Although the San Francisco 49ers may be heavy heavy favorites coning into the NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Kyle Shanahan knows full well that quarterback Aaron Rodgers should hardly ever be considered any underdog.
As Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson have taken the reins as the NFL's premier players under center, Rodgers' efforts have seemingly gone overlooked. Rodgers is coming off a spectacular outing in the 2019 NFL season where he managed to throw for over 4,000 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.
That's all while leading the Packers to a 13-3 record. This team has largely flied under the radar, they have a chance to secure their bid for Super Bowl LIV.
How The 49ers Can Slow Down Aaron Rodgers
Fortunately, the 49ers have good reason to be confident about their chances. San Francisco emerged victorious the first time with a dominant 37-8 victory in Week 12. Much has changed since the last time these two teams squared off. However, many of the circumstances remain the same and they will need to do what they can to mimic what made them so successful in shutting down Rodgers and this Packers offense.
The easiest way to keep a quarterback from finding their rhythm is to provide hounding pressure. But you also have to do this without having to send any extra blitzers. It will also allow the 49ers to use an extra defender to help out in pass coverage.
San Francisco certainly had this in spades during their first matchup when they sacked Rodgers five times. He finished the day completing 20-of-33 passes for a mere 104 yards and a touchdown. As a result, wide receiver Davante Adams also struggled to make his presence felt against this formidable group.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has managed to keep this approach going in the postseason. It was evidenced in the NFC Divisional Round versus the Minnesota Vikings when the 49ers pressured quarterback Kirk Cousins. It took place on nearly half of his dropbacks despite only blitzing a total of six times all game. Although there is no denying that Rodgers is much better in the face of pressure, he will not be able to do much with seven defenders guarding the airways.
The key will be the 49ers pairing their consistent pressure on Rodgers along with an emphasis on containing Adams on the outside. The Packers should once again have a difficult time putting any points up on the scoreboard.
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