If we were to play Green Bay today...

the only thing i am worried about is not the other team that we are matched up with. we are playing very well with a rookie (college) HC and a very young team with about ZERO playoff experience. i just want to see if we have what it takes to continue to perform in the playoffs. green bay has the experience in the playoffs and that is what scares me more about that possible matchup rather then the packers themselves.

Originally posted by okdkid:
There is no team better built to beat the Packers than the 2011 San Francisco 49ers.

I would also include the Eagles whose pass rush and DB's have been specifically constructed to play against GB. Plus, they have the play makers on offense to score just as quickly as GB.

Actually, the 49ers strengths match up very well with their weaknesses; however to take advantage of them, the 49ers would have to do a better job at EXECUTING. On the other side, if the 49ers can limit the Packers big plays, they have the ability to contain Rodgers; i.e. prevent him from running. 49ers do not need big plays to win, but the Packers seem to do. Who ever controls the line of scrimmage wins here.

Originally posted by boqi:
Haha. Touche! Yes I've hated green bay for a long time, but last year I wanted to see them succeed against the steelers. Hate the steelers even more, lol.

This isn't so much about "niners vs packers" in the playoffs. More about who fundamentally has the better team, thus should be getting more attention and credit around the NFL.

We won't get any kind of credit until we win in the post season. Since GB is the defending world champ, they get a never-ending benefit of the doubt by the media.

Speaking for myself, I think that the passing attack through Alex Smith is going just fine. The tools in the sports media are too stupid to see more than total yards and touchdowns. However, the performance yesterday was quite respectable. 17/24 for 200 yards and 1 TD. That calcs out to a 70% completion rate and 8.3 yards per attempt. The only reason Alex didn't have bigger numbers is because Harbaugh wanted to control the clock.

Any QB can rack up 300yd games if they sling the ball enough times.

Bring them on.

We currently have the 10th best defense. Green Bay is 30th.

We also have better special teams imo.

Harbaugh would pull out all the stops with some trickeration.

Originally posted by 49erFaithful6:
Bring them on.

We currently have the 10th best defense. Green Bay is 30th.

We also have better special teams imo.

Harbaugh would pull out all the stops with some trickeration.

i would say breen bay in a close game. i sometimes think our trickeration hurts us especially trying to convert on 3rd down

50/50 chance...plain and simple. Pass rush needs to knock down Rodgers so he's not comfortable back there and throwing downfield. Niners do that plus not turn the ball over and the game is ours. If 4-man rush doesn't pressure him, he'll expose our secondary like Brady would.

If we played GB last nite, we would have gotten clobbered. 2nd half our D plan was "play not to lose", and against GB we would have lost. I just have a hard time believing those calls are by JH, but maybe they are. He just seems like a guy who goes for the throat, and our 2nd half D , playing not to lose would have given us a big L against GB.

If our 2nd DB was Terrell Brown, our secondary would get torched. They have so many receivers that Rodgers throws to, it'd be hard to defend them all. Jennings, Finley, Driver, Jolly, Jones...I don't know how much of a pass rush teams get on the Packers, but Rodgers wings the ball kind of like Alex did to Vernon Davis (that VD dropped) on almost every play it seems. I noticed Tom Brady did a lot of looking off his receivers then throwing at them without seeing a DB in his throwing lanes. They were spying his actual go-to receiver, it seemed like they were defending receivers he was not looking at. I have confidence that Vic Fangio will develop a strategy for Aaron Rodgers. In fact, he is probably studying him right now, trying to formulate a defense. I remember Manusky's defense for Peyton Manning, having all the defenders standing up until just before the snap. It was a brilliant defense because Manning couldn't read our defense. Hopefully Fangio can figure out Rodgers, because Green Bay's defense does not scare me. They make big plays but they also give up a ton of points and yards.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
If we played GB last nite, we would have gotten clobbered. 2nd half our D plan was "play not to lose", and against GB we would have lost. I just have a hard time believing those calls are by JH, but maybe they are. He just seems like a guy who goes for the throat, and our 2nd half D , playing not to lose would have given us a big L against GB.

