Matching Up With the Niners

[call_me_ishmael]

I guess you gotta put Jaire manned up on Aiyuk or Deebo. You probably double the other. How do you handle Kittle then? They're a very tough match-up offensively but so was Dallas.

How you guarding them?

[RashanGary]

Nobody wants to hear this, but they can attack the whole field. The best you can do is either hope for a penalty or mental error on their part or bend and then hold in the red zone when there’s less field to cover.

But nobody likes bend but don’t break. The theory is you get aggressive and you shut down the best teams. The reality is, you get aggressive and then you lose the game before it even starts.

It’s a lot easier to stop a team when the end zone shortens the area to cover. So bend but don’t break. That’s how you cover them.

Quite literally, Joe Barry is a good defensive coordinator. He’s doing it right.

[King Friday]

Dallas doesn’t have CMC. That is the difference. Purdy is also a much better QB than Dak in pressure situations.

The Packers defense is what we thought they are, and Shanny Jr and the 69ers won’t let them off the hook. I’ll give credit to Barry actually stepping up and doing some coaching work in recent weeks. He’s bringing new looks and actually earning a paycheck for a change. While I will earnestly hope for the Packers defense to bring the pain next week, I fear another mediocre pass rush day that leads to a lot of points for the opponent.

[Fritz]

I think most here would be okay with a “bend but don’t break” approach against this team, but the problem is that Joe Barely is most likely to deliver a “bend over and wait” defense instead.

[run pMc]

Dallas doesn’t have CMC. That is the difference. Purdy is also a much better QB than Dak in pressure situations.

Yeah. DAL also has McCarthy, while SF has Shanahan.
SF has a better defense and more weapons than DAL does. They're the 1 seed (and possibly the best team in the NFL this year) for a reason.

I think both offenses are very good, but their defense is much better, and that's the difference in the game. Assuming he can play, I'm not sure you want to match Jaire with Deebo. Deebo is pretty physical and Jaire is really banged up. Maybe Aiyuk instead? Then again, they will probably just play sides and cover who lines up in their area.

[MadtownPacker]

Fuck partial and his white towel throwing ass.

Pack vs 49ers in playoffs
Rodgers - 0-4

All others - 4-1

Love isn’t depressed SF didn’t draft him so he don’t give a shit.

[MadScientist]

Fuck partial and his white towel throwing ass.

Pack vs 49ers in playoffs
Rodgers - 0-4

All others - 4-1

Love isn’t depressed SF didn’t draft him so he don’t give a shit.
And that one loss was bullshit, because Rice fucking fumbled.

[Fritz]

Who knows what the hell will happen, but it will be highly interesting to see how this team's attitude is out there on the field Saturday. Man, SF sure gave Green Bay some beatdowns in their home stadium in the playoffs not too long ago. Some beatdowns. The same dazed looks the Cowboys had this past weekend were pasted all over the Packer players' faces in those games. Like they were never even in it.

So we'll see if they come ready to rumble, at least. Just as long as they don't play like they're getting run over by a Mack truck, I'll be okay with it.

[RashanGary]

https://x.com/andyhermannfl/status/1744499538050572607?s=46&t=nQImf8h3Oxzq2_jOx_kBGw

Not a lot of linebackers can match Kittles intensity, but if you check this out, I think we can agree one of them plays for the good guys.

[Upnorth]

https://youtu.be/qkXg6XP9JY4?si=76IVOQ4FaSkc7JTe

Adding to rg point

[George Cumby]

Who knows what the hell will happen, but it will be highly interesting to see how this team's attitude is out there on the field Saturday. Man, SF sure gave Green Bay some beatdowns in their home stadium in the playoffs not too long ago. Some beatdowns. The same dazed looks the Cowboys had this past weekend were pasted all over the Packer players' faces in those games. Like they were never even in it.

So we'll see if they come ready to rumble, at least. Just as long as they don't play like they're getting run over by a Mack truck, I'll be okay with it.

IMO, #12 ate up all the oxygen in the room, in some ways, the team was more his than MLF's. That's now changed and through a process of addition by subtraction, the whole is now greater than the sum of its parts.

I'm confident the O will be able to trade blows with SF, Barry's D is the real wild card for me.

