Gameplan for a potential NFC Championship game against GB

Originally posted by Envy:
1. Roll back 30 years and play the true Walsh offense. Dink and dunk and chew on the clock.
2. Activate Steve Young

Steve Young wasn't playing with us 30 years ago...

I really like how the 49ers match up against the Packers. Honest.

Besides, the Packers are going to probably lose a couple games, and yes I'm fully aware they're 10-0. Take a look at their schedule and compare the teams they've played vs the teams they've got left on their schedule. I think the 49ers have a shot to win the NFC.

As for playing the Packers, if it's snowing in Green Bay, Rodgers wont be as effective of a passer. That will only help our defense that already is the best run defense in the league. If it's not snowing, well, lets hope it snows. lol

If we play in Candlestick, well, the home field advantage will certainly be nice.

No doubt Rodgers is a great QB and having a great season. But I'm not convinced he's invincible. The 49ers can get pressure with all of their linemen. That's huge. That's been a great help to our pass defense all season. Will make things harder on Rodgers, but we'll need to blitz him as well.

I REALLY like this matchup if for some reason Jennings is unable to return by then. We could then easily afford to double Nelson and we can man up with Driver/Jones/Finley. I also really hope we play very little base. Only 5 teams run the ball less than them and they aren't even quite at 4 yards per carry. Assuming Jennings plays, I'm not even sure that there shouldn't be some plays where Whitner and Bowman are on the sidelines. I like Aldon/Justin/RayMac/Brooks on the d-line with Willis at LB, all 5 corners, and Goldson (or perhaps substitute Brooks for Bowman in a 3-2-6 alignment). Highly unorthodox personnel grouping, but for 15 or so plays during the game when they are in obvious passing situations, I think that'd give Rodgers some trouble. And even on a LOT of 1st and 2nd downs, we should have our standard nickel personnel (Smiths, RayMac, Brooks, Willis, Bowman, Rogers, Brown, Culliver, Goldson, Whitner) on the field. I like Rogers on Nelson, Culliver and Whitner on Jennings, Brown on Driver or Jones, and Goldson playing centerfield. Willis on Finley. Not sure we should play much zone, granted, that potentially leaves us vulnerable to some nice scrambles by Rodgers, but Bowman would be the wildcard. They don't throw a whole lot to their backs, so he could kinda just play a zone in the middle of the field, helping to take away slants and curls and stuff, while also keeping an eye on Rodgers coming out of the backfield. And when they do run the ball, I still think our nickel D would shut it the f**k down. Fangio, if you're reading, I hope this is your gameplan.

As for our redzone D, Rodgers is so good at getting touchdowns within the 10 yard line by throwing those quick little back shoulder passes. Therefore, I think we should have our corners playing with outside leverage (something not seen a whole lot on a condensed field) with Willis and Bowman lined up at about the hash marks to take away the quick slants and inside routes. Because they're both so fast/quick/instinctive, this would not leave us particularly vulnerable to the inside run as they would quickly be able to collapse inside to make the tackle. If we're still worried about the run in this case, I think we could throw a little wrinkle at them with something we haven't done all year - a 4 man line that includes Sopoaga. Sope and J. Smith at d-tackle with RayMac and A. Smith at d-end. Gives us a little more beef up the middle to make up for the adjustments we'd be making in the back 7.

I realize this is jumping the gun a bit, but I really have my doubts about New Orleans being able to take their cute little dome offense outdoors deep into winter on grass (not artificial turf) and have a ton of success against the best defense the NFL has seen in a while who, as the cherry on top, have had 2 weeks to rest/prepare/gameplan. We should certainly assume they will beat Detroit and therefore start watching film on them immediately after we beat STL on Sunday.

Better watch out for boast...he locked my thread 4 weeks ago about us versus new orleans most probably. I will most likely be right but hopefully he plays some favorites and not lock this thread......so far so good huh? I think we will pass all over gb with quick outs and te passes vs their bad safeties versus run bc they are expecting runs. Kinda of like the nyg game.

I wonder how much of this thread is accurate or wishful thinking?

Question is if we can beat NO would GB be easier or harder?

Originally posted by jreff22:
I wonder how much of this thread is accurate or wishful thinking?

Question is if we can beat NO would GB be easier or harder?

Harder, no question. We would be playing on the road @Lambeau vs. at home vs. a dome team that is NOT built to play good outdoor football deep into winter.

You know it would be our year if we somehow avoid the Saints AND Packers.

I hope if and when we play the packers it's raining and muddy.

ONE GAME AT A TIME PEOPLE You're talking about a game that is a month away and yes there is a great possibility that this might happen, there is a chance we wont even play GB. How about we focus on ST Louis and our skeleton crew of WR.

Originally posted by jreff22:
I wonder how much of this thread is accurate or wishful thinking?

Question is if we can beat NO would GB be easier or harder?

Depends where we play. Saints would be hard to beat in N.O., they are a different team on the road and in a non dome. Maybe the winds of Candlestick will screw with their passing game. Green Bay, might be better to play them there, in their quest for the super bowl last year, they didn't have the home filed advantage and didn't play in the frozen tundra throughout, passing if it becomes the really cold is tougher.

Originally posted by andes14:
IMO, we really shouldn't play Sope/Haralson and just go nickel vitually all game...d-line of Brooks, RayMac, J. Smith, and A. Smith with Bowman and Willis at 'backer and Rogers, Brown, Culliver, Goldson, and Whitner (or maybe even R. Smith sometimes, esp. on 3rd downs). We will still be able to shut down their run game. As for the pass - Carlos Rogers would be matched up in the slot vs. either James Jones or Donald Driver and should be able to lock them down without help. I like Culliver playing press on Jennings with Whitner over the top and Brown playing press on Nelson with Goldson over the top (This will also enable CC/TB to be able to undercut routes/be aggressive/gamble at times since there will be safety help on each side of the field. Should be able to intercept a pass or 2 this way). Willis will do his thing on Finley and Bowman can kinda be the wild card, either guarding a zone, covering a back, or blitzing. With that nickel d-line being composed of arguably the best quartet of pass rushers of any team in the NFL PLUS GB having a very mediocre o-line, Aaron Rodgers WILL be under heat. We DO have the matchups in the back end to hold up. And we can still probably afford to allow at least 2 TD's in the air because I think our offense should absolutely be able to score 20+ points on their D. Man that should be a helluva game.

IMO, u shoud worry about the saints first...

1. Beat the Rams.
2. Take the 1st round off, heal up.
3. Beat the Saints.
4. Upset Green Bay.
5. Politely decline all 8 pro-bowl invitations.
6. Raise Lombardi trophy #6.

We need to beat the first team we face. And that will likely be the Saints. Us as the #2 seed and them as the #3 seed. We will likely face them our very first game after the bye. Win that first and don't worry about the rest until you get there. That's no gimmie.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
1. Beat the Rams.
2. Take the 1st round off, heal up.
3. Beat the Saints.
4. Upset Green Bay.
5. Politely decline all 8 pro-bowl invitations.
6. Raise Lombardi trophy #6.

Done and done.

Control the tempo on offense. Run it down their middle. Get very physical. Look at the entire picture, has anyone came close to blowing us out all year? Green Bay has a great QB, and a mediocre D. I'm sure we can run on them and the pass will be there. The Niners are a very dangerous team.