The Green Bay Packers are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl in February. The Aaron Rodgers-led team has been on an absolute tear this season. They won the AFC North with a convincing 13-4 record, with a devastating seven-game winning streak in the middle of the season. By all projections, entering the playoffs, the Packers should be considered the out-and-out favorites to win. This Saturday, they will be playing the San Francisco 49ers, as the 49ers surprised the footballing world last weekend. They won against the 12-5 Dallas Cowboys and booked their match in the Divisional Playoffs versus the Packers. While most expect the Packers to win comfortably, here are two reasons why the 49ers could surprise the Packers.
49ers surprising the Packers
Deebo Samuel
The fact that the 49ers won against the Cowboys in a game where their starting quarterback had massive issues is seriously impressive. Jimmy Garappolo somewhat collapsed in the second half, and almost threw away the game with a key interception. Still, the 49ers were able to sustain the late Cowboys rally and finish up the lead they had for most of the game. For that, they can only thank one man – Deebo Samuel.
The third-year wide receiver from South Carolina made plays happen almost out of thin air all game for the 49ers. He kept finding major holes in the Cowboys' defense and was able to rush for 72 yards, which is an NFL record for wide receivers since the Super Bowl era began, according to NBC Sports. Of course, he also added 38 receiving yards, for a total of 110 total yards, and one touchdown. That comes out to 7.2 rushing yards per play, which is one of the main reasons why the 49ers were able to win against the overwhelmingly favored Cowboys.
Now, against the Packers, his job will be more difficult. The Packers have a better rushing defense than the Cowboys, statistically. They allowed 1855 rushing yards this regular season, good enough for the 11th in the league. They are fourth in allowed rushing attempts and seventh in rushing touchdowns. However, the 49ers had no problems piercing through holes in the Cowboys' defense, and while the Packers are statistically better, it seemed like whatever the 49ers tried simply worked due to the way Samuel played. If he is able to imitate the inspired way he waltzed through the Cowboys' defense against Green Bay, Samuel might be in line for another incredible game.
Of course, he was helped by his teammates as well. While Garoppolo did not have the greatest of games, he still threw 16 of 25, and his only interception came in the second half. Additionally, running back Elijah Mitchell had 96 yards on 27 attempts, while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had five receptions and 66 yards. Most importantly for the 49ers, other than the inspiring game by Samuel, was the perfect game kicker Robbie Gould had. He had three chances and got all three to go, with 11 points total added to the tally. The offense was clicking and while everyone contributed, it is Deebo Samuel that completely dominated the game.
Excellent defense
Everything was clicking for the 49ers' defense in this game against the Cowboys. They stopped the number one offense in the league, and if it was not for a very late interception, the Cowboys would not even have the 17 points they had. That 17 point game is very far from the Cowboys average of 31.2 per game they had in the regular season. It was really a masterclass done by the 49ers defense, and they will need it again.
Their opponents last weekend were top ten in the NFL in many passing categories in the regular season. Second in passing yards, third in touchdowns, and sixth in attempts. However, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott only completed 23 of his 43 attempts, for 254 yards. He also only had one touchdown and threw one interception. He was also sacked five times, resulting in -40 yards for the Cowboys' QB. The 49ers were adamant to shut down the tremendous passing talent of the Cowboys, and they will need this against the Packers once again.
With Aaron Rodgers directing traffic, the passing aspect is the best weapon of the 10th ranked offense in Green Bay. The defensive line of the 49ers will have a tough job against the legend who has had 4115 yards this season and 37 touchdowns. That puts him 10th in the league, interestingly enough, with Prescott from the Cowboys above him. However, Rodgers has immense experience and knows how to win, with a Super Bowl victory under his belt.
The Packers also only had seven passes intercepted this season, an NFL best. They are fourth in touchdowns, eighth in passing yards, and sixth in net yards gained per pass attempt. While the Cowboys were the number one offense, the Packers have serious experience on their roster and the 49ers will need to replicate the incredible game they played last weekend. If they lose, it will be no surprise, as many have the Packers as favorites, but the Cowboys were also favored and the 49ers still pulled one out of the hat. It will definitely be an exciting game and whatever the outcome ends up being, the team which wins could be the new/old favorite for winning it all.
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