GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 22: San Francisco 49ers’ Robbie Gould (9) celebrates his sport successful area aim towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers for his or her NFC divisional playoff NFL sport at Lambeau Subject in Inexperienced Bay, Wi., on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Right here is how the sixth-seeded 49ers (12-7) graded in Saturday night time’s 13-10 win over the top-seeded Packers (13-5) within the NFC divisional playoffs:
PASS OFFENSE: C+
Jimmy Garoppolo performs like an NBA sport — simply take note of the ultimate two minutes. Watch him lead a late drive with precision timing, like these completions to George Kittle (12 yards) and Deebo Samuel (14 yards) to arrange Robbie Gould’s walk-off area aim. As for an ever-expected interception, it occurred on the 4-yard line simply earlier than halftime, and he took accountability for it within the postgame presser, after, sure, successful with 131 yards and a 57.1 passer ranking. And the way about Kittle, overcoming an open-field drop within the first quarter and ending with a team-high 4 catches and 63 yards? Trent Williams toughed out a critical ankle harm, however the line additionally dedicated too many penalties and allowed 4 sacks on third down.
RUN OFFENSE: C
If the 49ers misplaced, a lot of the main target would have been on Elijah Mitchell’s fourth-and-1 run, when he ran up the center for a 1-yard loss as an alternative of following Williams to the suitable (a artistic play that labored earlier on a third-and-1 conversion). The Packers loaded the field to stop a repeat of the 2019 NFC Championship Recreation (285 speeding yards by the 49ers), so neither Mitchell (17 carries, 53 yards) nor Samuel (10 carries, 39 yards) may run wild. Nevertheless, run they did, and it was Samuel’s 9-yard acquire on third-and-7 that moved the 49ers into Gould’s vary for the successful kick. Shout out to Kyle Juszczyk, too, for not solely his blocking however a 13-yard draw after which the ultimate carry earlier than Gould delivered.
PASS DEFENSE: A
It seems the Packers’ opening landing drive was not a harbinger of doom. That’s as a result of the move rush saved coming after Aaron Rodgers (20-of-29, 225 yards) and sacked him 5 occasions. Arik Armstead confirmed up within the fourth quarter with arguably the 2 most vital sacks of his 49ers’ tenure, each approaching third downs to maintain the 49ers’ comeback inside attain. Nick Bosa additionally sacked Rodgers twice, and the opposite got here from Samson Ebukam. With Ambry Thomas scratched from the lineup, Dontae Johnson received the beginning, and as soon as he left within the fourth quarter with a attainable concussion, in got here Josh Norman, and incomplete went a move focused his means at Davante Adams. The 49ers didn't intercept Rodgers in making him the primary quarterback to lose 4 playoff begins towards one crew, however Fred Warner did power a second-series fumble on a Marcedes Lewis catch, and Dre Greenlaw’s fumble restoration despatched the Packers’ offense right into a stall. Rodgers handed for simply 55 yards in presumably the ultimate half of his Packers’ tenure.
RUN DEFENSE: A-
The 49ers yielded solely 61 speeding yards (20 carries), so bravo on that. The Packers didn't precisely milk the clock with their lead, as Aaron Jones received solely six carries within the second half. A.J. Dillon’s 6-yard run on the primary drive merely awoke the 49ers’ protection, and it prompted Warner to “gentle a hearth” amongst his teammates, reminding them that whereas the Packers are an important offense, “we’re an important protection.”
SPECIAL TEAMS: A+
Oh my gosh, this goes down in 49ers’ lore as a legendary efficiency, with heroes galore. One is Jordan Willis, for blocking a fourth-quarter punt by surging by means of the lengthy snapper and increasing his left hand whereas stretching with all his 6-foot-4 body (on final week’s high-ankle sprain). One other is Talanoa Hufanga, for listening for the ball to bounce after which recovering it for a game-tying landing. After all, there isn't any victory if not for Robbie Gould making a 45-yard area aim, by means of the snow in 10-degree climate, which improved him to 20-for-20 on postseason field-goal makes an attempt. Don’t overlook about Jimmie Ward blocking a Packers’ area aim try as the primary half expired, and, kudos to Ward for crediting embattled particular groups coordinator Richard Hightower for clueing him on the place to assault that play.
COACHING: A
Kyle Shanahan and his employees have delivered the 49ers to their second NFC Championship Recreation in three seasons, doing so with down-to-the-wire victories in three straight elimination video games. His offense, regardless of penalties and shaky moments, got here by means of on the finish. DeMeco Ryans’ protection, effectively, they might have ended Rodgers’ Packers profession. And Hightower’s particular groups made so many nice performs, versus the Packers’ NFL-worst unit.