Saturday, Jan 22, 2022. 11:12 AM
Don’t miss the game between the 49ers and the Packers starting at 8:15 p.m. on RDS and RDS Direct.
Avant-match 49ers-Packers
There will be a lot of pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers may have 13-win seasons, but if we don’t reach the Super Bowl, that doesn’t mean anything. The Packers quarterback has demons to hunt against the Niners, who he is 0-3 in the playoffs against. Overall his playoff record is 11-9 and since winning the Super Bowl in 2010, his playoff record is 7-8.
We may appreciate Rodgers during the season, his playoff statistics are not extraordinary. I know he’s not the only one responsible for this situation, but I think it puts things into perspective.
The last time these two clubs met was in San Francisco a few years ago, the Niners had amassed 285 yards on the ground and completely outscored the Packers to win 37-20.
The 49ers are a team that wants to run with a super dynamic and complex ground game at the same time. This team is attacking the whole field in every way and it’s really not relaxing to face this formation. If the Packers can’t stop the 49ers’ running game, they’ll have to forget about the win. You have to limit the damage and when I take a look at the defensive statistics, there is nothing encouraging. They were 29th against the rush with an average of 4.7 yards allowed, but since Week 12, that average has climbed to 5.3 yards, which ranks them last in the NFL. So you can count on the Niners to exploit the land game.
Ever since Week 12, the Packers are ranked 24th defensively in third-down play and 29th in the pay zone. It’s no good heading into a game against the 49ers looking to run. What’s more, the Niners are number one in the paying zone. They manage to capitalize. If the defense doesn’t do the job, it’s going to be difficult. There are quite a few question marks on the Green Bay side.
But all is not perfect at the 49ers. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is a good player, but he has this label that sticks to his skin. That is to say that of having the bad habit of being intercepted in a key moment or of missing a pass receiver who is completely clear in the deep zones. We saw it against the Cowboys in the last game. It is for this reason that the ground game is essential for San Francisco.
Green Bay will have to make sure they have a good balance in attack. It’s almost 50-50 in passing and running. We let ourselves be blinded by Rodgers’ play, but the run will have to be effective against a defensive front like the 49ers, who have been number one since Week 12 to create pressure. For the show and for the Niners, it is to be hoped that Nick Bosa, victim of a concussion, is in the game. Still, San Francisco had five sacks after leaving against the Cowboys.
Running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dilon will need to be successful for Green Bay. Earlier in the season, the Packers beat the 49ers and they had 100 yards on 25 carries, which was pretty good balance-wise. San Francisco’s defensive line is solid and the Cowboys have been victimized in the past few days with five sacks. They had also hit Dak Prescott 14 times. The previous week, this line also had five sacks against Matthew Stafford, who had been hit 13 times. That means the Niners defense is on a solid streak.
