Tag: Aaron Rodgers

49ers head to the Frozen Tundra for Wild Card round

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By Gabe Schapiro

Playoff football is upon us, and for the San Francisco 49ers the quest for six begins in the not-so-friendly confines of the Frozen Tundra. They’ll be taking on the Green Bay Packers, this Sunday at 1:40pm, at the legendary Lambeau Field. On the final day of the regular season the Packers clinched the NFC North title with a win over the Chicago Bears. The 49ers head into the playoffs as the fifth seed, after winning a Wild Card spot.

In Green Bay, San Francisco will be taking on a team that has and continues to battle injuries, and went through several ups and downs this season. On the bright side for the 49ers, star linebacker Clay Matthews has already been ruled out for the contest. On the not-so-bright side for the 49ers, last weekend the Packers got back the face of their franchise, quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In addition, talented wideout Randall Cobb is also back and is already making an impact.

With Rodgers, Green Bay has a lethal offense. They lost tight end Jermichael Finley earlier this season, but are still loaded with weapons; namely Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and rookie of the year candidate, Eddie Lacy. Despite being without Rodgers for eight games, as a unit they still finished tied for eighth in the league in points scored. They were ranked sixth in passing yards, and in a new development, thanks in large part to Lacy, they ranked seventh in rushing.

Their big weakness is on defense. They’re missing multiple starters, and have been shaky much of the season. They gave up the ninth most points this season, the ninth most passing yards, and the eighth most rushing yards.

Finally, the last potential cause of concern for the 49ers, will be the harsh elements. As of this writing the expected high temperature this Sunday in Green Bay is a freezing -5. No, that’s not a typo. Add in wind chill, and the forecast is calling for Ice Bowl-esque numbers of -30 degrees or lower. It is expected to be one of the coldest games in NFL history.

The Packers are more accustomed to dealing with such frigid weather, but when you’re talking about record-breaking levels of cold, both teams will certainly be feeling the ill effects. I wouldn’t expect it to be a major factor to swing the odds in either direction.

With such bad conditions, look for the winner to be the squad who makes the least mistakes, and establishes the better running game. Thankfully for San Francisco, in the regular season they topped the Packers in both categories.

In addition, of late the 49ers have just had the Packers number. You can throw numbers and everything else out the window, that’s just been the trend. Back in Week 1, San Francisco came away with a 34-28 win over Green Bay. In last years divisional round, these foes faced off, and again the 49ers were victorious, 45-31. Colin Kaepernick has struggled at times this season, but you’d think he was the best QB on the planet if you were just looking at the last two times he faced off with the Packers.

The normal high-scoring affair expectations might need to be tempered because of the conditions. I would expect both sides to lean more heavily on their run game. And generally speaking, that plays in the favor of the 49ers. They have a strong run game, and a significantly better run defense.

With all of that said, anything can happen in the playoffs. Expect the cold, expect some snow, and expect the unexpected.

49ers at Seahawks, week 2 preview

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By Gabe Schapiro

This Sunday, September 15 at 5:30 PM, the San Francisco 49ers (1-0) will be taking on their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks (1-0) at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Last season the Seahawks surprised many by finishing the season 11-5 just behind the 49ers in the NFC West, and clinched a Wild Card birth. In the playoffs they were eliminated by the Atlanta Falcons in a tightly contest divisional playoff matchup, losing by a final score of 30-28. The upstart Seattle squad, led by QB Russell Wilson, brings an extremely talented team back this season who most expect to once again challenge San Francisco for the NFC West division crown.

Last weekend the 49ers came away with a victory over the Green Bay Packers in what turned into another high scoring affair, 34-28. These two NFL powerhouses traded scores four times before San Francisco managed to grab onto the lead for good with just under six minutes remaining in the game. Colin Kaepernick and new wide receiver Anquan Boldin were the unquestioned stars from this one. Kaepernick, who is perhaps known best for his running ability, showed that he can beat you with his arm as well, throwing for a career high 412 yards and three touchdowns. Boldin, who was acquired via trade this past offseason from the Baltimore Ravens for a sixth round draft pick, clearly wanted to make a good first impression in his debut. He hauled in 13 receptions for an incredible 208 yards and a touchdown. That total was just nine yards shy of his career high.

