NFL Playoffs – Packers Perspective: G.B. to Clash vs S.F. Saturday Night

IT IS HERE! The best week every year in all of football! The Divisional Round NFL Playoffs. Four games over two days of glorious playoffs and the 49’ers invade Green Bay to take on the Pack! Let’s get into it!

The Packers had last week off after earning the 1 spot in the NFC. Time to rest bodies, heal injured players (and toes), and prepare for the Divisional round hosting the 49’ers. According to head coach Matt LaFleur he is hopeful that defensive stars like LB Za’Darius Smith and Jiare Alexander will be able to return and help Saturday against the 49’ers. “We’re hopeful [about their return] they’ll be out there…and we’ll see how they react throughout the course of the week. Yeah, that would be a great bonus for us if they were able to go on Saturday.”

Will Nine be Back for the Pack?:

As unlikely as it will seem to Packer’s fans, the Pack is likely to return nine starters from injured reserve this week! Here are 9 Packer’s players LaFleur expects to have back playing Saturday. 

Offense:

WR/Randall Cobb – out since Week 12, Cobb suffered an undisclosed core injury on a TD catch vs the Rams. Playing from the slot, Cobb’s return brings confidence to LaFleur’s play calling as he is one of QB Aaron Rodgers all-time favorite go-to targets.

WR/Marquez Valdes-Scantling – out since Week 18, M.V.S. injured his back vs the Lions and DNP Wednesday. The Pack is hopeful their deep, speed-threat will play Saturday.

RB/Aaron Jones – out since Week 14, Jones suffered a mild MCL tear during the win over the Bears. His versatility is invaluable for Green Bay and he is used as a pass blocker, pass catcher and is a threat to score on runs from scrimmage anywhere on the field.

OT/Billy Turner – Week 19, Turner returns from Covid19 and adds needed depth to the O-line.

G/C/Josh Myers – out since Week 6 vs the Bears, Myers, like Turner, adds O-line depth.

OT/David Bakhtiari – the ‘Big Giraffe’ as Rodgers calls him, missed the season with an ACL tear and, although he did not practice Thursday, should play. Bakhtiari played 29 snaps in Week 18 vs the Lions. An O-line perennial All-Pro and locker-room leader, his return is as important as any to the Packers and to the team’s playoff run.

The challenge for LaFleur and the Packer’s offense will be to figure out who to play/start especially at O-line, and how many snaps each player can handle. A good problem to have.

Defense:

OLB/Za’Darius Smith – Like Bakhtiari, Smith missed the entire season after undergoing late September back surgery. Smith’s return could bolster the Packers’ inconsistent defense and add edge rushing help and leadership for Coordinator Joe Barry’s D.

CB/Jaire Alexander – Out since Week 4 with an undisclosed shoulder injury suffered in the Packer’s home win against the Steelers, “Ja”, as he is known in Packer-land, may be the best (you read that right) best Packer player at ANY position when he is healthy. The way Ja plays corner, he makes it a 10 on 10 game by shutting down any WR he covers. 

ILB/Whitney Mercilus – Out since Week 10 after suffering a torn biceps in the Packer’s home shut-out of the Seahawks, Mercilus adds depth, toughness and experience to the Packer’s D.

Like those returning on offense, D-coordinator Barry will need to decide who to use, and when.

Important injury note: 

Rodgers said this week that his toe is now 100% and he was a full participant in practice all week.. 

If these nine potential returning Packers (who have all started in the past) can be helpful at all, it could mean lights out for the 49’ers, who lost to the Packers week 3 in San Fran.

Scheme, Scheme…the Scheme is the Theme:

49’ers on Offense:

As with the three previous meetings between these two teams, look for San Francisco to run. And if the Niners running game isn’t working, look for head coach Kyle Shanahan to try something different – more running from somewhere else. And if that doesn’t work they may try reverse runs or even reverse run-passes. 

Two years ago in the NFC Championship home win, Shanahan had his QB Jimmy Garapollo throw just 8 passes completing 6 in their home win vs. Green Bay. Along the way, San Francisco rushed for 282 yards against the same defensive scheme the Packers still use. This season, in a week 3 loss at home to Green Bay, Garapollo was 25-40 passing, threw a pick and struggled with ball security. And, coming into Lambeau Jimmy G has a throwing shoulder injury and a throwing hand thumb sprain, so look for heavy, heavy doses of runs, up the middle, around the edges and to all spots as the 49’ers are sure to test the Packers’ ground D which has struggled this season and historically against Shanahan’s creative zone-blocking scheme. Watch for several trick play attempts from Shanahan as well. Game-time temperatures are expected to be hovering near zero and with wind chills expected well below zero, once again…expect running from the Niners not passing.

Packers Defense:

Green Bay will need to sell-out against the run on every possession and unless the Niners are in 3 or 4th and long. Green Bay knows where Shanahan’s confidence lies, in his run game with his zone-blocking scheme and not in his QB. Difficult, yet simple, if the Packers can stop the run, they will win.

Packer’s on Offense:

With Rodgers healthy, and at home, LaFleur will have confidence in his throwing game and will rely on Rodgers to help Green Bay win the turnover battle. A challenge the Packers always have under LaFleur is to have their rush/pass approaching 50% each. A balanced Pack attack will help keep the 49’ers vaunted pass rush off of Rodgers. Look for Rodgers to go over the top with deep attempts if San Fran plays single high safety, or when the Niners show blitz. The bottom line is: if Rodgers has time to throw – game over. 

S.F. on D:

Sporting one of the best rush defenses in the league, the 49ers also have an outstanding pass rush even without Niners stud pass rusher D-end Nick Bosa. Bosa, who suffered a concussion in the team’s win versus the Cowboys last week, will likely be a game-time decision.  The key to the 49’ers D vs G.B is likely going to be IF they can slow down the Packers offense. This will start with stopping the Packers dual-back powered rushing attack of A.J. Dillon and the previously mentioned Jones. If they can consistently get Green Bay in 3rd and 7 or more, it will be a good sign for San Fran. Holding the Packers to field goal attempts will be counted as wins and each time the Packers punt it will bring S.F. closer to a win.

Line-Notes:

The game opened at Green Bay -4½  and has steadily crept to where it sits now -6 ½ most likely with the IR news of Bosa and all the Packers returning starters.

Kickoff: Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on Fox, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call the game.

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