Green Bay Packers vs San Francisco 49ers Divisional Playoff Official Game Thread

@pkr_north posted:

we will know shortly if AR is in it for the $ or not.  he stays, takes a $ cut -- gutey has to sign the ringers,  he leaves - its about the $ - max $...f the legacy bs...we blow it up and start again...try to keep who we can and move on - 10 meh, don't think so, but we will have to give him his time to bloom or implode, either way...myself - I don't think 12 can cut it in the playoffs, if he goes to a dome or warm climate, maybe - but he's seeing ghosts that aren't there...

Not necessarily true.  He could leave chasing a title to improve HIS legacy, not the Packers legacy.  

If he does that, the Packers are a joke and it’s Gute and TT fault.  

Imagine he goes to Denver and wins a title.  Jordan Love leads us to a 5 - 13 record.   We are a laughing stock and it’s common knowledge that the organization prevented one of the best ever from winning it all.

@MichiganPacker posted:

Not surprising that a bunch of guys who hadn't played in months struggled. 3 of their 4 worst defensive grades went to guys that hadn't hit anyone in a live game in three months or longer.

The reason Alexander was probably in was that Savage got hurt.

Savage has been a disappointment. With his speed at safety, you'd expect some Nick Collins-type plays. But he's just sort of there most of the time. He's not terrible, but he plays like someone you could have drafted in the 4th or 5th round or picked up for near the vet minimum, not the top safety picked in the draft that year. He's playing next to a very assignment sure, solid veteran in Amos too, so it's not like he has to worry about playing alongside a weak link.

The other thing it highlights is that both Alexander and Z were on the field for Samuels third down run, indication that Barry thought they would pass on Third and 7 ...I never thought they would.

Who would you have played instead of those two? Burks? Barnes? (Not sure if Krys as on the field for that play--should have been).

Z was lined up as an inside rusher on the side they ran to ... if we played "run", Lowry or Clark would have been there (Clark was inside rusher on the other side) ... we had 5 DBs instead of Barnes. Of course if we had come out in base defense they probably would have passed?

@Goalline posted:

I wonder how many defenses have been blamed after giving up 6 points. SIX!

1. The Niners never passed the Packers 9 yard line.

2. The Packers pressured Jimmy G. on 48% of his drop backs.

https://packerswire.usatoday.c...-gary-aaron-rodgers/

3. From the same source - the Packers had 16 run stops (zero or minimal gain on an attempt).

4. The two scoring drives they gave up were for 39 and 44 yards. The first one was set up by a kickoff return to midfield.

The Packers had a quad-fecta of special teams ineptitude. Their punting team had a killer mistake. The FG unit got one blocked. The kickoff coverage team allowed a return to midfield. The FG block team lined up 10 guys on the final play immediately after a timeout.

@ZUF posted:

Rodgers is always praised for his ability to check down and find the open receiver.  Yet last night he only went to Adams.   The last play was a perfect example.  Lazard was wide open.  He also threw  a crappy pass to Jones on first and goal

He underperformed again in a playoff game.    Playoff games “own” Rodgers.  Perhaps SB 45 was a fluke.  

Been thinking the same thing. Looking over these past years since, how did MM and AR win that one after what we have seen from both of them in post-season since?

Anyway, my regular, nearly religious following of the Packers ended when they blew that game to the Seahawks. I follow far less than I did for 40 years before that. Yesterday again proved I was correct.

They won Super Bowl 45 for a number of reasons including some incredible Rodgers throws.   His game against ATL might have been the best QB performance in Packers playoff history.  His throw to Greg Jennings late in the game against Pittsburgh was one in a million.

But let’s also not forget that was easily the best defense they’ve had since the 1996 SB winning team and they made big time plays including Tramon pick 6 against ATL, Raji pick 6 against the Bores, and Nick Collins pick 6 against the Steelers.  Also seem to recall either Tramon or Shields basically ending the game against Philly and Mike Vick with another INT.   If one of those plays doesn’t happen by the D it’s possible they don’t get the ring that year.

DJ, that's why you've been here a month and rank #596
"religious following" my ass!

@D J posted:

Been thinking the same thing. Looking over these past years since, how did MM and AR win that one after what we have seen from both of them in post-season since?

Anyway, my regular, nearly religious following of the Packers ended when they blew that game to the Seahawks. I follow far less than I did for 40 years before that. Yesterday again proved I was correct.