[George Cumby]

https://youtu.be/qkXg6XP9JY4?si=76IVOQ4FaSkc7JTe

Adding to rg point

Thanks for digging that up. I was watching the edge players most of that game and didn't watch him much. I have a much better appreciation for him, now.

I like the pick during the draft as we've lacked that nasty tone-setter in the middle of the D, we now have that guy who has the physical skills to match. Next year forward he's going to be a monster.

[Tony Oday]

I have no idea how the Packers can win this game. I wish it was a Sunday Game and not wreck a Saturday.

[Fosco33]

Remember when the 15-1 packers lost to the giants in divisional round… it can happen.

Get after Purdy and make him turn it over - in the games they lost - that was the key.

Treat it w/ the same plan as Lions2 and Cowboys - run and play action to spread the ball. Hope you get a few lucky breaks and get inside their heads.

[RashanGary]

Deebo, Aiyuk, Kittle, Juice Check and CMC are kind of their clear and obvious best 5. It’s a versatile group that relies a lot on tying the run game to the pass game and keeping defenses off balance with that unpredictability.

Purdy kind of has it made with the situation he’s in. He can throw check downs, screens and every other variety of high percentage, rhythm building passing plays. And the guys he’s throwing to can all turn those into nice chunks. He also has a very good run game to lean on. The left side of their OL is big and dominant moving guys off the ball. And the right side is athletic and can pull. They love to run left behind those big guys and pull an extra big guy to further that advantage. They play with a full back and tight end who can block and catch, so again, that’s an advantage for the run game.

They have good pass catchers and a QB who can distribute so they’ll kill you quick if you try to leave your guys on islands.

It’s a bad matchup for our defense and every defense.


We can come out “aggressive” and leave guys on islands to put our energy toward stopping the run and maybe getting quick pressure on the QB. But if you do a lot of that, you’re pretty much relegating yourself to giving up a ton of points and almost guaranteeing you lose the game before the first half is even over.

You have to pick your spots.

SF likes to get cute and can sometimes step on their own toes. I think you want to come out with a general identity of bend but don’t break and hope they make one of their regular cutesy mistakes. I don’t think you can rely entirely on a bend but don’t break philosophy though because SF has a really strong run game and really good red zone targets. Frankly, you’re probably going to break, but at least it’s not going to be instantly and maybe you’ll get lucky and stop them a time or two in the redzone, where the advantage goes to the defense.

But off of that bend but don’t break, I think you want take a few chances. Not often enough that the 49ers are calling plays to beat the helpless coverages you’re putting out there, but often enough that you’re not completely relying on them making a mistake.

Assuming you don’t do what fans always want and surrender before you even begin… assuming you give yourself a chance with a bend but don’t break game plan.

Assuming Joe Barry comes out like the quality DC he is and gives our guys a chance. Shannahan is cocky and he’ll shoot himself in the toes. Purdy does make mistakes and he could shoot himself in the toes as well. You can get a couple stops in the redzone, maybe a turn over, and your offense has a great night.

We can win. But we’re underdogs. Regardless, LFG with some Barry ball and win this thing like we have so many times the last few years!

[run pMc]

And that one loss was bullshit, because Rice fucking fumbled.

yes, yes he did. Incredible that wasn't ruled a fumble.

[KYPack]

And that one loss was bullshit, because Rice fucking fumbled.

You betchum he lost that ball from here to there.

Thx for reminding me.

I'm working up my Niner hate.

1. Wring that tiny Purdy's neck. He's a little shit and gets rattled when tagged.

[George Cumby]

^ The Ravens showed the way, they beat him up a little and the yips set in.

[Fritz]

Deebo, Aiyuk, Kittle, Juice Check and CMC are kind of their clear and obvious best 5. It’s a versatile group that relies a lot on tying the run game to the pass game and keeping defenses off balance with that unpredictability.

Purdy kind of has it made with the situation he’s in. He can throw check downs, screens and every other variety of high percentage, rhythm building passing plays. And the guys he’s throwing to can all turn those into nice chunks. He also has a very good run game to lean on. The left side of their OL is big and dominant moving guys off the ball. And the right side is athletic and can pull. They love to run left behind those big guys and pull an extra big guy to further that advantage. They play with a full back and tight end who can block and catch, so again, that’s an advantage for the run game.

