Why the 49ers are Facing the Most Dangerous Version of the Packers
This version of the Packers that the 49ers are facing in the divisional playoff round are better than the ones they played in 2020 and 2022.
Transcript
00:00 How do you see this matchup breaking down Niners Packers one versus seven seed on paper you'd think
00:06 this is not going to be a close game but these might be the two best teams in the NFC maybe.
00:13 Well I think there's a lot to it I think we talked about the quarterback so love is phenomenal I I
00:19 really like love he's he's done a great job Brock Purdy's having a great season as well
00:24 offensively I think they're both good but I think this Niners defense is going to be too much for
00:29 that offense at the end of the day and I think the 49ers defense is going to do a better job
00:36 than the Packers defense so I think that's going to be the difference maker this 49ers both both
00:42 teams have great offenses right Green Bay's younger but they're beat up they're coming into Levi
00:48 Stadium they got to travel to the west coast and this 49ers defense is going to make the difference
00:53 I believe over the Packers the Packers defense is good it's not great whereas the Niners have a
00:58 great defense I fully expect the 49ers to win this this game even though I think love is is a
01:04 great quarterback I think Brock's doing a fantastic job this offense is elite I fully expect the
01:09 Niners to pull this one off yeah I mean they should they should be expected to win what's
01:15 interesting though is that they're both seven and three in their last 10 and you can say that the
01:20 Packers haven't played as good a team like they lost to Tampa just about a month ago which is kind
01:25 of alarming because the Niners destroyed Tampa also lost to the Giants by two but they beat the
01:31 Chiefs and they beat Detroit in Detroit 29 22 which is why I feel like the Packers are the
01:37 second best team in the NFC and that this game is going to be really really really good two elite
01:43 quarterbacks or two quarterbacks who are playing at an elite level two elite running backs let's
01:46 talk about that for a second Packer Aaron Jones is really good yes he may not be as good as Christian
01:52 McCaffrey like overall but man as a ball carrier I think he's as good as Christian McCaffrey yeah
01:58 and the two systems are so similar how it's based on the run and play action and pocket movement and
02:03 both quarterbacks can throw so well on the run really similar offenses yeah yeah less motion
02:10 before less muscle before the stamp I would say but other than that it's pretty pretty damn near
02:16 identical they run the ball they play off of play action love can make those big throws but I think
02:22 the big deal for the 49ers is getting Eric Armstead back this week he practiced last week
02:27 him coming back is huge without Eric Armstead it would scare me more but I think Eric Armstead has
02:33 been one of the most unappreciated players on this 49ers team for a while but by people like myself
02:38 included when he's gone you see the difference in the run game so the 49ers got to do all they can
02:44 that has been one of the weaknesses for the 49ers in their defense this year is stopping the run
02:49 but I think with Eric Armstead they have a much better chance to do that I think they really need
02:54 to focus in on that if they can take Aaron Jones out of the equation or at least reduce him and
02:59 just put it all in love's hands that then they stand a better chance and I think they're going
03:03 to I think they're going to be ready I think Kyle Shanahan has started preparing last night
03:08 for this Packers team I think they're going to be rested they're going to be healthy they're
03:12 going to be ready to go this defense grant if you look at this defense this year it seems like they
03:18 got wore out twice right it seemed like they got wore out during that three game skid they were
03:23 wore out and towards the end of this season they were wore out again but now they had this bye week
03:29 and they're going to come back in it healthy and all they got to go is three games and I think
03:34 they're poised to do that with the rest well the Niners have played the Packers twice in the playoffs
03:40 last few years LaFleur was the coach I want to say both times correct yes okay so both times
03:47 a big way the Niners won that game was shutting down Aaron Jones he had 56 rushing yards in 2020
03:55 and he had 41 rushing yards in 2022 last night against the Cowboys he rushed 21 times for 118
04:01 yards and three touchdowns I feel like their offense is different now with Jordan Love with
04:07 Aaron Rodgers I get the feeling that he would sort of demand that they would pass the ball a ton
04:11 now you have a young quarterback on his rookie deal trying to please the coach and you got much
04:17 more of a 49ers just style attack where they're going to run the ball and I think if unless the
04:22 Niners offense just scores a bunch of points early this game's close those are the kind of games that
04:27 give the Niners problem because now run defense is an issue like now you can't just make that
04:32 they're so good at scoring first taking a lead and making the other team one-dimensional
04:36 it's going to be hard to do that I mean they can do it they can do it but they're going to have to
04:42 do it against the Packers otherwise this game they can lose they got to get that early lead
04:46 like they usually do that's the big thing about the two teams that I think outside of the Niners
04:51 that are good in the NFC are your Packers and your Lions they both can run the ball
04:56 and I actually I expect I know what John jumping ahead here but I think the 49ers pull this went
05:01 off against Green Bay and I think the Bucks beat the Eagles today and I think the Lions beat the
05:08 Bucks and I think the 49ers could be playing the Lions in the NFC championship I think that's
05:12 a possibility but my point is the Lions and the Green Bay Packers they both run the ball that's
05:17 been a weakness for the 49ers all year stopping to run if you if there's one weakness in this
05:22 49ers defense that's it and so they have to really just dial in and focus and stop them like they
