The San Francisco 49ers play the Bay Packers at 8:15 p.m. What to Expect in the NFL Playoff Videos on Saturday.
Aaron Rodgers has completed 72% of his passes in the Packers’ last seven games. He has also thrown 20 touchdowns without an interception in that time. At 38, he’s still very good at what he does, and he’s more likely to win his second straight Most Precious Participant Award and his fourth in general.
It doesn’t matter how good Rodgers is as a person. He has only played in one Super Bowl, 11 years ago. Since he can choose where he plays next season, this might be his last chance to make it to another one with Green Bay.
Before the start of the 2019 season, Matt LaFleur took over as head coach of the Packers. He added cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes and All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to the defence. It doesn’t matter how many cornerbacks are protecting Davante Adams on the offensive side of the ball. He’s a no-brainer no matter who they are or how many of them there are.
In front of Billy Turner and Josh Myers, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon lead a strong attack with speed. Za’Darius Smith, an outside linebacker for the Packers, is one of many injured players who could be back soon. The Packers can use that to help them fight against one of the most popular teams left. But Jaire Alexander and David Bakhtiari were still listed as “questionable” before the kickoff.
San Francisco has won seven of its last nine games, including a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in extra time in Week 18. Garoppolo led the team back from a 17-point first-half deficit.
A lot more recently than Rodgers, Garoppolo has been to the Super Bowl. The 49ers and Green Bay Packers have both chosen his presumptive replacement. Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are yards-after-catch monsters. Garoppolo has kept Trey Lance from rising to the top by throwing short, quickly, and on time to them and handing off, many times, to Elijah Mitchell and Samuel. San Francisco smashed Dallas for 169 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last week.
The 49ers’ many, powerful running games can wreak havoc on Green Bay’s weak run defense, and their front seven, with quick linebackers and a strong move rush, can take down a small secondary. In last week’s game against Dallas, San Francisco had a 45.7 percent stress rate, which was the team’s highest rate this season, based on N.F.L.’s Next Gen Stats. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner should be back soon.