They have good pass catchers and a QB who can distribute so they’ll kill you quick if you try to leave your guys on islands.

It’s a bad matchup for our defense and every defense.


We can come out “aggressive” and leave guys on islands to put our energy toward stopping the run and maybe getting quick pressure on the QB. But if you do a lot of that, you’re pretty much relegating yourself to giving up a ton of points and almost guaranteeing you lose the game before the first half is even over.

You have to pick your spots.

SF likes to get cute and can sometimes step on their own toes. I think you want to come out with a general identity of bend but don’t break and hope they make one of their regular cutesy mistakes. I don’t think you can rely entirely on a bend but don’t break philosophy though because SF has a really strong run game and really good red zone targets. Frankly, you’re probably going to break, but at least it’s not going to be instantly and maybe you’ll get lucky and stop them a time or two in the redzone, where the advantage goes to the defense.

But off of that bend but don’t break, I think you want take a few chances. Not often enough that the 49ers are calling plays to beat the helpless coverages you’re putting out there, but often enough that you’re not completely relying on them making a mistake.

Assuming you don’t do what fans always want and surrender before you even begin… assuming you give yourself a chance with a bend but don’t break game plan.

Assuming Joe Barry comes out like the quality DC he is and gives our guys a chance. Shannahan is cocky and he’ll shoot himself in the toes. Purdy does make mistakes and he could shoot himself in the toes as well. You can get a couple stops in the redzone, maybe a turn over, and your offense has a great night.

We can win. But we’re underdogs. Regardless, LFG with some Barry ball and win this thing like we have so many times the last few years!

“Assuming Joe Barry comes out like the quality DC he is” - you do realize that line undoes anything else you wrote up there. You could be proposing Eintein’s theory of relativity for the first time, and if you throw THAT line into it, you unravel everything else you’ve done.

“The quality DC he is”??!? This is his third stop as a DC. That’s like saying a $50 meth-addicted hoe who’s been in the biz for ten years is a high quality hooker.

It just ain’t so, Justin. But I think you like being the contrarian. However, when you’re doing it JUST to be contrarian, and it’s clear that is all you’re doing, then it’s just stupid.

[RashanGary]

Fritz, I’m being a bit of a contrarian with the hyperbole, maybe ever so slightly inching toward troll status. But truly, during the stretch the DEFENSE was struggling we were missing Jaire, Savage and Campbell was banged up. We had:

7th round rookie corner
Undrafted rookie corner
Special teams player nickle (who’s not horrible, but barely average)
Special teams player safety in Ford who is atrocious
And
Owens who’s maybe average and only because he can tackle.


The entire back end was a sieve based on TALENT.


So while I am exaggerating Barry’s greatness, it’s not coming from a place of being a contrarian. It’s coming from the place of being annoyed by the lazy takes about the coach that don’t bother to consider what he’s working with. You guys deserve it for being so silly.

[RashanGary]

What’s interesting about Joe Barry’s stint in Detroit is that in 2006 the lions were 30th in points against. Then 32nd in 2007 and 2008 with Joe Barry. And then 32nd again the year after he left.

It’s almost like the talent was the constant in those lions teams considering 3 defensive coordinators all finished as one of the worst 3 teams in a span of 4 years. And let’s not forget that Rod Marinelli was the head coach and the leader of the defense. He was a highly successful DC in his time in the league so maybe talent does play a role?

[smuggler]

About the only thing that might save us is the 49ers only have an average pass-blocking line. Other than their LT, they are pretty meh. Sadly, Gary has gone MIA and we just lost Engabare. We might not be in a position for the edge guys to exploit it, but maybe Clark, Wyatt, and Brooks can do some work...

Getting the early lead might be pretty imporant to slow down their run game.

[RashanGary]

The other interesting thing about Joe Barry’s time as a defensive coordinator is that the year before he got to Washington they were 28th in points against. Then 17th and 19th with Barry and then back to 28th after he left.

Let’s say for shits and giggles that talent is part of the performance of a defense. With similar talent, Joe Barry was significantly better during his years than the DC before and after him.

How does that work?


I’m really not being a contrarian, I just can’t get over how much this Joe Barry hate has steam rolled. And I was already being critical of it before Jaire and Savage came back, so seeing the secondary play so much better with the weak links out just emboldened me more to harp on how silly you guys sound.