The Chargers D which is above average, but not great didn't do that badly against the Packers O. When they needed to, they held them to a 3 and out. If Rivers doesn't give the Packers 14 free points, the Chargers win that game.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
If we played GB last nite, we would have gotten clobbered. 2nd half our D plan was "play not to lose", and against GB we would have lost. I just have a hard time believing those calls are by JH, but maybe they are. He just seems like a guy who goes for the throat, and our 2nd half D , playing not to lose would have given us a big L against GB.

You honestly feel we would have defensed it up the same for Aaron Rodgers as we did for John Beck? Vic knows who is on the other side of the ball and gameplans accordingly. For each team we face, a different gameplan.

Would be a fascinating game. The media would just go crazy over the Alex versus Aaron story. Also, McCarthy, former SF OC and WCO devotee versus Harbaugh, the latest from the Walsh tree.

The 49er secondary has been playing very well, much better than expected but the GB pass receivers are the very best in the league.

The GB secondary has been very poor which might allow the SF passing game to blossom although that depends on whether Edwards can get healthy and contribute on a level equal to his draft status.

SF has the edge in the run game but Starks is no slouch, he just hasn't been needed with the passing game going so well.

LBs on both teams are All Pro level.

It will come down to which team can CONSISTENTLY pressure the opposing team's QB.

I'm hoping the game is for the NFC Championship. In that case, home field advantage decides the winner.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
If we played GB last nite, we would have gotten clobbered. 2nd half our D plan was "play not to lose", and against GB we would have lost. I just have a hard time believing those calls are by JH, but maybe they are. He just seems like a guy who goes for the throat, and our 2nd half D , playing not to lose would have given us a big L against GB.

The defense played not to lose yesterday because other than a miracle there was no way the Redskins would be able to overcome the 16 point deficit with Beck throwing the ball. The 49ers already learned the hard way against Romo. They wouldn't have played prevent defense against the Packers with such "small" lead.

We are capable of beating them tomorrow. However, we will have a better chance in the playoffs with more improvement on offense.

Originally posted by dj43:
Would be a fascinating game. The media would just go crazy over the Alex versus Aaron story. Also, McCarthy, former SF OC and WCO devotee versus Harbaugh, the latest from the Walsh tree.

The 49er secondary has been playing very well, much better than expected but the GB pass receivers are the very best in the league.

The GB secondary has been very poor which might allow the SF passing game to blossom although that depends on whether Edwards can get healthy and contribute on a level equal to his draft status.

SF has the edge in the run game but Starks is no slouch, he just hasn't been needed with the passing game going so well.

LBs on both teams are All Pro level.

It will come down to which team can CONSISTENTLY pressure the opposing team's QB.

I'm hoping the game is for the NFC Championship. In that case, home field advantage decides the winner.

Starks is very average, doesnt show much explosiveness. Not worried at all about the packs running game. I think we could slow down their passing game enough to make it close. I think we could beat them but it would be close.

Originally posted by footballxpaul:

Originally posted by dj43:
Would be a fascinating game. The media would just go crazy over the Alex versus Aaron story. Also, McCarthy, former SF OC and WCO devotee versus Harbaugh, the latest from the Walsh tree.

The 49er secondary has been playing very well, much better than expected but the GB pass receivers are the very best in the league.

The GB secondary has been very poor which might allow the SF passing game to blossom although that depends on whether Edwards can get healthy and contribute on a level equal to his draft status.

SF has the edge in the run game but Starks is no slouch, he just hasn't been needed with the passing game going so well.

LBs on both teams are All Pro level.

It will come down to which team can CONSISTENTLY pressure the opposing team's QB.

I'm hoping the game is for the NFC Championship. In that case, home field advantage decides the winner.

Starks is very average, doesnt show much explosiveness. Not worried at all about the packs running game. I think we could slow down their passing game enough to make it close. I think we could beat them but it would be close.

I agree the 49ers could shut down their running game. I just would not overlook what Starks can do. For an example of that, just go back and look at the Super Bowl last year. He is powerful and makes good decisions. He doesn't have Grants quickness but he isn't chopped liver by any means.

It will all come down to how much the 49er passing game improves over the next 8 weeks. If everyone stays healthy, it will make for an interesting playoff run.