Favorite 49ers not looking past Packers in NFC divisional round
Defending NFC Divisional Round favorites 49ers are not focusing on the Packers.
At the top of the NFC, there was no reason to think of the 49ers as anything but a playoff favorite to represent the conference in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
Navigating those roads, however, is rarely a piece of cake, and it was strongly believed that the No. 2 Cowboys would make a run
And it was strongly believed that the Cowboys, undefeated this season, had enough firepower to pass the n -ro 7 seed.
Packers in wildcard round.
As far as we know, that didn’t happen.”I didn’t know who was going to win,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
“So I wasn’t surprised by what happened.
Dallas is a good team, so the way it started was a little surprising.
When you watch the tape and you really get to Green Bay, you think about their numbers and you look at their players and how they do it, it doesn’t surprise me at all.
Upheavals happen, but the way the Packers blew a 27-0 lead in the first half and a 48-16 lead early in the fourth quarter in a 48-32 win at AT&T Stadium was amazing to see.
While the Cowboys unceremoniously returned from the postseason, the 49ers sat back and watched last week’s action cement their grip on the team’s dominant status in the NFC.
That vacation ends Saturday night when the 49ers begin their long-awaited stay in the postseason with an NFC divisional playoff game against the Packers at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara.
There is evidence that the Niners (12-5) will be a tough matchup.
They scored an NFL record 491 points this season, the second most in a season in franchise history. 4,444 4,444 Their 61 touchdowns and 6,773 yards are also the second most in franchise history.
Their 22 shutout defense tied for the league lead and their 17.5 points defense was third in the league behind only the Ravens and Chiefs.
This is a balanced team and action.The 49ers know how to take down the Packers this year.
Four times they knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the playoffs, including twice in the previous four years.
Rodgers is now with the Jets, and his replacement in Green Bay, Jordan Love, has a similar role to that of Rodgers with the Packers (10-8).
Over the past nine games, Love has thrown 21 passes and one interception.
He makes a phenomenal playoff debut, completing 16-of-21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns in spectacular Dallas.
“They have a lot of the same guys from the past, very good teams and a quarterback who does exactly what he was trained to do,” Niners pass rusher Nick Bosa said.
“Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Famer and incredible, but he went beyond coaching and sometimes it’s good to have a guy who does what he’s coached to do.
“Love, 25, is just a year older than his 49ers counterpart Brock Purdy, 24, but their paths to starting quarterback roles couldn’t be more different.
The Packers took Love late in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft (26th overall), even though Rodgers played at a high level.
Love sat behind Rodgers on the bench for three seasons before getting his chance.
Purdy was an afterthought, selected with the last pick (262nd) of the 2022 draft and named Mr. Irrelevant, and when injuries and poor performances from Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo left the Niners without options, Purdy got the call.
last season and surrounded by offensive playmakers, he helped lead his team to the NFC Championship game.He hurt his right elbow in that game and the Eagles beat the 49ers 31-7.
The 49ers missed the Super Bowl by one game in the 2021 NFC title game, losing to the Rams 20-17.
Before the Niners can earn a trip to a third straight NFC Championship Game, they must first get past the Packers.”We’re excited,” All-Pro left fielder Trent Williams said.
“That’s what you look forward to all year, especially after the end of last year.
The main series is fun and has its challenges. But when you get as close as you did last year, you just want to step up the regular season and get back into that tournament..