[Bretsky]

Joe Barry can go yesterday IMO. I think his game plans overall are sub par and predictable, and he doesn't adjust well.

[texaspackerbacker]

Owens has been better in coverage than he gets credit for. Rudy Ford did a damn good job as a Safety. Keisan Nixon had a few bad moments, but he also had some excellent ones - way more good than bad IMO. V and B -allentine both were above average cover Corners in comparison to the league in general, and in zone, arguably they played better than Jaire.

The jury is still out on Joe Barry IMO. His D has had a string of good games, and especially in the last one, it was scheme/changing things up in an effective way that did it. Hopefully that string continues this week. I and most people thought pressure was the key against Dak and the Cowboys. Joe knew better. I'm thinking again that we need a healthy dose of pressure on Purdy along with some switching to the umbrella coverage we saw against the Cowboys. We'll see what Joe thinks about that and if it works.

[run pMc]

The other interesting thing about Joe Barry’s time as a defensive coordinator is that the year before he got to Washington they were 28th in points against. Then 17th and 19th with Barry and then back to 28th after he left.

Let’s say for shits and giggles that talent is part of the performance of a defense. With similar talent, Joe Barry was significantly better during his years than the DC before and after him.

How does that work?

It can work a number of ways: the teams you face, injuries, roster construction, luck, etc. Being ranked 17th is still bottom half, although barely. GB's defenses have often been ok to good in points against, but at leasst some of that is masked by the pace of their offense. Rodgers milked the clock all the way down to 0 constantly, and they have had a very slow pace offense (comparing # of plays and TOP) under MLF. If your offense is on the field, your defense isn't giving up points.

[texaspackerbacker]

LaFleur was smart to take the ball rather than defer, as Barry's D generally is better at the beginning of a game than it is after the opponent adjusts and he tends to not be good at countering the adjustment. Jump on them early, get a stop, then jump on them again, and maybe you limit the things they can do.

[MadtownPacker]

I agree, the decision to take the ball may have been the game winner. Packers came right out and punched the cowboys in the mouth. Put them in a daze that wouldn’t wear off. The equivalent of walking up to a group of motherfuckers and knocking out the baddest one. The rest of the crew immediately doubts how tough they really are. I’m still kinda blown away how dominating it was.

Should they do the same thing Saturday if presented?

[texaspackerbacker]

I'd say yes because of Barry.

[George Cumby]

I agree, the decision to take the ball may have been the game winner. Packers came right out and punched the cowboys in the mouth. Put them in a daze that wouldn’t wear off. The equivalent of walking up to a group of motherfuckers and knocking out the baddest one. The rest of the crew immediately doubts how tough they really are. I’m still kinda blown away how dominating it was.

Should they do the same thing Saturday if presented?

Fuck yes.

We are gonna' take this ball and fucking score and there is nothing you can do about it.

[Joemailman]

Based on EPA, Packers and 49ers basically the same since week 12.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEEN00JXIAA1OiM?format=jpg&name=medium

[QBME]

Based on EPA, Packers and 49ers basically the same since week 12.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GEEN00JXIAA1OiM?format=jpg&name=medium

Help a fellow Rat out - what is EPA?

[Joemailman]

Help a fellow Rat out - what is EPA?


Expected Points Added (EPA) is a commonly used advanced statistic in football. In short, this stat measures how well a team performs compared to their expectation on a play-by-play basis. EPA and EPA per Play, along with other stats using EPA, can help us evaluate team and player performance.

In this table, the further to the right you are, the better your offense. The closer to the top you are, the better the defense.

[QBME]

In this table, the further to the right you are, the better your offense. The closer to the top you are, the better the defense.

So the goal is to flat line along either the x or y axis or more preferably shoot a 45 degree?

[Fritz]

I agree, the decision to take the ball may have been the game winner. Packers came right out and punched the cowboys in the mouth. Put them in a daze that wouldn’t wear off. The equivalent of walking up to a group of motherfuckers and knocking out the baddest one. The rest of the crew immediately doubts how tough they really are. I’m still kinda blown away how dominating it was.

Should they do the same thing Saturday if presented?

Nah. If the Packers win the toss, they should take the ball, then come out and punch the Niners in the nutsack.

