The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers matched up early on in the 2012-2013 NFL season and the 49ers pulled off the win 30-22. Since then, the two teams have remained as two of the biggest powerhouses in the NFC, and are poised to match up once again in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
There are a few notable changes between the last time these two teams met and now. First and most notably, would be the 49ers' quarterback change from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick, which gives the 49ers a much more powerful offense. The Packers do have a history of having trouble containing mobile QB's, and CK might very well provide a tough challenge for the Green Bay defense.
In order for the Packers to win this football game, there are a few key things that they need to do, and I will list them right now.
(1). They have to be able to contain the 49ers' running game. Last meeting, Frank Gore ran over the Packers defense for 112 yards, and the 49ers as a whole put up 186 yards of total rushing. If that happens again tonight, the 49ers more than likely will secure another W over the Pack.
(2). The defensive secondary has to communicate clearly. There were a couple very big plays in the first game between the teams, that led to big drives from San Francisco. One play in particular would be the Randy Moss touchdown reception. Green Bay's secondary has been fairly effect all season, but they have to limit the big play like they've done the majority of the second h
alf this season.
(3). Thirdly and finally, Green Bay needs to establish a good balance between the passing and rushing attack offensively. Dujuan Harris has been very effective during his time of being the primary running back in the Green Bay backfield, and they need to continue to use him. That being said, they can't get predictable with their play-calling. A good balance between pass and rush is a necessity for the Packers to win this evening.
I know I said I'd keep it at three things for Green Bay to do in order to pull off a win, but there is a fourth. The offensive line has to step up and give Aaron Rodgers good protection. The 49ers have a great pass-rushing defense, and put a lot of pressure on Rodgers in their Week 1 match-up. Green Bay needs to protect their superstar QB, and give him the time to pick the 49ers' secondary apart.
Now we're going to move on to the keys for the San Francisco 49ers.
(1). Colin Kaepernick has to step up and perform at a high level tonight. Alex Smith did a great job managing the game against the Packers the first time around. This is the biggest stage that Kaepernick has ever played on, and the pressure is immense. Green Bay has play-making ability on defense, especially with Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson back healthy.
(2). Just like I talked about Green Bay needing to protect Rodgers, the 49ers need to apply pressure on him. If they allow Rodgers time to drop back and pick the defense part, they'll get into a scoring game with the Packers, and that does not bode well for San Francisco. They need to force Rodgers to make quick passes, and force turnovers and mistakes off of those quick decisions.
(3). The last thing that the 49ers need to do, is remember what won them the first game against Green Bay. The rushing attack was a huge reason that they were able to control the game from start to finish. With a more aggressive offensive scheme in the passing game now that Kaepernick is the starting QB, they can't get away from their bread and butter. San Francisco needs to make sure they still give Gore his touches, and pound the football.
Now is the time for my personal prediction for this game. It's hard to call as both teams are very capable of winning not only this game, but the Super Bowl as well when all is said and done. It's hard to go against Green Bay with the way they've been playing the last 7-8 weeks. San Francisco is going to put up a huge fight, but I've got to go with the Packers winning this one 28-24. It's going to come down to the wire, and should be the hardest fought game of the Playoffs. Very excited about the game, and can't wait for kickoff.
Hope you all enjoyed the article, and would love to hear some response.
Written by Evan Massey
masseyevan@yahoo.com
