SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. GREEN BAY PACKERS GAMEDAY THREAD (Week 1)

I just found out yesterday our IT/CAD guy is a Packers fan when he worked on my computer and saw the 49er season wallpaper!

Would have never known otherwise. He seemed all too respectful and has no beef with SF (maybe because his wife is a fan).

I've heard good things about Packers fans welcoming visitors at tailgate but inside the stadium and on the forums, different story.

He also said that if you want to meet visiting players they all stay at the same hotel in Appleton and pass thru the lobby frequently.

I don't gamble but the spreads tell a story. In Vegas the line opened at 6.5, it's down to 5 in some places. By game time I can see 4 1/2. Basically it's going from a touchdown to a bit more than a field goal, if it continues in that direction. Last year if the team received 4 1/2 points every game their record would have been 17-1 against the spread. The Ravens beat them by 10.

Wassup guys Pack fan here! Stoked for opener as most of you are im sure, should be a great game and could very likely be a playoff preview.

I'll be posting here the next week or so to gain some rival perspective.

My personal prediction: 31-23. GB
Packers get on the board first with a couple big plays early, forcing the 49ers to abandon the run and play catch up, an exercise in futility against the reigning MVP.

Originally posted by aaronitout:
Wassup guys Pack fan here! Stoked for opener as most of you are im sure, should be a great game and could very likely be a playoff preview.

I'll be posting here the next week or so to gain some rival perspective.

My personal prediction: 31-23. GB
Packers get on the board first with a couple big plays early, forcing the 49ers to abandon the run and play catch up, an exercise in futility against the reigning MVP.

Harbaugh doesn't abandon the run

If the 49ers go down early, he better abandon the run.
Your not going to overcome a deficit to the Packers offense by pounding the rock, you just have air it out and hope your D can contain A-rod long enough to get back in to the game.

The Niners best chance of winning this one is getting on the board first, controlling the clock, and keeping the ball away from Airin' Godgers.

Originally posted by aaronitout:

Wassup guys Pack fan here! Stoked for opener as most of you are im sure, should be a great game and could very likely be a playoff preview.

I'll be posting here the next week or so to gain some rival perspective.

My personal prediction: 31-23. GB
Packers get on the board first with a couple big plays early, forcing the 49ers to abandon the run and play catch up, an exercise in futility against the reigning MVP.

What's up new dude.

We have the ability to stretch the field, which we did not last year. You cover that, the run will be much more effective. You stack the box, I believe you will see a whole new kind of SF offense. We have threats on the outside, inside and the backfield.

Im not completely sold on the 49ers new found ability to stretch the field just yet, just as im sure your not sold on the Packers new found ability to rush the passer outside of Clay.
Point being, week one isn't even here yet, so I would reserve my judgment on what they have or have not improved upon just yet.

That said, it would be significantly more difficult to stop the Niners if they succeed at stretching the field better than last year, but as it is Im looking for Capers to stack the box and force Alex into a shootout with A-rod.

Originally posted by JTsBiggestFan:
I just found out yesterday our IT/CAD guy is a Packers fan when he worked on my computer and saw the 49er season wallpaper!

Would have never known otherwise. He seemed all too respectful and has no beef with SF (maybe because his wife is a fan).

I've heard good things about Packers fans welcoming visitors at tailgate but inside the stadium and on the forums, different story.

He also said that if you want to meet visiting players they all stay at the same hotel in Appleton and pass thru the lobby frequently.

Great stuff to hear. Will be there for sure Section 305 Row 2 Seats 3 & 4.

Originally posted by Rubberneck36:

Originally posted by aaronitout:
Wassup guys Pack fan here! Stoked for opener as most of you are im sure, should be a great game and could very likely be a playoff preview.

I'll be posting here the next week or so to gain some rival perspective.

My personal prediction: 31-23. GB
Packers get on the board first with a couple big plays early, forcing the 49ers to abandon the run and play catch up, an exercise in futility against the reigning MVP.

What's up new dude.

We have the ability to stretch the field, which we did not last year. You cover that, the run will be much more effective. You stack the box, I believe you will see a whole new kind of SF offense. We have threats on the outside, inside and the backfield.

Yes. With a weak defense as is you must stop Frank and Kendall and combat our Jumbo sets, shifts, and 2 TE sets. I don't see you stopping us from running unless you overload like everyone else and when you try you leave Vernon Davis or Randy Moss in single coverage. You will get owned if you do sooner or later because no single DB will stop Vernon Davis and anything less than an 8 man front won't slow Frank Gore.

No team runs up the score on our defense unless it is the Saints and that is because they have an offense that is multifaceted. They run and they pass well whereas all GB does well is pass the football. That is what we want defensively. We take away your run to make you 1 dimensional in order to get you off the field with either a turnover or a punt. We bend but don't break and give you 3 points if that, we hit your QB and take away his scramble with our LBs, we strip your ball carriers and take away the pill, we rule field position on special teams and convert every kick. We make you score from 85 yds out then we take the ball, pound the rock and sit your QB by the Gatorade for 35+ mins of the game.

GB will be at home and pumped for the opener, but we will be hungry for respect. Should be a good game, but just as our QB has been less than elite, the same can be said for GB defense and running game last season. I do however expect Aaron Rodgers to be as always, out to let us know that we should have drafted him and try and stick it to his childhood team of choice that he so desperately wanted to play for but is thankful he didn't yet it must eat away at him in seeing our success last year knowing that if he were here and not Alex we should have won. I expect Alex to also want to put up a good showing in his own way and that being walking out with a win by any means necessary. But I do know that Aaron will be playing with that chip but I am looking for our defense to play with one also.