Weirdly, Tex makes a rational point about Barry's defenses and posts what seems to me to be a thoughtful post.

I wonder if he's passed out and his wife is now posting as "Tex." Ya never know.

[MadtownPacker]

Thought Tex is the only one here who doesn’t consume alcohol.

But he could be passed out after playing tennis and getting laid. :lol:

[texaspackerbacker]

It's been in the 20s here all day, so no tennis, but 1 outta 2 ain't bad. I'm the only one who doesn't drink? I guess that explains some things hahahahaha.

Of course, I'm right. Of course LaFleur know more than any of us, in a football context anyway. And just maybe Joe Barry does too.

[KYPack]

Thought Tex is the only one here who doesn’t consume alcohol.

But he could be passed out after playing tennis and getting laid. :lol:

You going to the ball game, man?

[MadtownPacker]

No senor. I will be watching on the rec room tv with the homeboys. Unless some shit kicks off and we go on lockdown before Saturday. Then I will have to watch on the tv reflection off the CO’s pod glass. I’m hoping Smiley gets house arrest release on Thursday because I’m next in line for a door window that looks right at the TV.

[smuggler]

So the goal is to flat line along either the x or y axis or more preferably shoot a 45 degree?

Top right diagonal stripe contains the best overall teams and then teams get progressively worse as you approach the bottom left stripe. GB/SF are effectively neutral in this comparison.

[Vincenzo]

Where I do get concerned about the matchup Saturday night is that this Packer team allowed the 5th most rushing yards per game during the regular season and they’re playing a 49ers team that averaged the 3rd most rushing yards per game.
Samuel and McCaffrey are a scary duo to consider.

[Joemailman]

Lately though Packers have been shutting down opposing RB's. Dak found some running room, so they'll need to watch Purdy. But their run defense has definitely improved. Entire season stats don't mean that much right now. In many areas, the Packers are a drastically different team than they were the 1st nine games.

[bobblehead]

Nobody wants to hear this, but they can attack the whole field. The best you can do is either hope for a penalty or mental error on their part or bend and then hold in the red zone when there’s less field to cover.

But nobody likes bend but don’t break. The theory is you get aggressive and you shut down the best teams. The reality is, you get aggressive and then you lose the game before it even starts.

It’s a lot easier to stop a team when the end zone shortens the area to cover. So bend but don’t break. That’s how you cover them.

Quite literally, Joe Barry is a good defensive coordinator. He’s doing it right.

I'll ignore the last statement as 30 years of history says otherwise.

However, they don't attack the entire field. They don't have a field stretcher and even if they did Purdy doesn't have a very strong arm. The way to defend them is to get pressure up the middle, maybe using some ILB blitzes or stunts. Force Purdy off his spot and make it impossible for him to step up and set his feet. He is much less effective if he is forced to move sideways. Then just do the normal stuff that we don't usually try with our really good DC. Disrupt the routes in their infancy, give some help behind the initial 7 yards and hope you get to the QB in time. I'm not too worried about Purdy burning us deep. They don't have a Watson, or Love's arm.

[bobblehead]

Fritz, I’m being a bit of a contrarian with the hyperbole, maybe ever so slightly inching toward troll status. But truly, during the stretch the DEFENSE was struggling we were missing Jaire, Savage and Campbell was banged up. We had:

7th round rookie corner
Undrafted rookie corner
Special teams player nickle (who’s not horrible, but barely average)
Special teams player safety in Ford who is atrocious
And
Owens who’s maybe average and only because he can tackle.


The entire back end was a sieve based on TALENT.


So while I am exaggerating Barry’s greatness, it’s not coming from a place of being a contrarian. It’s coming from the place of being annoyed by the lazy takes about the coach that don’t bother to consider what he’s working with. You guys deserve it for being so silly.

Barry HAS done a pretty good job in the playoffs. Its a fucked up dynamic where he just hands the keys to bad offenses, but then handles Detroit, Dallas, KC...even the 49ers when they needed a blocked punt to beat us.
I'm just hoping that he continues to gameplan better for elite teams. Just a couple more times. I'm ok with him saving his job if we win the next 3.

[Upnorth]

Quay needs to have a career defining game. Shanahan schemes the middle a lot. If quay can be Ray Lewis, we have a chance.

