In a thrilling see-saw battle in the frozen dirt of Lambeau Field, the 49ers pulled out a taut and exciting game as Phil Dawson put the finishing touches on a 23-20 victory with a 33 yard FG that magically went BETWEEN the outstretched arms of would be Packer savior Devon House. Strangely enough, there WAS an offisdes penalty called on him that was neither discussed or shown during the broadcast.
Either way, a game that will become part of the NFL lore if not for the weather, but another example of the recent history of the Niners having the Packers number. For the 2nd straight year, the Niners opened the season with a victory over Green Bay, and for the 2nd year in a row, the Niners ended Green Bay’s playoff hopes. For all the talk of the Pack being a weak playoff team this year, and them backing in at 8-7-1, Aaron Rodgers put that to rest with some inspired play. He constantly escaped pressure. Most notably on a 4th and 2 play where he escaped the grasp of Ray McDonald (and a major hold on the play), and completed a 26 yard pass to continue their last TD drive. Eddie Lacy also had a big game as he rushed for 88 yards and did his best impression of Marshawn Lynch.
Pack Killer Colin Kaepernick (he must haunt their dreams) threw and ran his way to more than 300 yards of total offense. Michael Crabtree had a game for the ages as Green Bay once again overracted to the previous game. In Kappy’s 1st Green Bay game, he slashed them for over 180 yards on the ground. Game 2 saw Green Bay focus solely on containing Kappy, who then torched them for over 400 yards in the air with new weapon Anquan Boldin. Green Bay response was to then bracket Boldin all night. This left Crabs in single coverage most of the time. He merely had 8 catches for 125, and an absolute game saver on 3rd and 10 on the final drive. Kappy was flushed from the pocket, and rolling left, threw a dart that was just barely in reach of Crabs. He grabbed it for a 17 yard gain, and a 1st down. He also hit Crabs on a 30 yard pass on the opening drive, which led to a field goal (among a lot of non-PI calls).
So, instead of the Niners going big on the ground, or going big in the air, they did enough of both to beat the Pack. Gore was ‘held’ to 66 yards, but his contributions were huge. His 10 yard scoring run erased a 7-6 Packer lead, and his final drive carries for 15 yards don’t sound impressive, but he got a huge 1st down on 3rd and 3 to allow the draining of the clock. Kappy of course had 98 yards on the ground, and a beautiful 28 yard strike to VD in the 4th quarter to erase another Packer lead.
The FG is NUTS. Check this out:
On to Carolina!
Forty Niners Forever 
There are plenty of things to criticize in this win yesterday, but getting it done isn’t one of them. Certainly will go down as one of the Niners’ classic wins. Regardless of how it got done, getting a playoff W in those arctic conditions in front of the Lambeau lunatics, and with Rodgers in action is a huge plus, and a springboard of confidence into Carolina…
You mmight have to click on the gif to make it go.
Unreal.
Nice! The gods of the mighty pigskin are with us!
Chuck in response to the previous thread. thats what I said when Sing decided not to keep Martz. If Sing could have met Martz just half way the Niners would have been awsome!! So you don’t think Roman is going anywhere soon as a HC?
Yeah Sing couldn’t handle sharing the control, asswipe
We looked more “comfortable” in the weather yesterday than the Packers did. We coulda beat ’em in O/T, too, if need be.
The problem with the time-outs is when they’re wasted and result in limiting your options later in the game. CK7 not having his play decoder binder strapped on like his helmet after the break was a screw up that wasted a time-out.
That’s funny that folks are hoping for Roman’s departure as we head further into the playoffs for the third year with different QBs and through various player injuries and such.
13-3, 11-4-1, 12-4… with such a lousy play caller. Could be most fans know shit.
btw, need to go back to Seifert days for 36 wins in three years I think, nevermind in the first three years. But then again if there had been bloggers I’m pretty sure they’d have been bitching about it then, too.
This from the guy that thinks Mike Nolan was a great head coach.
…and this from the guy who said Nolan will never coach again. Hahaha, I know you have a hostile relationship with facts so to reiterate my position, I share an opinion with most others in the actual pro football business that Nolan is a good coach.
What’s the matter? Getting bored over there at the Alex house of worship? Just you and a couple rats now? Guess you can take the rest of the season off now, except for back-peddling on the Roman’s a bum thing. Need to veer toward the middle of the road about now, don’t ya?