The Pack had the number 2 offense in league history last year and teams knew they were going to pass almost every down, so I don't understand the reasoning that NO could only put up big numbers because of there multi dimensional offense.
Its a new game today and the short pass can set up the deep/intermediate passes just as effective as the run can. (BTW Cedric Benson has been an 1000 yard rusher his past 3 seasons).

Im not sold on the 49ers deep ball being significantly better just because the addition of a Wr who is far, far, FAR, past his prime.
Forcing the League MVP in to turnovers and 3 and outs is alot easier said then done, his arm strength, accuracy, mobility and awareness leave the 49ers D with a much smaller margin for error then anyone they faced last year.

And I don't think A-rod is losing any sleep over the Niners not drafting him. (With that shiny SB ring and all..)
In fact, I think the Niners desicion to take Alex is eating them up much, much more than it is to Aaron Rodgers.

Originally posted by aaronitout:
If the 49ers go down early, he better abandon the run.
Your not going to overcome a deficit to the Packers offense by pounding the rock, you just have air it out and hope your D can contain A-rod long enough to get back in to the game.

The Niners best chance of winning this one is getting on the board first, controlling the clock, and keeping the ball away from Airin' Godgers.

we will NOT abandon the run so quickly against that swiss cheese holey packers front 7

Like I said, if the Packers manage to seize the lead early, Harb isn't going to have much of a choice, Capers will start stacking the box in order to force the Niners in to a shootout.
I don't think I have to tell you what happens to teams that are forced to try and simply out gun the Packers, but I will anyways.
They lose.

Of course, if Harb tries to force the run game while trailing the Pack on the scoreboard, I would be COMPLETLY content with that, as it would only accelerate a Packers victory..

But, like I said once again, if the Niners grab the lead early, that's a whole new ball game. (One that I personally, want to avoid.)

Lets put it this way

Aaron Rogers and Greg Jennings are both on my fantasy team, and both will be on the bench in game one. Thats how ineffective the packers passing game will be because its so predictable since they couldnt run the ball if we gave them frank gore.

I dont know if you know, but stacking the box will only be easy street with the screen pass and wheel routes with Ginn. good luck doing that...and failing at it.

Originally posted by aaronitout:
The Pack had the number 2 offense last year and teams knew they were going to pass almost every down, so I don't understand the reasoning that NO could only put up big numbers because of there multi dimensional offense.
Its a new game today and the short pass can set up the deep/intermediate passes just as effective as the run can. (BTW Cedric Benson has been an 1000 yard rusher his past 3 seasons).

Im not sold on the 49ers deep ball being significantly better just because the addition of a Wr who is far, far, FAR, past his prime.
Forcing the League MVP in to turnovers and 3 and outs is alot easier said then done, his arm strength, accuracy, mobility and awareness leave the 49ers D with a much smaller margin for error then anyone they faced last year.

And I don't think A-rod is losing any sleep over the Niners not drafting him. (With that shiny SB ring and all..)
In fact, I think the Niners desicion to take Alex is eating them up much, much more than it is to Aaron Rodgers.

The pack has not seen this defense but they will come Sunday. This group gets virtually all of our pressure with as little 3 to 5 men, thus allowing our OLBs and MLBs to set the edge if there is a run and fill the lanes. Also, we have the distinct advantage of having the best MLB tandem in the game with the footspeed to track down speedy RBs and scrambling QBs and the versatility to cover TEs and slot WRs. With the best front 7 in football leaving our secondary with little to no worry up front and pressuring the passer the ball hawks on the back end pounce on WRs for big hits and poach the QB for forced, rushed, and errant throws.

Now Rodgers is the studliest QB in the league right now, but I think he will have to take this beating that we will put on him and still beat 7 defenders back covering WRs and TEs. I am more concerned with how GB will slow us down not how we will slow them down. And yes Moss is old but I want to see if you try to cover him with 1 DB and how that plays out. I want to see if you try to do anything other than stack 8 in the box against Gore then suffer watching him run up the yards on you. I want to see if you leave 1 CB or 1 S or 1 LB on VD and watch him make an example of you. I want to see you stop Hunter, Walker, Crabtree, Manningham, etc with that defense. We have an elite defense and an elite special teams that will force you to score from 85 yards out almost every time and I want to see if you can do that.

If you do as you expect, then I can applaud you and your team but I am telling you that we had the most physical team in the NFC last year and you will feel us when we play you. As for Cedric Benson, cmon bro, we faced him too last year and held him under 65 yards and the team as a whole under 80 yds. We made them quit running like everyone we faced aside form Marshawn Lynch and we faced some elite backs last year too for example McCoy and Rice. And you might apply the same age logic towards Benson as you did Moss. I am not saying GB should not be favored but I am saying don't be surprised if you lose.

Finally, Rodgers ended up in the best place for him because we were in shambles trying to be BAL west under Nolan and GB was in great shape and enduring long lasting success ever since Mike Holmgren turned you into SFO north. Rodgers would have progressed very little at all under our old coaching staffs and Favre would not have been around as an example. I doubt he would be a champion here unless he were here now. Actually he may have been good enough to have kept Nolan around a little too long for us to miss out on Harbaugh. Alex has not been very good but he has a chance to win this year and that is good enough for me.

Once again, I would like to point out, that the Packers had the 2nd highest scoring offense in NFL history last year, and they were easily the most unbalanced offense in the league. They have added a RB coming off 3 straight 1000 yard seasons as well.
The NFL is different then 20 years ago...the run is no longer a must if you can effectively use the short pass to set up the rest of the passing game.

Stacking the box will effectively take away the 49ers key to victory (ball control) if Alex is forced into a duel with Aaron Rodgers, against the most oppurtunistic defense in the league no less, he will have to play at a level in which he has never played in the pros.