Green Bay Packers v. 49ers: 3 Reasons They’ll win the NFC Championship
By Paul Bretl
They shouldn’t have to rely on Alex Light
If you recall, back in Week 12 when these teams first got together, Bryan Bulaga had to leave with an injury and only ended up playing nine total snaps. In his place was Alex Light who had to go up against Nick Bosa numerous times, and yes, that matchup went exactly how you’d expect it to go.
However this time around, Bulaga should be ready to go after missing the divisional round game with the flu. While he is often ridiculed by some for the time that he’s missed, you can’t deny how effective he has been on the field.
Against some of the best edge-rushers that the NFL has to offer this season, including Khalil Mack, Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Von Miller, DeMarcus Lawrence, and others, Bulaga has allowed just four sacks and four quarterback hits in 568 pass-blocking attempts.
But even if Bulaga can’t play or has to leave the game again, the Packers have Jared Veldheer to take his place this time. Since joining the team, Veldheer has been excellent filling in for Bulaga after he left the Detroit game and starting for him in the divisional round. In total, Veldheer has 58 pass-blocking snaps and hasn’t allowed a single pressure yet or been charged with a penalty.
In Green Bay the name of the game is still keeping Aaron Rodgers upright and they didn’t do a very good job of that in Week 12 as he was sacked five times and fumbled once. However in the NFC Championship game, the offensive line is healthy and they’ve been playing at a high-level all season long, especially in pass-protection. This will without a doubt make a huge difference.