SANTA CLARA, CALIF. – SEPT. 26: San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle (85) runs for yardage after making a catch in entrance of Inexperienced Bay Packers’ Jaire Alexander (23) within the fourth quarter of their sport at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. The Inexperienced Bay Packers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 30-28. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Space Information Group)
The NFL and its companions must be beaming proper now.
First the 49ers — soccer’s dominant power on the West Coast — performed the Cowboys within the playoffs. Ca-ching!
Now, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers — one of many premier manufacturers within the NFL — host the Niners?
The great things simply retains flowing our manner.
Final week’s sport regarded clear in foresight and was messy in apply. This sport is a troublesome learn forward of kickoff. The Niners are hoping it’s something however simple as soon as the sport begins, although, as a result of they're underdogs for a cause.
There shall be loads of damage studies all through the week that may sway this contest, however at first of the quick week for the Niners, I've just a few extra ideas on two groups which have re-developed a real, natural rivalry over the previous couple of seasons and their matchup in Wisconsin:
Aaron Rodgers is superior. The earlier that’s admitted, the quicker we are able to get on with the breakdown.
There merely isn’t a protection that he can’t destroy and his outdated drawback of holding onto the ball too lengthy — one thing the 49ers took full benefit of the final time these groups met within the playoffs — is now not a difficulty, as evidenced by his carving up the 49ers’ protection manner again in Week 3 and so many video games since then.
Rodgers’ weak point?
He is aware of he’s superior.
It’s a great factor that the Niners are a crew that has proven no give up previously, as a result of Rodgers might effectively present San Francisco a possibility to get again into the sport by merely being lazy with the lead.
Rodgers hasn’t bought a play-action all yr. He checks into performs that seemingly have the next stage of issue, just because he has the power to execute these performs. When he has a lead — and my goodness has he held a lot of them this season — he has proven the propensity to coast.
He’s a rhythm quarterback, too, so his ramping down is a giant deal.
Now, this may solely matter extra for folk who're getting the Niners and the factors, but when the Niners play the total 60, they could simply discover themselves again in a sport Inexperienced Bay controls the entire manner. It’s one sport script, however one thing to bear in mind.
Rodgers is a real Triple-A quarterback.
And no, that’s not a pejorative time period. This has nothing to do with baseball.
No, this has to do with the three A’s for quarterbacks. The primary two are required to be good within the NFL. The third is what separates the nice from the good.
The primary two A’s are consciousness and accuracy. It doesn’t matter how gifted you might be when you've got no concept what’s occurring in entrance of you, and when you can’t ship a ball on the mark and on time, you’re not going to final lengthy as an NFL quarterback.
When you've got each of these issues, you then get the ultimate A: Arm.
Not solely is Rodgers in whole management of the passing sport and delivering passes with a precision that you just don’t even see in video video games, he additionally has the best arm power within the sport. His capacity to place it anyplace on the sector inside inches of his meant goal all in opposition to good protection is stupefying and, to place it in essentially the most simple phrases, if he has a great sport the Niners don't have any likelihood.
Rodgers is sort of indefensible each on and off the sector.
The Niners have been blessed for a second-straight week to play a crew that has no concept tips on how to defend outsize zone run performs — the inspiration of San Francisco’s offense.
The Packers have one of many worst run defenses within the NFL, however the superior numbers and Professional Soccer Focus rankings don’t inform the total story.
The reality is that they’re fairly good in opposition to inside runs. They’re thick and robust up the center and their linebackers don’t have to maneuver an excessive amount of, to allow them to make tackles.
However these large, thick boys can't get outdoors and Rashan Gary, for all of his pass-rush prowess, isn’t going to cease the Niners (or anybody else) from profitable on the sting.
The Packers allowed 4.7 yards per carry this season in opposition to a schedule that didn’t run the ball all that effectively.
Elijah Mitchell didn’t play in Week 3 when these two groups met in a Packers win, however he’ll be on the sector Saturday and the Niners ought to run throughout Inexperienced Bay, simply as they did Dallas final week and the Rams (within the second half, not less than) in Week 18.
Kyle Shanahan offenses love to focus on linebackers — I’ve solely talked about this in each sport breakdown for the final 5 years.
So 49ers, meet Kris Barnes, who shall be Shanahan’s goal of torture Saturday.
Barnes isn’t good in opposition to the run, neither is he good in protection. At the very least his linebacking accomplice De’Vondre Campbell can lay declare to being common at each.
Inexperienced Bay runs zone defenses. Cowl 3, predominately however some Cowl 4 and Cowl 6 in there, too. That’s their defensive id and it places a variety of stress on linebackers in protection and safeties within the run sport.
Neither get together is provided to face a full sport of Shanahan’s offense.
The Niners are a slant-heavy crew within the go offense, and the Packers are vulnerable to the slant, even with Jaire Alexander, top-of-the-line corners within the NFL prone to play Saturday. If Jimmy Garoppolo can play a clear sport — and at this level, we must always all be performed attempting to foretell that man — the Niners ought to get near 400 yards in opposition to the Pack.
It’s a small factor, and a very inconsequential factor, however my goodness, what an awesome uniform matchup this must be, once more.
And after final week’s sartorially good sport between the Cowboys and Niners?
We’re really blessed.
It’s such a disgrace that the winner of this sport will get to face the Buccaneers’ monstrosities or the Rams’ try-to-hard “bone” coloured uniforms.
We have been so near having all of it.