They say that getting blown out is much better than losing a close game. When you lose by getting blown out, at least you know that you aren't on the same level as your peers. Losing in a tight contest, though, is much more painful, knowing that you could've won the game. That's exactly what the Green Bay Packers are feeling after losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
The Packers came into Levi Stadium as heavy underdogs against the juggernaut that was the 49ers. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Green Bay managed to go toe-to-toe with the NFC's top seed. In fact, they held a lead for a good portion of the map.
And then, the wheels fell off. There were multiple people involved that contributed to the Packers' playoff loss to the 49ers. Let's break down each individual.
Jordan Love
The Cinderella story had to end at some point. Yes, Jordan Love was playing at a high level during the latter half of the season. He's no Aaron Rodgers (yet), but he showed the capability to lead an offense to the playoffs. The win against the Cowboys proved that Love had a bright future ahead with the Packers.
If the Cowboys game was a dream come true, then this 49ers game was a swift crash back to earth for Jordan Love. Against the 49ers' formidable defense, Love faltered in the worst possible time. He threw two interceptions, one of which was a back-breaking pick that doomed their would-be game-winning drive. If not for Aaron Jones single-handedly tearing the Niners' defense a new one, the game might've gone differently.
Aside from the turnovers, Love struggled in the first half to generate offense in the red zone. They had three trips to the Niners' red zone, and it only resulted in six points for the Packers.
To say that Love played bad against the 49ers would be misleading. He was able to generate points early in the game, giving the Packers' defense room to breathe against San Francisco's unholy offense. However, it became clear as the game went on that Love was still incredibly raw. This was a solid season for Love considering the expectations, but it also showed the flaws that Love will need to work on as he progresses in his career.
Anders Carlson
If you're a good kicker in the NFL, you should not be a household name. Yes, there are exceptions (Justin Tucker, Adam Vinatieri). However, if the casual NFL fan knows a kicker's name, it's likely due to the fact that he's not a good kicker. Case in point: Packers kicker Anders Carlson.
You'd think that the kicking gene must run in the Carlson family. Anders' brother, Daniel Carlson, is a perennially underrated kicker who's won games for the Las Vegas Raiders. However, towards the end of the season, Anders Carlson started to develop a consistent habit of missing at least one field goal per contest. This frustrated Packers fans, who wanted the team to sign a different kicker for the playoffs.
However, the Packers' coaching staff insisted on sticking with Carlson. The decision came back to haunt them in the worst possible way. The Packers had a chance to go up by seven late in the game. After driving into San Francisco territory, the Love-led offense was stopped. All they needed was a 41-yard field goal.
Carlson proceeded to miss the kick, and the rest quickly crumbled. The Packers' defense tried hard to hold off the 49ers' offense, but it was a futile effort.
Keisean Nixon, Darnell Savage
These two are ranked lower just because what they did (or didn't do, as you'll see) was less impactful than Love or Carlson's mistakes. Brock Purdy is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he's also a bit of a turnover machine. When he does make a risky throw, defenses need to be prepared to take full advantage.
Both Nixon and Savage saw such an opportunity come to them against the 49ers in the playoffs. Both Packers defensive backs nearly caught an interception from Purdy during the Packers' Divisional Round game. In Savage's case, there was a wide-open lane for him to potential return it for six. Unfortunately, both players dropped it.
At the end of the day, it's still a positive result (incompletion for Purdy). Still, with how close the game ended up being, you have to wonder how the game would've gone had either Packers DBs caught the interception.
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