Division round vs Niners 7:15 Saturday LFT

[Pokerbrat2000]

What worries me is that Barry might have them playing too loose. And that he might use 3 man rushes. Both Tampa and SF got up early by long sustained drives. Don't want to see us kick off just to give up another long drive to start the game. And like everyone says, that SF run game looks pretty tough. Hoping Campbell and Barnes can stuff some of those runs early.

I thought the same thing. I think they need to try and hit Jimmy G. often and early, get him off his mark. Give him all day to throw and he has and will find, some really good targets that can hurt you. The 49'ers will be using the same strategy on Rodgers.

 

[PackerDNA]

Well here we go. Do we come out focused and prepared and ready to play our best football of the year? Or do we come out and look unprepared and discombobulated like Dallas?
This team got back to number one seed this year against All odds after blowing it last year.
Is this the year? Or is a 2011 again?

 

[PackerDNA]

Here's the thing. Take that list of returning vets. If just half of them come up with one big play each, and the rest of the team doesn't shoot itself in the foot, it should be a win.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well here we go. Do we come out focused and prepared and ready to play our best football of the year? Or do we come out and look unprepared and discombobulated like Dallas?
This team got back to number one seed this year against All odds after blowing it last year.
Is this the year? Or is a 2011 again?

It is playoff football. Play your best or you probably go home. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the 78,000 or so fans at Lambeau will add any extra motivation that the Packer players might need. I see a focused, rested, healthy and hungry (for a Lombardi) team, this isn't going to be as close of a game as some of you seem to think its going to be.

 

[Guacamole]

Lets go!!

LFT?

 

[realitybytez]

But yeah I agree with you they got an easy opponent. The Hurts led Eagles looked more like a 6-11 type team. I believe the Lions would’ve beat that Eagles performance

that was the closest thing to a bye week that they could've gotten.

 

[Poppa San]

LFT?

Lambeau Field Time. I swiped it from a user group I used to haunt.

 

[PackAttack12]

As mentioned in another thread, I think it's quite likely that Garoppolo could struggle in a game with the temp as low as it will be. The only game that Garoppolo has played this season in sub 40 degree temp, he was awful. And in that game it was upper 30's.

And as @Pokerbrat2000 alluded to, has he ever really played in a game where the temp will be in the teens? I know he sat on the sidelines a lot during Foxboro temps, but he was never the guy on the field pulling the trigger.

Another issue with him playing in the cold is his thumb. You saw how it potentially limited Goff last year, although somewhat different circumstances.

The whole key to making sure that he struggles though will be shutting the run off at least enough to make him have to throw it more than 6 times like in 2019. Because if he is forced to throw as much as a normal quarterback throws, he's going to give the Packers opportunities for turnovers.

Find a way to get him in enough long down and distance situations, and let Clark, Gary, Smith, etc. hunt.

They are also a little banged up defensively. I fully expect LaFleur to take advantage of this.

I didn't want to play them initially, but I'm getting more confident by the minute.

 

[realitybytez]

make him have to throw it more than 6 times

definitely a key. our defense can not play that "bend don't break" nonsense where they allow the other team to just run the ball every play for 8-10 yards.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

As mentioned in another thread, I think it's quite likely that Garoppolo could struggle in a game with the temp as low as it will be. The only game that Garoppolo has played this season in sub 40 degree temp, he was awful. And in that game it was upper 30's.

And as @Pokerbrat2000 alluded to, has he ever really played in a game where the temp will be in the teens? I know he sat on the sidelines a lot during Foxboro temps, but he was never the guy on the field pulling the trigger.

Another issue with him playing in the cold is his thumb. You saw how it potentially limited Goff last year, although somewhat different circumstances.

The whole key to making sure that he struggles though will be shutting the run off at least enough to make him have to throw it more than 6 times like in 2019. Because if he is forced to throw as much as a normal quarterback throws, he's going to give the Packers opportunities for turnovers.

Find a way to get him in enough long down and distance situations, and let Clark, Gary, Smith, etc. hunt.

They are also a little banged up defensively. I fully expect LaFleur to take advantage of this.

I didn't want to play them initially, but I'm getting more confident by the minute.

Agree. I can find reasons why I wouldn't want to play all the remaining playoff teams, but I don't need to. I think this is one of the best teams that the Packers have had in a long time and given they are at home, they should have a clear path to the Super Bowl. Go out, play good (I didn't say great) defense, run your offense and you beat any and all of these teams. Packers could beat themselves with turnovers and penalties, but I don't see them doing that either. The atmosphere on Saturday is going to be nuts at Lambeau and the home team is going to be poised and ready to go.

 

[Mondio]

50 or 5, Garoppolo doesn’t worry me in the least if we can stop the run.

And whether it’s 50° or five if we can’t stop the run we’re gonna be in for a long day regardless

 

[Zad Fnark]

It's not like we *can't* stop the run.

