49ers show respect for new version of the Packers
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers face off again on Saturday. It's another playoff game between the teams after the 49ers handed the Packers so many disappointments over the last decade — 2012, 2013, 2019, and most recently, 2021. Even when Green Bay was the better team in 2021, playing better on offense […]
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers face off again on Saturday. It's another playoff game between the teams after the 49ers handed the Packers so many disappointments over the last decade — 2012, 2013, 2019, and most recently, 2021. Even when Green Bay was the better team in 2021, playing better on offense and defense, special teams decided the game in the 49ers' favor.
But now, it's a totally different circumstance. Sure enough, San Francisco is the first seed and a huge favorite to win the game. But the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love doesn't go unnoticed around the Bay Area.
"(Jordan Love is) a quarterback who does exactly what he's coached to do," said 49ers edge defender Nick Bosa. "Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer and unbelievable, but he kind of went outside, and sometimes it's good when you have a guy who does what he's coached to do."
Throughout the season, several opponents doubted Jordan Love — Chicago Bears defender Jaquan Brisker is the most obvious example. But not this time around. 49ers off-ball linebacker Fred Warner showed how much he respects Love's performance.
"Jordan Love played the game of his life in his playoff debut. He's been phenomenal down the stretch," Warner said. "It's gonna be a huge test for us this weekend. I'm not taking the Packers lightly."
Kyle Shanahan is known for his ability to extract the most out of his quarterbacks. And even he is impressed by what Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love have been able to do together.
"He (Love) is extremely consistent with what they're asking him to do. Matt is very good at coaching the quarterback, and you can see that their quarterback is buying in and plays very well in their system. He makes a lot of plays, has a big arm, and is a big dude."
Looking at the stats, that Aaron Rodgers' performance against the 49ers in the playoffs after the 2021 season wasn't so bad. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions. But the offense stalled, especially in the second half, and produced only 10 points — from the Rodgers perspective, there were missed opportunities, with a long of reads and plays left on the field. They forced their hand to use Davante Adams, but the 49ers' plan was specifically designed to limit the top wide receiver, and the Packers had no answers.
But there are two other aspects where this game is different. First, the 49ers defensive coordinator then, DeMeco Ryans, is now the Houston Texans head coach. Steve Wilks is a good coach, but Ryans' ability to build gameplans was and is impressive.
The second point is how much the Packers offense has changed. If the 2021 team was built with 80% of the first reads to Davante Adams, now they have a decentralized attack, with multiple receivers being able to lead the team in receiving yards — including two rookie tight ends in Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
Playing within the system is imperative for Jordan Love against a defense based on its pass rush and front seven aggressiveness. If the Packers are able to limit the impact of those areas to exploit the secondary more often, there could be something to take advantage of.
