Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Sensational defensive effort isn’t enough
Green Bay — A quick recap of the Green Bay Packers’ 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs:
Big picture
Special teams has been the thorn in Green Bay’s side all season, and it came home to roost at the worst time. A blocked-punt touchdown led to the tying points, and a blocked kick before halftime loomed large as the Packers were left pondering another in a long line of gut-wrenching playoff losses.
The offense didn’t do the job either, unable to match the brilliance of an impressive opening-drive touchdown.
If this is indeed Aaron Rodgers’ final game in a Packers uniform, it will be remembered much as Brett Favre’s — with a disappointing playoff performance at home in a loss. Rodgers finished 20 of 29 for 225 yards and no touchdowns. Rodgers is now 0-4 against the 49ers, his childhood rooting interest, in the playoffs.
Turning point
With 4:41 to go and the Packers trying to ice the ballgame, Corey Bojorquez’s punt was blocked by Jordan Willis, recovered by Talanoa Hufanga and brought into the end zone for a game-tying touchdown, knotting the score at 10-10.
In a bout of slow-motion horror for Packers fans, the blocked ball fluttered into the air, and nobody could momentarily identify its whereabouts as snow fell at Lambeau. But once it landed, only 49ers jerseys were nearby.
Game ball
Rashan Gary was a menace, posting two sacks in the first half and, more importantly, stuffing a fourth-and-1 run by Elijah Mitchell from the Packers’ 19-yard line with 5:17 to go and the Packers nursing a 10-3 lead. Gary’s performance was emblematic of a relentless defensive performance that completely shut down San Francisco early and made key plays thereafter. It just didn’t have any help from the offense or special teams.
5 Takeaways
1. Za’Darius Smith, Mercilus make impact after being activated from IR for playoff game
The Packers don’t lack for pass rush, but their 17th ranking in sack percentage says they can do better. On Friday, the Packers activated two players who could help: linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Mercilus.
On his first snap, with the 49ers facing third-and-long on their first drive, Smith brought down Garoppolo for a sack, capping it off with his customary army crawl celebration.
Though Smith didn’t flash after that, Gary did pick up two sacks and Kenny Clark another, and Garoppolo never looked fully comfortable.
The two-time Pro Bowler Smith hadn’t played since Week 1, and the midseason veteran signing Mercilus had played in only four games for Green Bay before a torn biceps in Week 10 sidelined him. Perhaps somewhat under the radar, Mercilus’ ability to stop the run made him just as vital an addition as the passrushing dynamo Smith with the 49ers relying on their strong rushing attack.
2. Packers’ offense doesn’t move the ball much after first drive
It may not be the defensive front that challenged the Packers two years ago in the NFC title game, but San Francisco still had some talent up front with defensive end Arik Armstead moved inside and a rotation of effective additional pieces. Dallas averaged only 2.8 yards per carry in the wild-card round, and the Packers averaged only marginally better at 3.4 yards per carry.
Green Bay’s first touchdown featured an AJ Dillon run straight up the gut, with right tackle Dennis Kelly contributing in a big way to the blocking effort. But the Packers kept going back to the running game thereafter and couldn’t get traction like anything resembling the first drive.
Armstead sacked Rodgers for a huge stop in the red zone in the fourth quarter, forcing a field goal, then sacked him again to force the blocked punt on what could have otherwise been a gameclinching drive.
3. Shanahan gets the edge on LaFleur
It was the fifth meeting between Packers coach Matt LaFleur and his former colleague Kyle Shanahan, and this one broke the 2-2 tie between the two. Give Shanahan credit — he’s won the games that mattered in the playoffs, but these two are offensive coaches, and this game wasn’t about either team’s offense.
4. In matchup of poor special teams units, Green Bay’s proves worse
As miserable as Green Bay’s special teams have been all season, one thing the Packers hadn’t surrendered is a blocked punt for a touchdown. Until Saturday night.
The 49ers’ special teams have been under heat for their recent performance, including giving up a successful fake punt in the Dallas game. But as bad as they’ve been, they can’t match Green Bay’s No. 32 ranking in Rick Gosselin’s yearly special teams rankings. And the Packers showed it.
Mason Crosby’s 39-yard field-goal attempt at the end of the first half was blocked easily by Jimmie Ward, negating a golden opportunity to pick up points after Rodgers found Aaron Jones for a 75-yard pass play on a wheel route in the final seconds following an Adrian Amos interception deep in Packers territory.
Deebo Samuel also returned the opening kickoff of the second half to midfield, setting up the 49ers to get a field goal. It’s been a brutal first season for special-teams coordinator Maurice Drayton.
Bojorquez had an up-and-down first half with a 59-yard punt on one attempt and a 36-yard line drive out of bounds on another.
5. Practice doesn’t make perfect for Packers
Most teams don’t do much during their playoff bye weeks, but LaFleur practiced all three days and he even put the pads on once.
Then he came back with a regular week of practice with a padded practice Wednesday.
Part of the reason for the pads was to help players such as Smith, Mercilus, tackle Billy Turner and cornerback Jaire Alexander get in as many game-like snaps as possible. But a bigger reason might have been to get ready for a rugged 49ers team that is toughest in the trenches.
The players Green Bay got back (Smith, Mercilus, Alexander) weren’t game-long factors, and the Packers didn’t necessarily lack for tenacity; they lacked in execution.
Until George Kittle caught the first completed 49ers pass of the game with 6:36 left in the second quarter, the Packers’ defense had forced four three-and-outs and held the San Francisco offense to negative-10 yards of total yardage.