Is the Packers-Love-Story in California going to the next round?
The wildcard round had pretty much everything an NFL game day needs – and so there was a game postponement due to a snowstorm, an icy clash in Missouri, points galore, spectacular plays and one or two surprising winners. We can only hope that the divisional round, which is the second stage of the NFL playoffs, offers a similar amount of action
On Saturday night, the NFC’s 7 seed. However, the guests should by no means be underestimated
Some of the Bay Area team’s players have had almost three weeks to recover and yet the “injury report” shows various questionable personnel. In addition to some playmakers in the offense, there are also still question marks behind some players from the defensive unit. The defense, which is coached by the highly sought-after Steve Wilks, could be particularly important in the matchup at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night
The Packers proved their offensive firepower against the favourites from Dallas in the wild card round and won 45:32 against “America’s Team”. In general, the team around quarterback Jordan Love has made enormous progress in recent weeks and it is therefore quite surprising that the visitors are so clearly seen as underdogs on the markets. The franchise from Wisconsin is sometimes given a handicap of ten points
San Francisco 49ers – Statistics & current form
Despite the break in play due to the 1st seed, there was a lot going on in California. Among other things, the aforementioned defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was interviewed by several NFL teams as a possible head coach. That may have interfered a bit with preparation for the Divisional round, but there is some good news: Several players who had to rest in the final regular season game against the Rams returned to practice, so we’d venture to predict that nearly all key personnel will be available ahead of the 49ers vs. Packers game.
Quarterback Brock Purdy also got a break against Los Angeles and was replaced by Sam Darnold. However, the 24-year-old is now back in the playmaker position and is familiar with the playoff challenge from last season, when he had to deputize for Jimmy Garoppolo and his star rose. Last season, he led his team to victories against the Seahawks and Cowboys in the postseason before “Mr. Irrelevant’s” fairytale came to an end against Philadelphia due to injury. Will he go one step further this year and reach the Super Bowl with the Niners? After the elimination of seeds 6, the NFC seems more open than ever before.
Offensively and defensively strong
There’s no question that the Niners have the potential for the big time. Throughout the entire season, almost no team has managed to limit this offense on a permanent basis, as the playmakers Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel are so versatilely integrated into the creative offense. The 28.9 points that the Shanahan team put on the scoreboard on average over 17 games underline this statement very impressively. They scored at least 30 points in more than half of their games this season.
In return, the defensive side only allowed the opposition an average of 17.5 points in this period, with the run defense in particular shining time and again. The pass defense was always susceptible due to injuries and it is by no means impossible that the upcoming opponent will look for success in the passing game.
Key Players:
- QB: Brock Purdy
- RB: Christian McCaffrey
- WR: Deebo Samuel
- TE: George Kittle
- K: Jake Moody
Green Bay Packers – stats & current form
The Green Bay Packers’ victory was arguably the surprise of the first postseason weekend – especially in terms of its genesis and clarity. With six wins from their last eight regular-season appearances, the Wisconsin franchise still qualified for the last possible playoff spot and became the first 7 seed team ever to celebrate a win in the first wild-card round. Averaging 32.7 points over the last four games, the step forward this unit has taken is unmistakable.
Incredible development of the Packers
Of course, quarterback Jordan Love is also responsible for the offensive upswing, who – and this may be forgotten from time to time – is still in his first season as starting quarterback. In each of the last five games, he has completed passes for at least 219 yards, thrown twelve touchdowns and has not thrown an interception in that time. Against the Cowboys, he came just 1.1 points shy of a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. In the Dallas match, the group of receivers was finally complete and the danger unfolded to an unexpected degree
The late breakout of the offense this season comes as a bit of a surprise, as the “Cheeseheads” not only have the youngest team in the NFL, but also one of the most inexperienced pass receiver units. None of the top six receivers – in terms of yards caught – is older than 24, and four of them are in their rookie year! This group is supported above all by the solid run game of Aaron Jones, who is once again the clear number one in the backfield after recovering from injury and recorded three touchdowns in the wildcard round.
With 20.6 points allowed, the defense doesn’t necessarily look like the team’s weak point, but there are only four teams in the league that have allowed their opponents more rushing yards per game over the course of the season. With the third-best rushing team in the league waiting in the wings, that should definitely factor into the 49ers vs. Packers prediction, as it could have an impact on the game.
Key Players:
- QB: Jordan Love
- RB: Aaron Jones
- WR: Christian Watson
- TE: Luke Musgrave
- K: Anders Carlson
San Francisco 49ers – Green Bay Packers head-to-head comparison / H2H record
San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers! As part of our prediction, we naturally also look at the recent history of both franchises, which has culminated in the playoffs several times in recent years. Since 2013, the teams have met four times in the playoffs, with the Niners winning all of these duels. A ray of hope for the visitors: after all, they have won three of their last five games at Levi’s Stadium. Head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Matt LeFleur also have a special relationship, as the two worked closely together in Houston (2008), Washington (2010-2013) and Atlanta (2015-2016). This is another reason why the offensive scheme of the two teams is quite similar
San Francisco 49ers – Green Bay Packers tip
We are certain that both teams have plenty of offensive power, so we assume that the 50.5-point threshold will be broken. A points spectacle, like the Packers game in the wildcard round, would definitely not come as a surprise. If at least 51 points are scored in the duel between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, attractive odds of a maximum of 1.91 are eligible for payout.
We don’t think it’s out of the question that the LeFleur team will at least sniff a sensation or that the game will be even and close for a long time. However, we only dare to predict a victory for the visitors with the help of the handicap
