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OK, so Jimmy Garoppolo is many tiers below the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback. He’s banged up, too.
Still, as Bob McGinn breaks down, this is not a good matchup for the Packers.
The 49ers prefer a mashing brand of football and are a completely different offense than the one that fell just short of a win at home vs. these Packers in September. Deebo Samuel has emerged as a 1-of-1, hybrid threat. He’ll line up at running back and wide receiver and is not fun to tackle. Rookie Elijah Mitchell is the sort of decisive, one-cut running back his head coach loves, too.
Defensively, the 49ers’ defensive line is the best in the business.
Not to mention that this team has been in win-now mode for a while.
I tend to think the Packers win a close one because we know how the Garoppolo story ends. He’s proven to commit the big mistake in the big moment. That was the case when these teams met before — as we wrote in a column here — and again in a near-collapse against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round. Meanwhile, MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers simply does not turn the ball over, and he has a strong rushing attack to lean on himself this postseason. This feels like an A.J. Dillon sort of game.
Bob sure does make some compelling points, though. You’ll learn everything you need to about the 49ers on this week’s “Ty & Bob Pod.”
Thanks, all.
Ep 20: Will the 49ers pull the upset?