The 49ers somehow got out of their divisional playoff matchup against the Packers with a 24-21 victory. They’re on to the NFC championship game.
There was no shortage of drama Saturday night with miscues from both teams that kept the game tight the entire way. Here are some of our takeaways from a wild one at Levi’s Stadium:
An ugly win
A win is a win is a win. The 49ers on Saturday may have been lucky to escape with a victory, but they’re still on to the NFC championship game for a third consecutive year. That’s the bottom line. On the other hand, they’ll have to play significantly better in the NFC title game if they want to go to the Super Bowl. For now though they’ll take the W and the chance to clean up the issues that plagued them vs. Green Bay. They’ve now won six consecutive divisional playoff games.
2 big breaks
There were two plays that went the 49ers’ way early that may have flipped the game on its head.
The first was QB Brock Purdy’s first downfield throw of the game. He was looking for WR Brandon Aiyuk, but Packers safety Darnell Savage jumped the route for what should have been a pick-six. Instead, he dropped it and kept the Packers’ lead at 3-0. The 49ers punted on that series, but they went down and scored to go ahead 7-3 the next time they got the ball.
On the drive before the TD, the Packers had a fourth-and-1 at the 49ers’ 14. They tried a sneak with QB Jordan Love, and it looked like he got enough for the first down. The officials ruled him short though, and there wasn’t a clear view of the ball that definitively identified that he got the first down.
If they call it the other way on the field it’s unlikely the 49ers would have been able to challenge and change the spot given the absence of visual on the ball.
That allowed them to get a stop and then go score their first TD of the game. Those two plays kept the score at 3-0 and kept the 49ers from playing from two scores down.
Brock Purdy overcomes
Purdy was not good Saturday. Whatever the reason was he was uncharacteristically inaccurate and looked indecisive at times. Perhaps the rain made it difficult. Maybe he was rusty after two weeks off. Either way, he overcame those struggles to come up with some big-time plays on the team’s go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. He went five-of-six for 47 yards, and had a six-yard scramble deep in the red zone that turned what would’ve been a third-and-long into a third-and-short. They scored the go-ahead TD one play later. There were questions about how Purdy would perform in a big spot late in a playoff game. He was good enough to get the win Saturday, and the 49ers for the first time in Kyle Shanahan’s tenure won a game where they trailed by five or more heading into the fourth quarter. They’re now 1-30.
No sacks
The 49ers defensive line affected Packers QB Jordan Love just enough to force some throwaways, particularly in the red zone, and to force a couple of errant throws on key third downs. A defensive front this talented can’t get shutout on the stat sheet though. They’ll need to be better overall if the 49ers are going to get beyond the NFC championship game.
Bend don't break
There were three huge outcomes for the 49ers’ defense on the Packers’ first three drives. Green Bay was dicing up San Francisco’s defense and took three trips to the red zone on those series. They came away with six points after settling for two short field goals and turning it over on downs. If one or two of those drives become touchdowns, the 49ers would’ve been in a similar spot to Dallas in trying to climb a steep hill to come back on a tough Packers team.
Deebo's injury
This is a massive story line coming out of the game. Samuel is a major weapon for the 49ers and not having him alters their game plan a ton. There’s no certainty about what his injury is or how long he’ll be out, but it’ll be worth keeping a close eye on as the team prepares for the NFC championship game.
Divisional playoffs and Jauan
Jennings stepped up when called upon with Samuel out. His six targets were his second-most this season. His five catches were tied for his season-high, and 61 yards was the third-highest mark of his career. He made multiple tough catches and offered a reliable target without Samuel in the game. Jennings could be a major piece for San Francisco moving forward if Samuel misses significant time.
Big-time Chris Conley
Conley’s first catches of the year came in a meaningless Week 18 game when he posted three receptions for 69 yards. His first postseason catch was worth more than anything he did against the Rams in the season finale. On a first-and-10 at the Green Bay 43 with 3:05 left, Purdy drilled a throw in to Conley on a deep out that the receiver grabbed for a 17-yard gain. All night the 49ers leaned on their stars, but on their final drive it was Conley coming up with the longest catch from scrimmage.
Kickoff problem
The 49ers should be launching every kickoff out the back of the end zone. Jake Moody has the leg to do it, and they need to take advantage of that. Their coverage unit hasn’t been good enough all year and a long return after the 49ers went ahead 14-13 helped the Packers regain the lead 21-14. It’s not worth the couple yards of field position to try and sky the kickoff and get the returner down short of the 25. Touchbacks should be the norm.