Look at what the Pack did to the Vikes last time. Kept Cook to what, 24 yards?

 

[Mondio]

It's not like we *can't* stop the run.

Look at what the Pack did to the Vikes last time. Kept Cook to what, 24 yards?

I fully expect we will. As long as we play well I don’t think the game will ever be in question.

 

[Pkrjones]

Must stop the run!!!! Elijah Mitchell - 5'-10", 200 lbs., runs 4.33 forty. Deebo Samuels - 5'-11, 216 lbs., runs 4.48 forty. Hit them at or behind the line before they get started. Force Garropolo to throw & hit him often. Needs to be 28-7 or better at half-time, and then MLF needs to go for the throat in the 3rd quarter forcing SF to run the ball to end the game mercifully soon.
Packers 38 - SF 14.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's not like we *can't* stop the run.

Look at what the Pack did to the Vikes last time. Kept Cook to what, 24 yards?

Was going to say the same thing...and he only had 13 yards on 9 carries.

Deebo Samuel isn't going to run wild on that field. All it will take is some slippery footing and a few hard tackles into the cold ground and Deebo will wish he was back in South Carolina.

 

[Pkrjones]

Deebo Samuel isn't going to run wild on that field. All it will take is some slippery footing and a few hard tackles into the cold ground and Deebo will wish he was back in South Carolina.

Lambeau Field is heated & won't be cold... this isn't Soldier field which is frozen, spray-painted dirt. Slippery, maybe, but should be reasonably thawed/soft. I'm all for the hard tackles, however.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

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[Pokerbrat2000]

Lambeau Field is heated & won't be cold... this isn't Soldier field which is frozen, spray-painted dirt. Slippery, maybe, but should be reasonably thawed/soft. I'm all for the hard tackles, however.

It will be what the grounds crew is told it should be.

I have seen some cold games at Lambeau and if you aren't wearing the right cleats, frozen or not, it gets slippery.

 

[Pugger]

Niners are going to play tough physical smashmouth football and try to run the ball down the Packers throats. This matchup is the worst one for the Packers of any NFC team. They beat the Packers in the cold in January 2014 so I doubt this year's team will be bothered by the cold any more than the Packers. Its going to come down to the Packers d line. Can they stop the run and force the Niners into making bad throws ?

It's a good thing this 2021 team is a lot better than that 2014 squad...

 

[realitybytez]

It's a good thing this 2021 team is a lot better than that 2014 squad...

definitely a lot better coached anyway.

 

[OldSchool101]

definitely a lot better coached anyway.

Matt has quietly become a generational HC

Avoiding turnovers and creating a few should be an important focus.
We are 11-0 this season when ahead in net takeaways.

We are 2-4 in games with even or negative net takeaways. (2-1 when even; 0-3 when behind)

If Aaron Rodgers gets 1-2 extra bonus drives from a takeaway, I think we will open the risk throttle.
I noticed MLF did that several times recently on a takeaway drive., he’s ok going for it if we’re ahead and it’s a reasonable yard and a half etc.. You could just tell he expects points off a Turnover.. and I like that aggressive approach.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Matt has quietly become a generational HC

While I tend to agree with that, some will try to give most of the credit to Rodgers. Whether there is some truth to that or not, I guess we will find out after Rodgers is gone. I think barring an unforeseen event, MLF is going to be coaching the Packers longer than Rodgers is playing for them.

I also think that somewhere along the way, Gute should be given a lot of credit for the success with MLF, after all, he hired him.

 

[realitybytez]

I also think that somewhere along the way, Gute should be given a lot of credit for the success with MLF, after all, he hired him.

did he really, or did murphy? i thought murphy changed the organizational structure to have both the head coach and gm report directly to him.

 

[Team Ronny]

Listening to these comments you would think we were the wildcard traveling to SF. We are the #1 seed, we beat them in SF, yeah they were banged up, so were we! Should have pounded them that game, but, our defense let them back in in the 4th qtr. We are getting 4 pro bowlers plus 4 more preferred starters, a good special teams guy, and Cobb and possibly Mvs back.Plus a jacked up crowd of 80,000 Cheese heads Not saying it's going to be a cake walk, but our guys should be amped for this game!

 

[OldSchool101]

I expect SF to be over aggressive the first couple of drives. Lots of loaded boxes and sending extra rushers all in trying to create disruption early to get some momentum and quiet the crowd. That’s what worked in Dallas, SF literally hushed the crowd for 3.5 quarters.
I’d get the ball out quicker and decisively for some 5 yard chunks and keep their D on the field with a slow methodical bleeding. At some juncture we will need to test our Run game. If Dillon can rush for 6 yards a carry against Tampa last season, he should be good for 4-5 yards a carry in bulk. Wear them down early with a humiliating 75 yard, 7 minute drive.