One team has been the bane of the Green Bay Packers playoff success over the last four seasons. That team is the San Francisco 49ers. The Packers have yet to beat them in the postseason under Matt LaFleur’s tenure, but all streaks were made to end.
Nick Bosa went on the record saying that there are a lot of the same Packers players on this team that he has faced over the years. He couldn’t be further from the truth. Outside of a few players on offense and defense, this offensive and defensive unit is different.
That’s why I think the Packers have a real chance to break this losing streak to Kyle Shanahan in the playoffs. Here are the three keys for the Green Bay Packers to slay the 49ers in an epic clash of destiny.
Give Them a Taste of Their Own Medicine
It’s no secret that the Packers and the 49ers run the same offense. The Niners have been running this system effectively for Kyle Shanahan’s seven years of coaching. Matt LaFleur, on the other hand, has not been able to run his system the way Kyle has. LaFleur had an aging Aaron Rodgers to work around.
In all the past playoff meetings, it was clear that Green Bay was running a hybrid of what LaFleur wanted and what Aaron morphed it into. Kyle has never dealt with that; the offense always runs his way. Now, for the first time, the Packers are running Lafluer’s offense the way he wants it to run. With Love behind center, it’s finally a chance for Green Bay to give San Francisco a taste of what they have been doing to us for years.
Another huge part of San Francisco’s success is their weapons. Between McCaffrey, Samuel, Aiyuk, and Kittle, it’s hard to know where the ball will go on any given play. I would argue that the Packers have more places the ball can go just by the mere fact that San Fran is paying some of these players a lot of money to perform.
The Packers don’t have this problem, they have five receivers that can give you 100 yards and a touchdown on any given night, two tight ends that can beat you deep and short and it’s all lead by Aaron Jones. That leads me to the second key.
The Green Bay Packers Will Win as a Team or Lose as a Team
“Your the reason I go hard bro. You somebody to look up to bro. You somebody to play for. I want to go out there and block for you. I feel ****** up when I don’t make the block.” That is what Jayden Reed said about Aaron Jones. That sums up everything you need to know about how these Packers play for one another.
Nobody cares about their personal stats or the snap count. These Packers play for the guy next to them. It’s evident that Aaron Jones’ humble, hard-working leadership style has imprinted on these young players. I think it makes this team dangerous.
When a team is unselfish, that team is hard to beat. That team will stick together through adversity like the Packers have done all season. Have the Niners faced any adversity this season? Respectfully, I don’t think they have. The Packers are going to test them, and they will do it together.
Trust In Jordan Love
The one significant difference I see between the Niners and Packers is at Quarterback. Brock Purdy has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL all season. There is no question that he is a better player than Jimmy Garoppolo.
In my opinion, Love gets the edge when it comes to them. One characteristic that sets great quarterbacks apart from good ones is improvisation. We discussed earlier how LaFleur finally has a QB that will run his offense the way he wants it to run. He and Love share the same vision on Sunday, but not everything is a game plan.
Matt LaFleur had this to say about Jordan Loves’ 59-yard completion to Jayden Reed in week 18: “He (Jayden Reed) isn’t really part of the progression that was just Jordan being Jordan.”
When Rodgers was behind center for LaFleur, it felt like 70 percent of the offense was Rodgers and 30 percent was LaFleur. Now, with Love, it feels like the opposite, and what Jordan Love can do with that 30 percent of plays of schedule is magic. The Green Bay Packers might need some of the Magic on Saturday night. The Packers are ten-point underdogs in the game, and many people aren’t giving Green Bay a chance.
David Versus Goliath
For many fans, this match-up feels like the tale of David versus Goliath. In that story, David is tasked with slaying a much more formidable opponent, Goliath. David can only conquer his foe through intelligence, courage, and faith. The Packers will need all three of those things to bring down the mighty 49ers, but the Packers have a secret weapon, much like David did. It was his slingshot for David, and for the Packers, it was Jordan Love.
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