that kind of yardage. Saying we were in the lead with 6 minutes to go is kinda like Fools Gold to me.

 

[Midnight Toker]

That way we will run the ball and control the clock, Packers got this!!

Easier said than done, especially against a defense that hasnt allowed a 100 yard rusher all season long. Besides, running the ball and burning clock would limit the value of your greatest asset: Rodgers. Sure Lacy is good, but he didnt blow up until your pass game disappeared and he was either sink or swim in the run game. Unfortunately for your team, they havent had any time to really scheme for having both Rodgers and Lacy in at the same time doing their thing; either limit Rodgers passing or limit Lacy running. Dang and now its playoffs.

And yet, even with all that, with 6 minutes left in the game in San Francisco, Green Bay still had the lead.

That sir is what we call a moral victory. It makes losing just slightly more tolerable.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

I dont think anybody is saying this game is a pushover, but the 49ers are NOT unstoppable, and I think their fans are foolish if they think this one is in the bag for them. Apart from one glaring error on Sunday when Perry was caught completely out of position, I think our guys stepped up their game. I don`t think we played like world beaters, but there was a fire in them I`ve not seen in a while. WE want this one, THEY think they`ve got it already.

 

[FrankRizzo]

This is a cheap shot. It wasn't incidental contact. He boasted about hitting Kaepernick and he couldn't get a clean hard hit on him, so he decided to "get his" when Kaepernick was way out of bounds. It was dirty, classless and cheap.

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I'll give you that, can call it a cheap shot. But it wasn't "dangerous".

But A) I'll take a cheap shot like that any day, especially on grass, over these "supposedly not cheap shots since they aren't flags". The NFL wants to call all these "clean"? No thanks.
Matthews didn't dive at Vernon Davis or Boldin's planted knee when they were defenseless.

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And B) Matthews feet were both in bounds when he launched. That has to count for something.

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

I'll give you that, can call it a cheap shot. But it wasn't "dangerous".

But A) I'll take a cheap shot like that any day, especially on grass, over these "supposedly not cheap shots since they aren't flags". The NFL wants to call all these "clean"? No thanks.
Matthews didn't dive at Vernon Davis or Boldin's planted knee when they were defenseless.

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And B) Matthews feet were both in bounds when he launched. That has to count for something.

Of course it was dangerous. Kaepernick's head bounced off of the ground on that play, mainly because Clay maintained his grip the whole way and drove him into the ground with all his bodyweight. Look at the 3rd frame. And no, the fact that his feet were 1 yard in bounds when he leaped way out of bounds at a full sprint to clothesline Kaepernick doesn't 'count for something.'

Low hits on open receivers are a fair and interesting debate to have, but they don't pertain to this discussion.

 

[VolvoD]

Hey 9ers, you got this one in the bag. Please keep telling yourself this game will be a push-over game. in fact, why risk your starters for this one? You have a long playoff road ahead of you, so dont risk any injury. oh, and a future congrats on your 2014 super bowl win!

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

Hey 9ers, you got this one in the bag. Please keep telling yourself this game will be a push-over game. in fact, why risk your starters for this one? You have a long playoff road ahead of you, so dont risk any injury. oh, and a future congrats on your 2014 super bowl win!

I respectfully disagree with your implication that the complacency of the fans who aren't even playing can have an effect on the game.

I favor the 49ers to win but in football nothing is ever a guarantee. It is nothing but laws of probability, and sometimes you roll the dice and get snakeyes. IMO the 49ers are the better team and laws of probability are in our favor, but I am nervous before every game. I was nervous when the 49ers played the (then) 0-win Jags.

 

[rodell330]

People always say that the run opens up the pass and that's true but the pass can open up the run game to. You can force a team to play zone and abandon man to man if you are torching them with the pass, and im sure most running backs would prefer running against a zone defense vs man to man. I'll say it again....cut Rodgers and the wr's loose!!! get off to a fast start!!

 

[VolvoD]

By the way, what's Greg Jennings up to this weekend?

 

[Royal Pain]

I respectfully disagree with your implication that the complacency of the fans who aren't even playing can have an effect on the game.

I favor the 49ers to win but in football nothing is ever a guarantee. It is nothing but laws of probability, and sometimes you roll the dice and get snakeyes. IMO the 49ers are the better team and laws of probability are in our favor, but I am nervous before every game. I was nervous when the 49ers played the (then) unbeaten Jags.

I assume you meant the (then) -0- win Jags, but I get your point and I agree. I don't care how weak the opponent, I can think of any number of ways the Packers can lose. In this case though, you're right. The 49ers are the better team where it counts. In both trenches.
IMO, the Packers are either going to have to outscore the 49er's in a shootout or come up with a scheme that catches them off guard and they are not prepared to adjust for. Either way, we're going to have to play mistake-free football to win Sunday.

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

I assume you meant the (then) -0- win Jags, but I get your point and I agree. I don't care how weak the opponent, I can think of any number of ways the Packers can lose. In this case though, you're right. The 49ers are the better team where it counts. In both trenches.
IMO, the Packers are either going to have to outscore the 49er's in a shootout or come up with a scheme that catches them off guard and they are not prepared to adjust for. Either way, we're going to have to play mistake-free football to win Sunday.

Yeah, that's what I meant and thanks for the catch. I edited my post.