I’m standing right here in the middle of the road now. Two things I don’t see is you or Nolan coaching a team. I do not remember saying Nolan will never coach again, but if I did so far I am accurate. The best he can do so far is DC and vanilla ice cream eater.
I don’t know anyone anywhere who works harder at trying to convince folks he knows everything than you. I guess only the rats are still buying that cheese. Keep peddlin’ buddy.
Keep obfuscating and saying northing.
I stand by my thoughts, NoFear. The jumbo package is horseshit if you run out of it. Especially on the goal line. They went away from the jumbo on the goal line. Instead, they threw out of multi-WR sets down at the goal line. My point is, don’t line up and tip off the play you are running. Putting in 4 WRs and you think pass. That’s what they did. The anti-jumbo. It didn’t work in the red zone. Granted a couple of those plays resulted in Crabs getting mugged, but the refs flags were frozen into their pockets, so we didn’t get the calls.
I don’t profess to know everything or have the correct call for every situation, NoFear. But I sure as fuck can see a jumbo formation and think run. Or see 4 WRs and think pass. So can most DCs. If you can’t figure that out, well. . . . tough shit dot com.
Or how about lining up in Jumbo and throwing our only interception. That really fooled ’em!
That gif is crazy, but he was offsides and it wouldn’t have mattered. http://deadspin.com/the-packers-were-this-close-to-going-into-overtime-1495190045
It wouldn’t bother me if Roman got another job.
It’s likely we threw because everyone was expecting us to run. It seems to me we threw for a couple of three and outs yesterday, IIRC. Only that doesn’t cause the uproar and knee-jerk fan reaction that failed runs do.
We do throw from the so-called “jumbo formation”, too. One of the problems I see with our offensive scheme is so many personnel sub packages, so many alignments and so many motions. Way too much to call in the huddle and way too much for the players to keep straight. All of these are designed to make it difficult for the defense to know what play is coming. But you always do?
It’s not always a run up the middle, in fact that’s probably in the minority of plays run. You “know” it’s a run, but you don’t know who carries the ball, which side or which hole or how it’s getting blocked, and truthfully you’re not 100% it is a run at all.
We throw out a new play with a new personnel sub package and block it poorly and everyone cries about the play calling, as we keep winning.
Again NoFear, running out of the jumbo package, whether left, right, up, down, or sideways is still a run out of the jumbo package. More often than not it doesn’t work. At least on 3rd and short. Which is my contention.
Mike Singletary’s whole existence was based on that style of play. Besides, we throw very rarely out of that.
And my glaringly obvious point also was throwing out of the 4 WR sets on the goal line is the same self-defeating idea. You spread the field on the goal line and the LBs drop into coverage. Harder to throw into coverage, eh? Pack the line, send fucking Staley out. Or Tukuafu. Or (gasp!) Vance McDonald. They tried shit to Crabs but he was covered. VD is always doubled down close. 4 WRs? That is when you should try a run. It’s elementary.
I’m with you, Chico. I just hope Harbaugh doesn’t ping David Shaw . . .
He loves Shaw so get ready
Interesting, IMO, info and vids on the footballs used in Super Bowls and other NFL games…
http://www.wilson.com/en-us/football/nfl/wilson-and-the-nfl/trivia/
Everyone should have heard Brent Jones on KNBR just now. He said the Defense is a SB quality unit. But the offense only looked good. The time outs really pissed him off. He says the Niners should be able to put a way a team, it should not be a nail biter. He did give the Niners koodos for having to play in that cold weather. His other assessment of Kaep, he noticed that when Kaep read man coverage he made the decision to run, he knew once he got past the DL he was home free. When heh read zone coverage he knew he would have VDavis open. He loved it when Kaep knew when he should run. Hopefully the Coaching staff does not mess with that aspect of Kaeps game.
I heard it. Entertaining stuff. But this is the playoffs, games are often nail biters. And no one puts GB away, in GB, in sub zero temps.
Nobody.
Ha ha Brent must be a cool guy to hang with, what a sense of humor he has. Yeah he did give them kudos for playing in that weather. All 3 of them together is funny as hell. Love to sit Ina bar with them.
