Last year’s top two seeds from the NFC squared off in Week 1, as the San Francisco 49ers travelled to Green Bay to take on the Packers. Both teams cruised through the 2011 regular season, though they couldn't be more different in playing style. The Packers are fueled by NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and he needed to be exceptional last season as the defense proved to be one of the league’s worst. The 49ers made it to the NFC Championship Game on the strength of an old-school philosophy built around a power running game and punishing defense.
In this game, old-school won out as the 49ers were in control from start to finish, particularly with their offensive line. They combined the physical domination with a strong gameplan that took advantage of Green Bay’s weaknesses in the passing game. Had it not been for a Randall Cobb punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the score would have been as lopsided as the action on the field, as the 49ers got a leg up for early season supremacy in the NFC.
San Francisco – Three Performances of Note
Offensive Line Paves the Way
It was truly a team effort up front for the 49ers, as left tackle Joe Staley was the only one of the group to grade in the negative, though that has more to do with his having to deal with the Packers’ only viable pass rushing threat in outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Even the tight ends got involved as TE Vernon Davis did his usual strong work sealing the edge. But the star of the day was right guard Alex Boone who combined strong run blocking (+2.6) with a perfect day in pass protection (+1.4). Boone was the lead man pulling outside on two big runs by running back Frank Gore and he was one of the main reasons Gore averaged 11.4 yards on runs off the right end.
In addition to the strong individual play up front, the intricate details of the 49ers' offense were impressive to watch. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, did a fantastic job of using personnel groupings and slight adjustments in formations to their advantage. From the 4-TE looks with extra offensive linemen to the extra wide splits the players took on certain plays, the 49er offense was able to get to the edge virtually at will for the entire game.
Stout in the Middle
No pair of teammates dominated the linebacker position last season like ILBs Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. While Willis was a step slow in coverage on Sunday, Bowman picked up right where he left off with a strong overall effort. He put in his usual solid play against the run, and tied for the team lead with three stops, but it was his interception with 8:50 to go in the fourth quarter than changed the entire game. With the Packers within a score, Rodgers dropped back for a rare downfield pass attempt. Bowman bit slightly on the play action fake, but immediately regained depth in his hook zone. Rodgers tried to fire a bullet down the seam, but Bowman jumped up and made a great play on the ball to secure the game’s only turnover. It was the type of play that Madden players often complain about when linebackers in underneath coverage intercept their downfield passes, but this one took place in real life and it locked up the 49ers' victory on Sunday.
No Safety Help
While the San Francisco cornerbacks did a decent job of limiting the Packers passing game, the safety play was inconsistent. Donte Whitner (-1.9) and Dashon Goldson (-1.4) combined to miss five tackles, all of which came against the pass. Each of them also surrendered a touchdown.
While the one-yard slant to tight end Jermichael Finley that Whitner had to defend is nothing to be ashamed of, Goldson’s blown coverage made for an easy throw and catch between Rodgers and wide receiver James Jones. With 6:09 to go in the fourth, Rodgers hit Jones wide open in the end zone, and judging by the reaction of the 49ers defense, it was Goldson’s zone that had been vacated. He had moved up to cover the flat, leaving the back end wide open for the score.
Green Bay – Three Performances of Note
New Toy for Rodgers
It became clear early in the game that the Packers' offense was looking to avoid the 49ers’ biggest strengths: pass rush and run defense. To limit the pass rush, Green Bay went with a heavy dose of the quick passing game and to avoid the run defense, well, they refused to run the ball.
Instead, the Packers looked to feature Cobb who was used as a moveable piece for the offense. He lined up in the backfield 13 times, and motioned out of it to the slot on a number of others. He caught all nine balls that were thrown his way, though only one of them went beyond 10 yards.
The short passes did their job however, as Cobb picked up 61 of his 77 yards after the catch, effectively replacing the neglected running game. Throw in the punt return for a touchdown, and it looks like the Packers have found another dynamic playmaker to add to their offense.
Help Opposite Matthews
It’s been a constant battle of both attrition and general poor play on the opposite side of Matthews, as the Packers have been searching for efficient play at the other OLB spot. This year, they drafted OLB Nick Perry in the first round, and even moved Matthews to the right side to make room for the former USC Trojan. Like many 3-4 OLBs, Perry played strictly defensive end in college so he’s transitioning to both playing in a two-point stance and dropping into coverage. It still looks like a work in progress for the rookie.
Perry struggled in all aspects of the game, as his run defense (-2.4), pass rushing (-2.5) and pass coverage (-1.9) were all subpar. The coverage grade is expected given the transition Perry is facing, though the 49ers did a great job of exploiting the mismatch when they found it. He was left alone to cover WR Michael Crabtree on one occasion which QB Alex Smith turned into an easy first down. Later in the game Perry carried the running back up the field on a wheel route, which would have been fine had the defense been in man coverage. The vacated zone made for another easy conversion.
But as mentioned, the coverage lapses are expected. It’s the lack of a pass rush and poor run support that needs to improve. Perry was shut out on 25 pass rush attempts and he was the often the man getting sealed as Gore ran past his edge into the secondary.
Saving Raji
After a promising sophomore campaign in 2010, nose tackle B.J. Raji pulled up the rear in our DT/NT rankings last season. While he’s not completely useless as a pass rusher, his lack of playmaking ability against the run is alarming (-18.8 last season). Despite his ineffectiveness, he rarely comes off the field, though things are supposed to change here in 2012.
After playing 79.3% of the team’s snaps last season, the plan was to cut back on Raji’s playing time in order to keep him fresh throughout the duration of the season. On Sunday, he played 53 of the 67 plays, good for “only” 79.1% of total snaps. I’m not sure that’s exactly the decreased workload the Packers had in mind.
Regardless, his ineffectiveness continued as he was nonexistent trying to get after the passer (one hurry in 26 attempts) and he was moved fairly easily in the running game, particularly the first play of the game when LG Mike Iupati tossed him to the ground. Raji finished the game at -2.0 overall while picking up only one tackle as the 49ers gashed the Packers on the ground.
Game Notes
– The Packers did not attempt a run to the left of center all game. Probably a good idea as that’s where reigning PFF Defensive Player of the Year Justin Smith resides.
– In his return to the NFL, 49ers WR Randy Moss caught all four balls thrown his way for 47 yards and a touchdown
– How much did the Packers rely on the quick passing game? Of Aaron Rodgers’ 41 targeted passes, 29 of them were thrown within 10 yards, and 21 of the 41 were released in 2.0 seconds or less.
PFF Game Ball
Though the entire San Francisco offensive line deserves some mention, Navarro Bowman gets the gold star. In a game lacking for big plays in pass coverage, Bowman made the biggest and his interception halted the Packers' comeback attempt.
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