 

[Oshkoshpackfan]

By the way, what's Greg Jennings up to this weekend?

Last I heard he was being a couch potatoe with his 49ers jersey on.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

Last I heard he was being a couch potatoe with his 49ers jersey on.

Or sitting by his telephone, still waiting for Aaron to get back to him.

 

[ExpatPacker]

By the way, what's Greg Jennings up to this weekend?

He's busy spreading rumors about AR being gay and that's what he meant before about ARs leadership.

 

[PFanCan]

GB is a playoff team because of the rules, but they arent one of the top 6 teams in the NFC this year.

Neither were the 2010 #6 seed Packers, who just eeked into the playoffs before their SB run.

Or the 2011 Giants. Before their SB victory.

One could argue that even the 2012 SB Champion Ravens didn't deserve the division over Cincy, except for the tie breaker rules.

Anyway the fact that the 49ers have a road game against GB is proof positive of how crappy that stupid rule is.

Proof positive? No.

I'm sure youd be a big fan of this rule if the roles were reversed.

You are correct. I personally AM a big fan of the four divisional winners taking the top four spots. For any NFL fan, the first priority during each season is to beat your rivals and win your division. Achieving this goal should guarantee a home playoff game. I like the way the NFL has set this up.

Frankly its embarrassing when a 7-9 seattle team hosted a playoff game a few years ago when the west sucked that bad. .

...and then went on to defeat the defending champs in said game...

Personally, I thought that was pretty exciting and memorable, at least for non-Saints fans.

The north is pretty bad, but not as bad as the east.

I agree that it's been a disappointing season for most teams in the north and east. However, things can turn quickly and hot teams can cool down and "bad" teams can heat up, as we have seen in the past several playoffs. Two of the last three SB winners have come from the NFC North or East...

Will the 49ers win on Sunday? Probably. But, not certainly.

 

[PackFANforlife]

After the playoff loss to 'Frisco last January Charles Woodson said the Packers had to get bigger, stronger and faster to beat that team. Frankly, I don't think the Pack has closed that gap, as Woodson so well diagnosed it.

The defense that gave up over 300 rushing yards, almost 600 total and had a quarterback run over it for 181 was probably better than the one that will be taking to the field this Sunday. Clay Matthews and Casey Hayward played in last year's game and both will be absent from this one as well as Johnny Jolly, a key to a better run defense this season. The Niners league best o-line will be blowing the Packers defensive front backwards and tearing open big running holes most of the day. And look for the Niners to bring back the read option to their offense. Kaepernick may not set a qb rushing record again but he'll do enough with it to make a difference.

Eddie Lacy running on a bad ankle leaves the Packers' rushing game in question. The Pack's o-line will probably not be up to beating one of the league's toughest defensive front sevens. And if the ground game is taken away they'll be free to rush Aaron Rodgers hard.

The Packers have shown an ability to make plays and put points on the board against this club. They've scored 28 in the season opener, 31 in last year's playoff and 22 in the 2012 opener. But they've also turned the ball over multiple times in these games and have had a tendency for uncharacteristic interceptions and fumbles in their playoff losses in 2009,'11 and '12. The two interceptions at the beginning of the Chicago game may augur a portent of postseason things to come.

Home field hasn't been much of an advantage for the Pack this year or in recent playoff history. They've lost 4 of their last 6 postseason at Lambeau and most haven't been close. San Fran. is probably a team better built to play a game outdoors in winter conditions as of now than are the Packers. They have an excellent defense and a strong rushing game working behind a superlative line. With all that working they can hit for big downfield plays passing as well. And may I also add they have 8 Pro Bowl selections and 6 Alternates on their roster. The Packers have just one alternate possibility.

Unless the cold weather affects them more than we expect and the Packers come up with their best game of the year it's probable that the Pack will be a quick exit from this season's playoffs.

You're entire post overrates 49ers O line by a mile. They have given up 6 less sacks then us.

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

You're entire post overrates 49ers O line by a mile. They have given up 6 less sacks then us.

As a 49ers fan I agree. The media gushes over the 49ers O-line but they're only good at run blocking. Pass protection is horrible.

 

[PackFANforlife]

Well hey its nice to see a reasonable fan! I think the entire sack stat is a beyond misleading though. It just means you didnt throw the ball away. Throwing the ball away from too much pressure is still very important as well, but its not a stat that anyone keeps

 

[USArmyParatrooper]

Well hey its nice to see a reasonable fan! I think the entire sack stat is a beyond misleading though. It just means you didnt throw the ball away. Throwing the ball away from too much pressure is still very important as well, but its not a stat that anyone keeps

I watch all the 49ers games, and pass protection is definitely lacking. It's definitely a huge help to the Niners that Matthews isn't playing. I don't know how good Jolly is at QB pressure, but that will help the run a ton. I remember in the first game that guy was like a brick wall.

 

[ExpatPacker]

I watch all the 49ers games, and pass protection is definitely lacking. It's definitely a huge help to the Niners that Matthews isn't playing. I don't know how good Jolly is at QB pressure, but that will help the run a ton. I remember in the first game that guy was like a brick wall.

Unfortunately you are right. Jolly's loss may be as important as Matthews. Jolly was our best DL hands down except maybe for Daniels, who was a surprise this year. On the other hand, Mr. All-Pro Raji has been near useless.

Jolly brought intensity to this defense as well.