Green Bay Packers: 4 Matchups to Watch in the Divisional Round
By Kenny Jilek
Green Bay Packers Matchup #2: De’Vondre Campbell vs. George Kittle
In week 18, we saw how bad the Green Bay Packers’ middle-of-the-field defense can be without their All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell there to make plays. That part of the field will definitely be tested by the 49ers’ offense, which may include a heavy dose of their star tight end George Kittle.
The last four games, Kittle has been mostly neutralized in the passing game and hasn’t had a game over 30 yards receiving in that stretch. However, he is still one of the most explosive tight ends in the league, and he’s a matchup problem for any defense that faces him.
The Packers will probably gameplan for him in a variety of ways, but we could very well see a good amount of Campbell having to cover him up either in zone or man coverage. He’s especially a big third-down target for them, and with Green Bay having three great corners to cover on the outside, shutting down Kittle in these situations will be crucial to getting off the field.
Kittle isn’t just one of the best tight ends in the league for his receiving ability, though. He’s one of the best blocking tight ends as well, a skill that the 49ers love using. He’s especially important on their outside runs, which leads me to our third important matchup.