That's a massive if

[Fritz]

Quay needs to have a career defining game. Shanahan schemes the middle a lot. If quay can be Ray Lewis, we have a chance.

That's a massive if

Very good point. SF just chews up the middle of the field. One encouraging sign from the Dallas game was the way Packer defenders swarmed to the ball. We rarely saw that all year.

You just can’t let the Niners go all alpha male on you, like they did in that blowout in 2019. Packers need to lay the wood.

[RashanGary]

Ok, I got through 4 games of the 9ers. Weeks 13-16. 3 good ones and a stinker.

Purdy thrives on checkdowns, wide open looks from scheme, picking apart zone and really good anticipation on out routes. For not having a big arm, he hits those passes consistently.

He’s just big enough. Just mobile enough. Just enough arm. Has composure. He’s a really good player kind of being just good enough at everything and being good between the ears.

The 49ers run really well to that left side behind two road graders. The receivers all block well. The TE and FB all block. That sets up deebo on jet sweeps going right off of left run action.

They kind of nickle and dime you and chew you up. Other than Jennings, all of their pass catchers excel at YAC. It’s a good combo because Purdy is better short to intermediate and he’s pretty accurate.


I’m a big believer in bend but don’t break, especially if your offense is reliable because it’s much easier to get stops in the redzone. But I don’t think this is the team to fuck around and find that out with. That’s exactly what they want because they’re best in the redzone and best and chipping their way down the field without mistakes. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Defensively, kind of no matter what you do, they’re gonna chip away and wear you down. They’re just so consistent. The times they do run into trouble is in the drop back passing game and Purdy can’t get it off quick. He’s not great creating and he’s not horribly difficult to sack.

I think you kind of concede that they’re gonna chip away at you and then take a couple guesses with play calls to put Purdy in that spot he struggles where he doesn’t have a guy open right away and pressure comes. I think you kind of play a disciplined defense, the kind they chew up, for the most part and then take a few guesses where you sell out to stop the pass. I think you can catch Purdy off guard and stop a couple drives that way. But you don’t want to guess so often that Kyle carved you for 300 in the run game. A few guesses sprinkled in and it’s not one guy guessing, it’s a whole defensive call where coverage smothers and pass rush pins their ears back.

Purdy has been lights out with that average arm, hitting those deep outs. But fuck, he’s living dangerously because I think a snappy corner could jump those things and make a house call. Valentine and Jaire (if healthy), I think have a chance for a game changer. I think we have the kind of explosive corners who can finally make him pay.

Like i said, they’re chewing you up whether you’re disciplined or not, and the only unreliable part of their offense is when coverage smothers and the pass rush is aggressive. So take a couple guesses on second down and I think you can stall a couple drives. And have your corners drive on those out routes a couple times.

They’re really good, but I don’t think they’re unbeatable. You can get pressure with 4 if you pin your ears back and guess pass at the right time.

[RashanGary]

Defensively they similar to offense. Every one of their skill guys on offense is incredibly experienced and smart. So is their whole back 7 on defense. I think they have one guy, a safety who’s a rookie, but the rest are 5+ year vets. I’m sure there are ways to take grey area off of one guys plate and spread it amongst the other 6 experienced guys.

This is NOT your 49ers of a few years ago. They’re neither physically dominant on the whole OL (only left side now) nor are they physically dominant up front on defense. You can push them around up front. Their DL is small.

This is going to be a really tough game for Love. This defense is not only experienced, but they’re used to practicing against all of Kyle’s misdirection and they don’t leave free runners. I think our pass pro is better than their pass rush so he should be able to throw accurately a lot of the time, but there’s aren’t going to be as many layups. He’s going to have to shoot a high percentage from the field.

I think we can run the ball. Especially up the middle. I think we can pass the ball. But it’s going to have to be good, accurate passes. I doubt it’s going to be this no punt kind of game we’ve seen in the past. The 9ers are just too disciplined to not come away with a couple stops.



It’s a tough matchup for both offense and defense. I think the 49ers have the edge with experience and consistency. I think the Packers actually have the edge in the trenches and with the dynamite QB.

Yada yada, it probably comes down to turnovers and Jordan Love playing another elite game for us to win. But the 9ers sure as hell ain’t in another league. We’re right there and can win this thing.

