Green Bay Packers froze when it mattered most: What went right, what went wrong?
It was a cold and windy wintry night in Lambeau Field, just as the Green Bay Packers wanted.
Everything was seemingly lined up perfectly for a team with championship aspirations. Guys were back from injury, the crowd was electric, and the Packers had an extraordinary chance to put their 49er playoff nightmares to rest.
The likely back-to-back MVP was on his home turf, with snow falling around him and a perfect opportunity to take this team to another NFC Championship game for the third time in three years.
It was almost too good to be true and, unfortunately, it turned out to be. The Green Bay Packers scored on their opening drive and never looked the same after as they dropped a tough 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. In the playoffs, the Packers are 0-4 with Rodgers against the Niners.
Let’s check out what went right in the Green Bay Packers divisional playoff loss against the San Francisco 49ers.
The opening drive
The Green Bay Packers took their opening possession and went right down the field, capping off a 69-yard drive with a decisive AJ Dillon six-yard touchdown run.
The game opened up exactly how the Packers envisioned—a mix of run and pass, utilizing both Dillon and his partner Aaron Jones. Davante Adams effectively helped the offense move the chains early and often as well.
It was all going so well—until it wasn’t.
Rashan Gary proved his worth.
If you don’t remember, when Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst selected Rashan Gary with the 12th overall pick in 2019, it came with much criticism.
Fast forward to the divisional game at Lambeau, and Rashan Gary was putting on a clinic all night long. Gary finished the game with two sacks, both coming on crucial third downs, six total pressures, according to PFF ($$), and an essential stop on a fourth and one.
Gary finished his breakout year with 11.5 total sacks.
BONUS: The Packers’ defense, as a whole, played magnificently and deserved the win more than anyone else. Multiple sacks, a turnover in the red zone, and not allowing a touchdown for an opposing offense should be a recipe for success every single time.
The unforgettable 2021-2022 Packers season came to an abrupt halt, and the San Francisco 49ers came into Lambeau and stole the hearts of 80,000 plus. Let’s look at what went wrong in the Packers’ loss.
As they have all season, the Packers’ special teams let them down at the worst time possible.
If you’re a Packers fan, this probably comes as no surprise, but the special teams let the team down again as they have all season.
Aside from the shaky kick coverage, the blocked field goal before heading into the locker room at halftime was only the beginning. The Packers had a golden chance to go up two scores heading onto halftime but failed to protect Crosby’s 39-yard attempt.
On the surface, without diving into it too much, it seemed like Packers defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster missed his assignment and allowed Jimmie Ward to get both hands on the ball.
The Packers headed into halftime up only 7-0 with a little less air in their sails.
The blocked field goal before the half wasn’t the biggest blunder within the game, however, the Packers’ defense just made a crucial fourth and one-stop, and the offense responded with a quick three-and-out. The Packers sent their punter Corey Bojorquez out, and that’s precisely when the game changed.
Instead of flipping field positions, the 49ers blocked the punt attempt as Steven Wirtel failed his blocking assignment, and they were able to tie the game with over four minutes left to play.
The Green Bay Packers, unfortunately, would never recover.
Aaron Rodgers, once again, played his worst when it mattered most.
The unforgettable drama started in the off-season for Rodgers and Packers nation when ESPN’s Adam Shefter went on TV to announce Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay.
After much back-and-forth, Rodgers returned right before training camp and played wonderfully for most of the season, but when the chips were all in, he let his team down—again. For his play in the regular season, he will likely net his fourth MVP award, rightfully so, but the playoff struggles for Rodgers will probably haunt his legacy for years to come.
Over his 29 total pass attempts, Rodgers targeted Davante Adams and Aaron Jones a total of 21 times. Twenty-one. The other receivers, including Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Equanimeous St. Brown, combined only three targets.
Looking at the game, it became pretty apparent Rodgers missed multiple wide-open receivers and may have been the sole reason this offense only put up 10 points, going scoreless for six straight drives.
Rodgers failed, plain and simple.
The biggest question is, “now what?” With the sudden and unplanned loss, the Packers and Rodger’s future in Green Bay is in question. Rodgers spoke briefly after the stunning defeat Saturday night:
"“I didn’t think we’d be talking about this after this game. I don’t think it’s fair to anybody or myself to really go down those paths at this point, it’s disappointing, sad and fresh. I’ll have conversations in the next week or so and start to contemplate after that.”"
Meanwhile, in Green Bay for the first time in almost thirty years, there’s a realistic possibility the quarterback position will be in serious question heading into the new league year.