Too bad for you.  There have been plenty of good games and countless hours great of entertainment to be had since the Seattle game.

If Rodgers leaves to go to Denver and wins a title it doesn’t say anything about the Packers being a laughing stock.  Rodgers had his chances with the Packers, especially the last two years.  He, along with many others, didn’t do their jobs as well as they could and it’s as simple as that.  

Adams and Jones and King and Sullivan and Rodgers cost them last year failing to execute.  MLF didn’t do them any favors either.  

Last night, Adams and Jones actually atoned for the previous year but that was about it on that side of the ball.   Gary and the D played really well until that final drive.  The special teams were a mess all around.  MLF didn’t actually call a great game either.

Gute and Murphy and Ball aren’t calling plays nor are they fucking things up on the field.  

@Pikes Peak posted:

Too bad for you.  There have been plenty of good games and countless hours great of entertainment to be had since the Seattle game.

Meh. I see it as a waste of time now. Or, I can stay glued and spend the season on boards bitching and moaning when they shit the bed in the playoffs.

@D J posted:

Meh. I see it as a waste of time now. Or, I can stay glued and spend the season on boards bitching and moaning when they shit the bed in the playoffs.

Yet here you are

@Pikes Peak posted:

Yet here you are

Yeah, making a few posts. That's it.

How did everyone think the crowd noise was???  

@YATittle posted:

I do recall Jaire whiffing on that run. He was in a perfect spot to stop it.

To do so he would have had to plant his right shoulder (the one he injured) into the back.  Instead he turned to use his left shoulder which obviously wasn't effective.  You could tell he was still playing somewhat hurt (which is probably why he didn't play many snaps).

@D J posted:

Been thinking the same thing. Looking over these past years since, how did MM and AR win that one after what we have seen from both of them in post-season since?

They lucked their way into a 6th seed because of a Shady McCoy punt return against the Giants helped them even get into the playoffs.  They were playing with house money that entire post season.

Once the expectation was there later that they win, they always seemed to turtle back into their shell.

@ilcuqui posted:

This play was huge - 3rd and 11 with ~3:30 left. Rodgers clearly predetermined this, as Lazard breaks wide open over the middle and the other WR had single coverage and a step (needed to throw away from the safety, who was keying Adams). Maybe the game right there https://t.co/TSupsFTjSz

— Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) January 23, 2022

I'm not so sure he was expecting Lazard to be open on this one. Warner is underneath and if he breaks inside (where Lazard was going) he's in position for the pick, though Rodgers could have actually held it a bit longer on this one for Lazard/Warner to break.

The linebacker dropping on the left didn't drop deep enough either, but if he had Lazard was running right into him. Rodgers probably lumped the gun throwing, but the coverage was designed to take Lazard's pattern out.

I don't care for the play call, tbh. There's a double DB blitz, which is picked up well by I think Jones off the right side and the left is basically a delayed , but two receivers running an in-breaking post to a single-high safety drop basically lets even a single safety basically double team both receivers while expecting your slowest one to break open in the middle behind coverage.

That said, the blitz also kept Jones from getting into the pattern so there was only Adams and two schlubs as potential targets. Those intersecting routes did the defense a big favor.

@Goldie posted:

How did everyone think the crowd noise was???  

I've been to roughly 30 or so games though the years, including yesterday.  It was as loud at Lambeau as I've ever heard it.

Found on the internet:

”We all thought Rodgers had a shot, which has happened before.”

For as much as we targeted anyone else other than Adams, we should have went max protection on every pass

@vitaflo posted:

They lucked their way into a 6th seed because of a Shady McCoy punt return against the Giants helped them even get into the playoffs.  They were playing with house money that entire post season.

Once the expectation was there later that they win, they always seemed to turtle back into their shell.

They did get some luck making the playoffs but they were the best team in the league when they got there.  Their playoff performance and SB win was no fluke.  They didn't just "get hot".  They were a developing team that was starting to peak.  And they proved that in 2011 going 15-1 until other factors tripped them up.

It's best to be lucky and good.

@vitaflo posted:

They lucked their way into a 6th seed because of a Shady McCoy punt return against the Giants helped them even get into the playoffs.

Desean Jackson.

@artis posted:

Desean Jackson.

My bad. Thanks for the correction.