05:27 have in years past I think they can do it again and again with the return of Eric Armstead I think
05:31 that's the difference also the Niners biggest weakness biggest weakness it's not to me the
05:37 run defense that's a it's a it's an issue it's not a bad run defense it's just not as good as it
05:42 used to be and this is always their issue containing mobile quarterbacks and it's not about the
05:48 scrambles although those hurt but to me it's the throws from outside the pocket because the Niners
05:53 want to play they want to rush for and play zone yeah well when you do that and your dns scream up
05:59 field past the quarterback it's really easy for him to get outside the pocket when you get outside
06:03 the pocket zone coverages break down all of a sudden it's just plastering I find someone and
06:08 run with them so now like all the advantages you had the pass rush gone the zone defense gone you're
06:14 just holding on for dear life while Jordan Love is toying with you or Lamar Jackson is toying with
06:21 you am I going to cross the line of scrimmage and run and not yet not yet not yet I'm going to throw
06:24 can't let Jordan Love do that to you because he has the skill set
06:29 to do all of that and that's how the Niners lose I feel like this this 49ers defense fully rested
06:36 is going to get after Jordan Love I feel like Nick Bosa Chase Young Javon Hargrave Eric Armstead are
06:42 going to put a ton of pressure on that Packers offensive line they're going to be able to slow
06:46 down that run and they will get after Jordan Love whether they can contain them or not that's going
06:51 to be the key like that's my that's my problem like when they get after a quarterback sometimes
06:55 they let him out of the pocket like sometimes it's better to just contain him than to get after him
07:00 but that wide nine is all about you know all gas no breaks none of that reading and reacting stuff
07:07 that you're getting Philly that worked so well yeah and you made a good point with this Packers
07:11 offense now that Aaron Rodgers is gone it's uh Matt LaFleur is free to just anybody right there's
07:17 no divas on this team calling for the ball every time youngest team in the league youngest team
07:21 in the league I think the fourth youngest in play to ever make the playoffs yeah uh in the history
07:26 of the NFL so all these guys they're just playing right like they're just free they're just whoever's
07:31 open is who I'm going to pass to we're going to run the ball and it is I've been using this
07:36 expression for a while now but they are that dog that pit bull off the leash right they have nothing
07:40 to lose you know no one expected to beat the Cowboys no one's expecting to beat the Niners
07:44 they can just come out here and play free and I do expect Love to make some plays off script
07:50 on the 49ers but I just don't think it's going to be enough I think 49ers have a superior defense
07:54 and they definitely can match them offensively though sure you know so I think Niners end up
08:00 pulling this one off these Packers are beat up man I think that's a big part of this if the 49ers
08:06 if they don't come out rusty it's it's over it's over the Packers have no chance the best hope is
08:12 that they come out rusty and the Packers can take the lead early if that happens it's a different
08:17 ball game but if the 49ers don't come out rusty I don't see the Packers having a chance in this
08:21 I think they have a chance I feel like we're underselling what they're doing they're seven
08:24 and three in their last 10 just like the Niners and their quarterback is just as much of an MVP
08:30 candidate over the last 10 is Brock Purdy I mean their defense isn't great but the Niners defenses
08:35 has some stinky performances the last few weeks too to me to me it's about to me the key is
08:44 can this offense come out clicking from the jump if they do that and they play Niners football and
08:50 they take the lead early that's when I say Packers have no chance now if the Niners don't do that
08:55 if they don't come out clicking if they do come out rusty that's when this becomes a real ball game
09:00 here's why we'll stop with the Packers in a minute and move on to our prize picks but
09:05 uh here's why the Packers offense is tough to stop and why they're clicking right now
09:10 they're a lot like the Niners there's not one guy you need to shut down
09:13 they're all threats and they spread the ball around they're balanced and run pass there's I
09:19 mean it's not like oh if you go in and shut down Romeo Dobbs you're good like no absolutely not
09:24 and that's the same way the Niners are makes them really tough I mean I think most people would say
09:28 that the Niners have a better coach then I don't think LeFleur is that good I think he messed up
09:33 the clock management at the end of that game let it be too close but his play design was on point
09:38 was it not I mean how many times did Jordan Love have wide open guys down the field yeah and the
09:43 one thing about the Packers is they're so young that they're going to be competitive for a while
09:47 with this group I think they're just going to get better probably next year all those guys are on
09:51 rookie contracts if you think about it now that they've established themselves as a contender
09:56 they should be able to finally make some big moves in free agency and I mean they're a year away
10:02 they shouldn't beat the Niners but right look what they did to the Cowboys they beat them I mean at a
10:08 certain point it was just as bad as it was when the Niners played the Cowboys they could have
10:11 finished that game better and that's on them but really the last 10 games they're an elite team
10:18 and they're good showed that they're better than the Cowboys that was not a fluke if they if those
10:22 teams played 10 times the Packers would win eight of them seven of them yeah yeah they're good I
10:27 just they're just their defense is not on the level of the Niners and that's going to be the difference
10:32 to me Alexander's quite good but he is but he's injured he might not even play I'm not sure if
10:37 he's playing yeah I saw that it's true