Packers playoff preview: 12 things to know about 49ers
As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers rested at home and watched the chaos of “Super Wild Card Weekend” from afar.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew out the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers outlasted the Dallas Cowboys in a frantic, almost unbelievable finish. The two results mean Kyle Shanahan and the sixth-seeded 49ers will be coming to Lambeau Field for the NFC Divisional Round.
The Packers beat the 49ers way back in Week 3. Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams twice on the final drive to set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning field goal, allowing the Packers to escape 30-28.
Here are 12 other things to know about Shanahan’s team:
Finished 10-7 in 2021
The 49ers clawed their way back from a disappointing 3-5 start by winning seven of the final nine games in the regular season, including three wins over playoff teams (Rams twice, Bengals). In Week 18, the 49ers secured a postseason berth win with an overtime win in Los Angeles. Thanks to the slow start, the 49ers finished third in the NFC West, behind both the Rams and Cardinals. But this was one of the hottest teams in the NFL to end the regular season.
Just upset the Cowboys
For the second straight week, the 49ers went on the road and beat a playoff team. San Francisco rushed for 169 yards and delivered five sacks in a 23-17 win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. The 49ers went up early and led 23-7 into the fourth quarter but still needed a dramatic moment on the game’s final play to finally close the door on the Cowboys’ comeback attempt. Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel both rushed for a touchdown, and 10 different players produced quarterback hits on Dak Prescott. The 49ers held the ball for almost 34 minutes, and the Cowboys averaged only 4.4 yards per play and had only 307 total yards of offense.
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
The 49ers used a top pick on Trey Lance, but Jimmy Garoppolo remains the starting quarterback, at least to end this season. He threw only 20 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, but he was efficient within Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Garoppolo finished the season ranked sixth among all quarterbacks in completion percentage (68.3), second in yards per attempt (8.6), ninth in passer rating (98.7), 14th in QBR (52.7) and 18th in overall grade at Pro Football Focus (74.5). While tough and willing to hang in the pocket to deliver the ball downfield, he’s also turnover prone and capable of making big mistakes under pressure. Garoppolo had 25 “turnover worthy plays” and the fourth-highest “turnover worthy play” percentage, per PFF. He also dealing with an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand.
All-Pro WR/RB
Deebo Samuel is one of the more unique players in all of football. Voted a first-team All-Pro. he produced 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021, including eight rushing touchdowns. The 49ers started using him in the backfield as a more traditional running back in November, and he responded with rushing touchdowns in seven of the final nine games. He also rushed for a score on Sunday in Dallas. Built like a running back, Samuel is the best receiver in football after the catch, and now the 49ers are giving him the ball in a variety of ways. Here’s an incredible stat: Samuel led the NFL in yards per catch at 18.2, and he also averaged 6.2 yards per rush. He’s dynamic.
Injured defensive stars
Edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner both suffered injuries during the 49ers win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Bosa was hit by friendly fire during a pass-rush snap and left with a head injury. Warner sustained an ankle injury and missed a big chunk of the second half. The status of both will be worth monitoring this week. Bosa delivered 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for losses and four forced fumbles in 2021, while Warner led the team with 137 total tackles. Without their two best players, the 49ers defense would look far less formidable on Saturday night. But it’s still possible both will be ready to go.
Other weapons on offense
Deebo Samuel is the main attraction on offense, but the 49ers are far from a one-man show. Rookie Elijah Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and averaged 87.5 per game and 4.7 per rush over just 11 games in 2021. Tight end George Kittle is a monster in the run game, a monster in the passing game and a monster after the catch. Second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk produced 826 receiving yards and five scores, and rookie Jauan Jennings emerged as a reliable third-down target. Fullback Kyle Juszcyzk, who scored the go-ahead touchdown against the Packers in Week 3, can do a little bit of everything.
In the trenches
Most games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, and the 49ers can be a tough football team up front. Per ESPN, the 49ers offense was 14th in pass-block win rate and 18th in run-block win rate, while the 49ers defense ranked fifth in pass-rush win rate and third in run-stop win rate. Per Pro Football Focus, the 49ers offense ranked seventh in pass-blocking grade and first in run-blocking grade, while the defense ranked fourth in pass-rushing grade and sixth in run defense grade.
Best offensive lineman in football?
Left tackle Trent Williams might be the best offensive lineman in football. He ranked first in overall grade this season at Pro Football Focus after giving up just one sack and 17 pressures over 535 pass-blocking snaps. He also earned an elite run-blocking grade. The Packers will likely throw a combination of Preston Smith, Rashan Gary and Za’Darius Smith at the veteran left tackle on Saturday night. Can they set the edge in the run game and push the pocket on obvious passing situations against one of the best in the business?
Per-play efficiency
The 49ers ranked second in yards per play (6.1) and first in net yards per passing attempt (7.7), while the defense ranked fourth in yards per play (5.1), ninth in net yards per passing attempt (5.9) and seventh in rushing yards per attempt (4.0). Overall, San Francisco finished seventh in total yards gained and third in yards allowed.
Pass-rushing performance
The 49ers produced 27 total quarterback hits on Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott in wins on the road over the last two weeks. Nick Bosa’s status is certainly a huge question mark this week, but the 49ers have created ways of getting pressure with anyone and everyone. The team finished with 48 sacks and 103 quarterback hits, and seven different players had at least three sacks. The 49ers have holes in the secondary, especially at corner, so the consistency of the pass-rush is crucial. Getting after Stafford and Prescott early and often set the tone for both road wins.
Behind Enemy Lines
From Niners Wire editor Kyle Madson: “They are the only team left in the playoffs whose offense doesn’t revolve around the quarterback. The formula for them is to get the ground game working, rush the passer like crazy on defense, and limit the throws Jimmy Garoppolo has to make. They definitely can go into Green Bay and win. Run games and defenses tend to travel, especially in cold weather. That said — it’s hard to consistently beat good teams when overcoming your own quarterback, especially when the league’s MVP is lining up under center on the other side.”
Week 3 recap
The game was almost four months ago now, greatly limiting what it actually means for the rematch on Saturday, but let’s still revisit the Packers’ 30-28 win in Santa Clara in Week 3. Green Bay jumped out to a 17-0 lead, the 49ers responded with back-to-back touchdowns to end the first half and open the second, and a late touchdown drive in the fourth quarter gave the 49ers a 28-27 lead with 37 seconds left. Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams twice for 42 yards to set up Mason Crosby’s game-winning 51-yard field goal as time expired. The 49ers produced 26 first downs but only 298 total yards, Rodgers was sacked just once and Jimmy Garoppolo turned the ball over twice. A 68-yard kickoff return and an avalanche of penalties helped get the 49ers back into the game, but Rodgers and Adams (who caught 12 passes) were too much. It’s worth noting: Deebo Samuel carried the ball only twice, and Elijah Mitchell wasn’t active.
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