[texaspackerbacker]

Good analysis, RG. Yeah, I think we can run on them, and for sure Love's mobility and release will negate the pass rush regardless of what our O Line does.

On D, I'm a little bit worried that they can run on us, but I thought that last week too, and we shut down about as good a running attack.

That practicing against the Shanahan/LaFleur style offense works both ways hahahaha.

The fact that this is a road game also is worrisome, but the Packers have been good on the road late in the season.

We ought to beat them. It certainly seems like we have better personnel at most positions.

[RashanGary]

Good analysis, RG. Yeah, I think we can run on them, and for sure Love's mobility and release will negate the pass rush regardless of what our O Line does.

On D, I'm a little bit worried that they can run on us, but I thought that last week too, and we shut down about as good a running attack.

That practicing against the Shanahan/LaFleur style offense works both ways hahahaha.

The fact that this is a road game also is worrisome, but the Packers have been good on the road late in the season.

We ought to beat them. It certainly seems like we have better personnel at most positions.

They are really strong running to the left. Three road graders, all 320 plus from center over to left tackle. Plus all their skill guys block so that whole left side is just a dominant aspect to their run game and offense over all. It’s the center of their offense.

They love quick passes, screens, check downs. All their guys except their #3 wr are amazing yac guys. They love to pick apart zone defense.

They don’t commit penalties and they don’t make many mistakes so they just methodically chew you up and drain the clock. They’re very good in the red zone.


So yeah, bend but don’t break isn’t going to work. Barry is going to have to pick some spots and hope he guesses right. When you’re playing a bad team, you take risks and you give a bad team a chance to get in it. But against a team that methodically eats you alive, you’re no losing much if you give an undisciplined 20 yard run once a drive. They were going to get it anyway. And if you guess right on second down, you have a dang good chance of getting a stop on 3rd and long.

[call_me_ishmael]

They have 8 all-pros, we have 0. "Our personnel is better fellas". Come on. But they got a shot, no doubt. I think it's gonna be close.

[Fritz]

Well, if they tend to run left, Preston Smith is a better guy to have there than Gary, who contains the run like a sieve contains water.

TJ Slaton is going to have to really be a force. And I hope McDuffie’s feeling better and better. They’re going to need him early downs.

And Quay’s going to have to have the game of his life.

They need to take Olivia Newton John’s coaching advice.

Let’s get physical, physical.

[BrokenArrow]

They have 8 all-pros, we have 0. "Our personnel is better fellas". Come on. But they got a shot, no doubt. I think it's gonna be close.

Never did put much stock into the all-pro and pro-bowl stuff. Nothing more than fodder for players to demand inflated contracts.

[KYPack]

No senor. I will be watching on the rec room tv with the homeboys. Unless some shit kicks off and we go on lockdown before Saturday. Then I will have to watch on the tv reflection off the CO’s pod glass. I’m hoping Smiley gets house arrest release on Thursday because I’m next in line for a door window that looks right at the TV.

Hey, I can show you how to make a really good shiv out of a spork.

[Sparkey]

This is the game that you hope Van Ness steps into the spotlight and totally blows up the 49ers gameplan.

[MadtownPacker]

Hey, I can show you how to make a really good shiv out of a spork.
And risk losing my Internet privileges? Hell no!

On a fun note 49er fans seem to be concerned about Love. Kinda like Erron before they realize they could beat his ass. Fave women the niners so maybe it skips a generation.

[Fritz]

Help a fellow Rat out - what is EPA?

It's the Environmental Protection Agency, but how that applies to football, I do not know.

Odd to me that no one's really mentioned the Nick Bosa interview, in which he talks about how Rodgers, HOFer and all, often went so far oft script nobody knew what he was running. Then Bosa said maybe it was better that Love just did what the coaches wanted.

Stenavich more or less confirmed the Rodgers part of it, saying that sometimes the Packer sideline didn't even know what Rodgers had just run. So if the offensive coaches don't know, how the hell were the young players supposed to know? And as has been pointed out, that made it near-impossible to set up plays for later cuz The Flower didn't really know what Rodgers was going to do. Sounds like Rodgers was playing 3-D chess but only about three guys on the offense knew what that was, because Rodgers would change things last-second with his Martian hand signals and blips and buzzes - no wonder the young guys couldn't get up to speed. Rodgers may have seen things no one else could see, but if he couldn't get that info to the whole offense in a manageable amount of time, and if he couldn't fit it into a bigger strategy, then it sounds like it might've been really tough at times.