The 49ers hope to carry their momentum from the big win in their season opener into week 2, which presents another tough matchup. Kaepernick already appears to be living up to the hype and then some in his sophomore season. In addition, their offense seemed to barely miss a beat despite the loss of Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham. Their defense didn’t perform like most have gotten used to seeing, but Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense isn’t one that any time will have an easy time totally keeping in check. They limited their run game, managed to get to Rodgers for a couple of sacks, and rookie safety Eric Reid had seven tackles and an interception in an impressive debut.

Despite Wilson’s talents, the Seattle offense isn’t as explosive as Green Bay’s, but their defense is stronger. So they will prove to be a very different puzzle for coach John Harbaugh and company to solve. Last weekend the Seahawks struggled more than most expected they would against the Carolina Panthers, losing for much of the game before squeaking out a victory with a late come back. It remains to be seen whether it was more of a statement about Seattle or Carolina, but regardless a hard fought game should be expected this weekend.

For these two teams who had almost identical records last season and split the season series, expect more fireworks to fly when they renew this budding rivalry, even if they are more of the gritty hardnosed variety rather than the highflying action seen last week.

49ers vs Packers, week 1 preview

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By Gabe Schapiro

As the now famous song goes, are you ready for some football? The games that count are finally upon us. Football fans everywhere officially have plans for at least the next 17 Sundays, Mondays, and the occasional Thursday. For the San Francisco 49ers (0-0), the hopeful journey back to another Super Bowl run begins this Sunday at 1:25 PM at Candlestick Park, where they will be taking on the Green Bay Packers (0-0). The matchup is a rematch of last year’s divisional playoff round, where, in a game featuring almost nothing but offense, the 49ers eliminated the Packers on the back of a record-breaking 181 rushing yard performance from QB Colin Kaepernick.

Green Bay, the reigning NFC North Champions, went 11-5 last season, but lost some veteran leadership this offseason. Most notably, WR Greg Jennings and S Charles Woodson were lost to free agency, and WR Donald Driver retired. They still feature a high-powered offense, however, led by the newly anointed highest paid player in the NFL, QB Aaron Rodgers. His receiving corps of Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Randall Cobb remains strong, TE Jermichael Finley is a coverage headache, and new second round draft pick Eddie Lacy from Alabama should give the team a better running threat then they’ve had in years. On the defensive side of the ball they aren’t elite but they have talent, headlined by OLB Clay Matthews, DE B.J. Raji, and their first round pick from this years draft, DE Datone Jones out of UCLA.

They present a very tough opening week for San Francisco, but it’s one that they matched up well against last season. The 49ers have their stout defense returning, one that allowed just two touchdowns in four preseason games. The Packers weak link on offense is their offensive line, one that the likes of Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Justin Smith and company hope to take advantage of to give Rodgers some trouble. The San Francisco offensive attack, especially with Kaepernick leading the read-option, was one that Green Bay simply had no answers for. They’ve had an offseason to learn and adjust, but whether they will be able to slow down the dual-threat that Kaepernick brings to the table remains to be seen.

Beyond Kaepernick, the 49ers final 53-man roster consists of several weapons that the Green Bay defense will have to account for. At receiver, hoping to pick up the slack for the injured Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, they have the new additions of Anquan Boldin through free agency and their fourth round pick Quinton Patton. Boldin is a battle-tested veteran who already appears to have an established chemistry with Kaepernick. Patton, who due to a finger injury only played in two preseason games, has already shown flashes of his explosiveness and potential. Of course, the immensely talented Vernon Davis is back at tight end, as well as the workhorse Frank Gore in the backfield. Davis had a down year last season, but flourished in the playoffs, and Gore has been the definition of consistency through his career.

These two historic franchises both appear to have the pieces in place to be strong contenders again this season. One way or another, it should prove to be an awfully entertaining game as this rivalry intensifies.

Game Notes: This week the Packers added two recently cut 49er quarterbacks, Scott Tolzien and Seneca Wallace…The 49ers traded LB Cam Johnson to the Colts for a future seventh round draft choice, and signed WR Chris Harper, a fourth round pick this year, from the Seahawks practice squad.