You were warned, Green Bay Packers. Your special teams were the NFL’s worst, and that’s the primary thing that took you out of the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers, who never led in their 13-10 shocking win until Robbie Gould’s 45-yard field goal as time expired, also didn’t score an offensive or defensive touchdown in the game. There were two Gould field goals, and a six-yard return of a blocked punt by safety Talanoa Hufanga, and that’s all the 49ers needed. Mason Crosby made one of his two field goal attempts; the other was blocked by safety Jimmie Ward.
And in perhaps the most embarrassing portion of this particular implosion, the Packers had just 10 men on the field for Gould’s game-winner — and this came after San Francisco’s third time out of the half with four seconds left, which allowed them to get their guys in place.
The NFL’s worst special teams unit turned in one of the worst special teams performances in NFL playoff history … and appears to have had only 10 men on the field for the winning field goal. pic.twitter.com/bJvPtHYXkQ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 23, 2022
The Packers were also embarrassed by Deebo Samuel’s 45-yard kick return in which Samuel poleaxed cornerback Kevin King, but it wasn’t about any one play. The Packers came into this game knowing that their special teams were a potentially fatal flaw, and that’s exactly how it played out.