It sure sounds like LeFleur is able to run strategy for a game instead of just tactics play-to-play as Rodgers seemed to do. Sounds like it's easier for the young guys, too.

Man, this team has a good vibe right now. Instead of being the older, favored team with the weight of expectations, these guys are young and loose and playing hard and fast. I couldn't believe that was a Green Bay defense out there flying around against Dallas.

I think this team is in a better mental and emotional place to take out the Niners than the last two Packer playoff teams were. They really do seem on a hot streak.

I hope it's a fun game. Especially for the Packers.

[RashanGary]

I saw that too, fritz, the way I relayed to to my son is that Rodgers thought his idea was better than the collective of 20 people.

They have an OC or offensive staff up in the booth tracking plays that were run so far and compiling a list of plays that would be off balance from the plays they’ve already run.

There are young guys on the team who can’t play to the mental capacity of a 15 year vet.

They have an OL that plays better when they know what’s coming so they can dial in and play aggressively.


Rodgers made everything complicated and hard to execute. He’s doing 100 things at once and figured he could call plays better than coaches who are doing one thing, charting plays and planning counter punches off of that.

He took everything over and the reality is, he was pretty good at it for one guy, but the group can do even better.

[George Cumby]

LeRoy Butler was on Moving the Chains just now and said the same thing. Without saying anything overt, he was harshly critical of 12.

[Fritz]

Can this year's team match up with the Niners? Sure doesn't seem so, at least on defense. How can this defense stop McCaffrey AND Kittle/Samuels/Ayiuk? Can they even stop the run?

And of course Jordan Love, great as he's played, is due for a stinker of a game, like the Giants' game. He's still young - can you really expect him to have another lights-out performance?

Knowing that, of course the Niner defense is going to key heavily on Jones. Stop him, you stop the Pack.

[texaspackerbacker]

We matched up just fine with Lamb, Cook, Ferguson, Gallup, etc. I'd say that's as good, probably better than Kittle/Samuels/Aiyuk, especially with our QB who is way better than their QB. How are they gonna match up with Reed, Wicks, Watson, Melton, Doubs, Kraft, Musgrave? A healthy Aaron Jones is about as good as McCaffrey.

The Niner D isn't as good overall as the team we crushed last week.

Or was your post just more sarcasm?

[Fritz]

We matched up just fine with Lamb, Cook, Ferguson, Gallup, etc. I'd say that's as good, probably better than Kittle/Samuels/Aiyuk, especially with our QB who is way better than their QB. How are they gonna match up with Reed, Wicks, Watson, Melton, Doubs, Kraft, Musgrave? A healthy Aaron Jones is about as good as McCaffrey.

The Niner D isn't as good overall as the team we crushed last week.

Or was your post just more sarcasm?

No, Tex, it wasn't. I am vacillating between what seems, on paper, a much stronger 49ers team that should beat up this young Packer team (especially a strong feeling when you watch highlights from the 2019 and 2021 games) and a sense I have that this young Packer team is confident, loose, and on a hot streak. They remind me of this one other Packer team from about thirteen or so years ago . . .

So in one post I say that the Niners should really beat up on the young Pack, and in the next I am writing about how exciting this young Packer team is, and how loose they seem.

[texaspackerbacker]

So you're saying you're bi-polar? hahahahahaha

[NewsBruin]

Fritz, I've had a hard time buying the past seasons of the Shanahan Jr 49ers because it seemed like their offensive playmaker were injury-prone. I'm surprised everyone has lasted this long into the postseason.

I feel like we have a puncher's chance in this game. By which, I mean if Quay can drop McCaffrey and Deebo with uppercuts when the replays aren't looking, we could keep it close.

[bobblehead]

They have 8 all-pros, we have 0. "Our personnel is better fellas". Come on. But they got a shot, no doubt. I think it's gonna be close.

Thats a popularity contest and we are uber young. I'm not saying we have better or even equal personnel, but its a lot closer than 8-0. We are also much deeper at the pass catcher department.

And although it can be debated I believe we have a better player at the most important position on the field. Quarterback.