In the long and storied history of the 9ers this is our first playoff win in GB ever- in the ice no less. Tough, great win. A tribute to Kap, Harbs and the whole team. The gods are with us.
Funny thing is, I heard an interview with Joe Staley, and he said that, every time GB scored, they said, OK we have to score a TD. So they did. Then when GB tied it they said OK we need to drain the clock and score a field goal. So they did. He then said, we have to just say that every time we get the ball and make it easier for everyone.
The Niners apparently gave T.Brown 300k in December unscheduled it seems. Trying to ease the pain for losing 2 mil?
http://www.ninersnation.com/2014/1/6/5281910/49ers-tarell-brown-300000-bonus-salary-cap
Good idea. He got hosed and its nice they did something. I’d hope they sign him by now, but looks like they’ll wait til after the season. Or draft his replacement.
Chuck something you forgot to provide praise to Frank for was his near perfect blocking that allowed Kaep the ability to keep those game winning runs alive.
Absolutely saved us the game.
Frank is the heart and soul of this Offense in every measurable way.
A Pro’s Pro at the RB position.
Let’s hope he gets The Ring in February for all his hard work.
Agree NJ Frank had a hell of a game and was a big part of our win
Nj, Frank is way beyond indispensable. I’ve said many times he should go to the HOF for his blocking alone. Throw in 10,000 yards and 60 touchdowns, he should be a lock.
Fla St scored too fast.
My new favorite radio station is 95.7 the game. One of the guys was talking about Gore (no idea who they are) and he said the Gore is one of the most underappreciated 49er greats of all time.
I sort of agree. People that know football know how good the guy is. I think he should go in 1st ballot.
Now Auburn may have scored too fast. 21 Auburn’s Tre Mason looks a little like Frank Gore. Same number.
Glad our “local boy” Kap is making good after “locals” Brady and Rodgers got away without a contract from the Niners. It’s time one of our own makes good, win big for our guys. Loved the way Kap took over, put the team on his back with passing and running and snuffed the Pack. The pigskin gods are with us!
There’s a guy on my Draft List – WR Kelvin Benjamin
This coming game in Carolina is going to rely heavily on our OLine.
Have to stop a much better Dline than we had to in GB.
And, they’re rested.
Maybe they’re sleepy too? That week off doesn’t always pan out.
Let’s hope they’re stiff and out of sync too 12th.
Now that Cam’s Auburn Team lost, it sure would be nice if our Boys could take him down too.
For all you Alex Smith lovers, just keep this in mind – Colin Kaepernick went into Green Bay in frozen conditions and won. Alex Smith lost at home. That’s why we dumped Smith. No more Alexcuses.
umm, not really.
They played in Indy.
Oh wait…. Alex Smith wasn’t at home? WELL HE SURE AS HELL IS NOW!!!!
HAHAHAHA. Classic Troll. I’ve still got it.
Hey Spit.
Give me your opinion on FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin.
I’m Scouting WRs for our 9ers.
He’s in the picture for me.
NJ- Coming out two years ago all the talking heads said Alshon Jeffrey was too slow off the line and he’d be better suited as a TE. I said whatever. Alshon should have been our pick. Period. Why? Because tall guys who can play, regardless of their speed, are at a premium in the NFL because everyone’s got a 5′ 11″ DB on their team somewhere (we have Whitner). Benjamin might not become Alshon Jeffrey, but he’ll be good in the redzone, and that’s all that matters. Forget the combine. He’s big and tall and he’ll make the redzone much easier for the team that drafts him. He’ll also be clutch when needing to move the chains. I say he’s a first rounder. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the NFL brains like Trent Baalke talk themselves out of a quality first rounder and he falls into the second.
Yeh Spit there’s some major upside to Benjamin in terms of height.
There’s some excellent options coming from the WR Group this Spring.
We should do well this time around.
We’ll talk more about that process over the next few months.
We’ll see for ourselves with the Sr Bowl and Combines etc.
I’ve got close to a dozen guys that I want to get more work done on.
Spitty is correct. he was heavily on the Alshon band wagon. Why do I remember that, because I was too. I especially liked him when he got too competitive in his bowl game and got kicked out for punching back. He wasn’t out of control like many, he was just trying to win. I worry a little about Benjamin dropping some passes but he does make some nice catches when it counts. Keep an eye on Allen Robinson from Penn St.