I think this years playoffs show the importance of playing in tough division and having to claw and fight for a playoff berth.  NFC East, North and AFC South were bad.  All teams representing those divisions are out.  All being one and done...

@EC Pack posted:

I think this years playoffs show the importance of playing in tough division and having to claw and fight for a playoff berth.  NFC East, North and AFC South were bad.  All teams representing those divisions are out.  All being one and done...

Except we were 5-1 vs playoff teams

@Pakrz posted:

I've been to roughly 30 or so games though the years, including yesterday.  It was as loud at Lambeau as I've ever heard it.

It sounded loud on TV

@YATittle posted:

Except we were 5-1 vs playoff teams

Aaaaaaaaaaaand yet got beat.

My point is having to fight and claw in a division forces you to examine your program because you know each other so well.

When you beat shitty teams all the time you have a tendency to get full of yourself and over look your faults until its too late.

This team last night was never the same after the Lewis fumble.

Little Dog

Didn't beat the 1, 2, and 3 seeds in 2010? No small feat.

@YATittle posted:

Except we were 5-1 vs playoff teams

The weather diminished the Packers passing game. That was part of it.

But the problem everyone could see all year is what got them. It had nothing to do with the layoff or playing in a crappy division. Maybe playing in the crappy division allowed them to win games in spite of their shitty special teams (Chicago game), but they also beat the Bengals in a game where their FG unit fell apart. It's just in those games they could line up and let Rodgers go to work. That does happen when it's zero degrees as easily.

It's no coincidence that their one run to the Super Bowl when they barely got by the Eagles in Philly (30 degrees with 18 mph winds), blew the Falcons out of the building in a dome, and then barely scraped by the Bears in cold weather at Soldier Field by beating Caleb Hennie. Then, Rodgers lit up the Steelers in a dome in the Super Bowl.

Rodgers has never been a cold weather QB. He's never had Favre-like meltdowns to lose playoff games, but he's often been very mortal in the cold, even when he was younger.

Dillon was supposed to be the guy they leaned on in games like this but he got hurt and didn't play in the second half.

And didn't he get hurt on a special teams play?

I didn't realize Dillon got hurt.  That explains a few things... because his lack of opportunities boggled my mind.  

Hurt his ribs, I believe.  And it was on STs. Another fallout from shitty STs. But AR is an overrated QB that can’t carry a team.

@ammo posted:

Again, if AR puts the ball where it should have been Jones doesn't even have to think about going OOB. He's in the end zone.

worst 75 yard pass after getting flushed out of the pocket to put the team from the doormat of their own endzone into fg position in the closing seconds of a half ever.  Teams that make plays like that should win.

Agree that the first half fumble stole mo completely.  That sure felt like a another march to 7.  But teams fumble and still win games.

I also thought the false start by Kelly on the 2nd and goal from the 5 was a mo killer.  But teams can recover from penalties like that.

Deguara had a drop that was in his hands too.  I just don't see the upside with him others see.

AR missing Lazard was huge, glad he's beating himself up over that because it was as bad a miss as we have seen from him.   AR was not great, but he wasn't as bad as the folks who want to run him out of town think either.  Regardless of what happens, we might have watched the best QB of a generation who won one SB.  I can really go either way with keeping or trading at this point.  I'd say a trade should have a complete tear down with Adams gone among others.  Not sure they can keep AR and put as much talents as we had yesterday for another run.  Maybe the FO is better than I think.

Thought the defense played great, you can't fault them for any of this (except for Gary, who played like complete shit all game save for all his pressures and sacks and disruption.  Still the worst pick ever).

But there were 12 blocked punts all season.  We had the pick six equivalent of one.  I expected either a missed makeable FG or a block, but a blocked fucking punt for shits sake.

Oline was dogshit all game too.  Sunday morning QBing here, but why not start Nijiman?  All 22 will show you that the line was horrible.

With Jake Ferguson Green Bay would have beaten the Niners

— Scary Alvarez (@barryisthedon) January 23, 2022

I follow Isaac Yiadom on Twitter and after the game he posted "Coach Mo" wasn't the problem.

He was right. Players like Yiadom AND "Coach Mo" are the problem.

When Mo is dispatched, he like Zook will never get another NFL job.

@YATittle posted:

I follow Isaac Yiadom on Twitter .

On purpose?

Lost a bet is my guess.

@YATittle posted:

I follow Isaac Yiadom on Twitter.....

Said 12 people....5 of them aunties.