Saturday, January 12, 2013
Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers 8:00 PM ET
The Green Bay Packers got off to a slow start this season after suffering and opening week loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but the team enters Saturday's matchup in the NFC Divisional round as one of the hottest and most dangerous teams in the NFL.
The Packers have won 10 of their past 11 games and are showing the form that helped them win the Super Bowl two years ago. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who grew up a 49ers fan and was passed over for the No. 1 pick in 2005 for Alex Smith, has been playing fantastic over the second half of the season and hasn't thrown and interception in the past five games.
"Home is really Chico," said Rodgers. "Chico I would say is in northern California, San Francisco I would say is Bay Area. So it'll be fun to go back to the West Coast, a lot of people in the area, hopefully get a lot of cheeseheads from Chico coming down to the game and it'll be a good test."
Rodgers had 303 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the 30-22 defeat against San Francisco and he had 365 yards and four touchdowns in last week's win over the Vikings.
The Packers haven't been able to rush the ball consistently this season, but the offense ranked ninth in passing yards with253 per game. Rodgers has thrown for 4,295 yards and 39 touchdowns while leading the league in passer rating.
The Packers dealt with injuries at wide receiver for most of the season, but will have Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb for Saturday's game. The San Francisco defense poses some decent challenges for the Packers and will put Rodgers on edge if they can put pressure on the quarterback.
"There's no other defense we'd rather go into a game than ours," coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Aldon Smith led the team with 19.5 sacks and will likely be double-teamed, leaving sack opportunities for everyone else, including linebacker Pactrcik Willis and defensive end Justin Smith, who missed the past two games with a torn triceps. The defense ranked in the top five in both passing and rushing yards and allowed just 17 points per game, ranked second in the NFL.
"I think it's just a matter of getting out there and going," Justin Smith said. "I think like I said you just go out there and play until you can't and be ready. I feel like I'll be ready."
The 49ers will look a bit different than in that week one matchup, as Alex Smith is no longer the starting quarterback, having been replaced with Kaepernick by Harbaugh. The second-year player has gone 5-2 as the starter since taking over and has given an added element of athleticism and explosive plays to the San Francisco offense.
"Colin Kaepernick just for the little time he has been a starter, is a lot more experienced, a lot more productive quarterback," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "He creates different challenges for us."
The 49ers were one of the top rushing teams in the NFL this season and will feed Frank Gore the ball against a vulnerable Packers defense. Gore rushed for 1,214 yards and eight touchdowns and had 112 in the first game of the year at Green Bay. The Packers did a good job of holding back Adrian Peterson in last week's game against the Vikings, but Gore will pose a good challenge as well.
The Packers defense will need to play at a high level to be victorious on the road and looked much better against the Vikings after getting safety Charles Woodson back from injury. Green Bay will need to limit the opportunities for wideout Michael Crabtree and tight end Vernon Davis and keep the big plays to a minimum.
"I'll just wait for my opportunities. I'm sure they will come," Davis said. "I said the same thing last year, even though I didn't get the ball as much as I wanted last year, I said my opportunities will come. And maybe I'll get them this week."
San Francisco will need to spread its focus around the offense, as Rodgers has a wide array of targets to throw to, including Jermichael Finley, Randall Cobb and James Jones, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions.
Prediction: San Francisco 20, Green Bay 17. This game could end up being a high-scoring contest, but there's also a good chance it will be a defensive struggle. Rodgers will be playing with a huge chip on his shoulder by being in San Francisco and will take care of the ball against a tough secondary. Kaepernick is the wild card and will give the 49ers something special against a mediocre Packers defense. This game could easily go the other way, but the 49ers are at home with a slight edge.
