Fear The Chorizo

I think regardless of the outcome of these next 3 games, Detroit isn't going anywhere in terms of being a healthy franchise, and I'm actually going to root for them beating the 49ers because I think that speeds up the rate of that particular franchise having to retool. Will be fun watching the Detroit O line against the 49er defensive front - if Deebo can't go Sunday I think the Lions have a better than coinflip chance of winning that game.

Hoping to see Allen and the Bills pull this one out

So what you're saying is quarterbacks with better arms and more natural talent can't also have a high IQ? The 49ers did go on a good run in 2022 once Purdy became the starter, for sure, but they were a 7-4 squad with other quarterbacks before him, too and then added McCaffrey in that same timeframe. I think in general there are multiple ways in today's NFL to build a team capable of winning a Super Bowl any given year....but once your young quarterback is off his rookie deal regardless of where he is drafted, he better be a top 5-caliber quarterback capable of making everyone around him better instead of the other way around, or you're just not going to be good enough. There's jealousy with the 49ers because they've had such a dominant core of talent besides quarterback that they drive fans for other teams crazy waiting for it to come crashing down after they've made some terrible decisions involving quarterbacks in free agency (Jimmy G) and the draft (Lance), then they seemingly luck into adding Purdy with a token draft pick that even they had destined for their practice squad last season and he turns out to be a competent player after their offense gets the other quarterbacks above him on the depth chart injured last season. The flip side of that is the 49ers haven't yet won a Super Bowl since 1994 with Steve Young as their quarterback despite having rosters that appear on paper to be among the most talented overall squads in the league from 2011-2013, and from about 2019 to present.

combing through the play by play, especially early, once the Packers got close to goal to go situations they got too conservative at times. Specifically that 3rd and 1 followed by the 4th and short "stop" (I think they got jobbed on that spot, but you can't leave room for refs to screw you when you're the underdog) - If the Packers planned on going for it there, 3rd and 1 would've been a perfect time for a play action pass, and instead the playcall was a dive right into the heart of the defense that was selling out on the run. The very next drive the march down the field and have 1st and goal from the 9, only to run for nothing, then pass to Jones to lose 2 yards, then another underneath incomplete pass to Kraft that had no chance of scoring. Would've rather seen more aggressive playcalling with a pass on 1st down there. The last 4 Packer possessions went INT (bad short crossing route behind Kraft), 3 and out (bad short throw over the middle to Jones), missed FG (short passes and stuffed run with no chance of moving the chains after Jones' big run), and INT....besides Jones big run, the Packers did nothing offensively to take the game away from the 49ers and it cost them. None of those series included any pass plays beyond a few yards downfield, with the exception of that terrible decision by Love to throw against his body downfield to end the game instead of just throwing it away or running out of bounds for a minimal gain. They got conservative once they went up 7 against a defense that was ratcheting up the pressure and it cost them, because in a way it got Love playing tentative, too.

Purdy does not have close to the arm that Brady did, and his accuracy is questionable when he isn't throwing within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. He is a great fit with what the 49ers have on their offensive roster, but then again most qbs who aren't super expensive would be. To me it's not a negative rap on him specifically - I think it's more that qb is the glamour position that gets more of the credit than is deserved, particularly with the roster the 49ers have on both sides of the ball. I think if contract value or cap situation wasnt an issue, you could put any other starting NFL quarterback on that team and they would be as good or better than they are now. That's not a knock on Purdy as a player, it's just the reality of how loaded the 49ers are. If the Packers caught just one of what was three or 4 interceptable passes Purdy threw last night, the football world would be talking about how the 49ers need to sort out how to upgrade at quarterback in order to get over the hump before salary cap and age decimates that roster. Instead he's probably still viewed as a fringe mvp candidat along with McCaffrey and Lamar Jackson.

Specific to Purdy, no he doesn't suck - but he also isn't the reason the 49ers win games or are prolific on offense. I think he is smart enough to realize that if he doesn't have veteran all pros at every skill position around him plus a few studs on the oline, he's not good enough to win 10+games a season. If he ends up getting a huge contract extension the team he leads will quickly drop out of annually contending. Purdy was worse than Love last night - the Packer defense just didn't make him pay for several bad decisions and throws he made.

From a playoff loss perspective, it's pretty comparable - but I'd argue that 1995 Packer team was pretty loaded with veterans amd that era of the nfl still had the "wait your turn" sort of pecking order for contending teams. To me this run feels more like what the Packers were doing at the end of the regular season with a bunch of kids and an aging Favre before the year they blew the NFCCG at home against the giants. The difference is they've already got the young qb in place to grow with the young core and they wound up doing some damage in the playoffs.

Carlson still on the roster is more of a product that he was actually one of the bright spots for this team into late October, when nobody saw this team being capable of making the playoffs, let alone being better than the 49ers on their field in the divisional round. He really did struggle down the stretch, so it is a red flag for 2024. I'd expect there will be a kicking competition next training camp - and if not Carlson will have a short leash into the season. With increased expectations that come with this late season surge. Their youth really showed up in spots last night, Tom leaving the game changed the amount of time Love had to throw downfield and limited the number of receivers out in routes, and the Packers couldn't come up with enough plays at key moments to put the game away against a team that by all accounts was built to win this year. I remember Rodgers' last game against this team in the playoffs at Lambeau, where the Packer offense couldn't do anything and he threw a pick late over the middle at winning time, too. I'm chapped they didn't win a game they should have and kept an improbable 7 seed playoff run going, but I think the reasons why they lost last night are much more to do with inexperience in those pressure spots more than other recent playoff disappointments with veteran rosters, and hopefully they are better for it in the long run.

Specific to the game plan in general, one thing I noticed was how much the Packers were in the gun - guessing it was necessary to try and limit how fast the 49er pass rush got pressure, and the Packers did some good things running the ball from the gun with those perimeter pitches to Jones to try and get him catching the ball running full speed already off tackle - but not having Love under center working play action took away something that had him red hot the last few weeks. He was excelling at play action from under center and then throwing deep outs or deep ins into zone holes created by the run fake coupled with receivers running deep to stretch the safeties out. Those are slow developing plays, but if they're blocked up well enough they wind up being 15-25 yard chunks with every completion. The shotgun play action in this offense just isn't as effective and winds up alot of times with shorter throws in front of coverage instead of behind/between it.

Defenses like San Fran give most offenses fits - they play sound zone with incredible linebackers and have plenty of pass rush with their d line. The frustrating part is the Packers were probably one more big play away from beating a team considered a juggernaut on their home field and they spit the bit on multiple opportunities to make that play. It's tough right now to remember how far they've progressed since around the bronco game loss midseason. MLF had a poor game calling plays inside the red zone tonight, too. That TD on the fake bubble screen was sweet, but they couldn't do anything once they got inside the 15 and the field couldn't get stretched out.

Bottom line is the defense played well but didn't make a couple game changing plays on the gimme INTs Purdy threw them....and then when it mattered most it felt like the Dline ran out of gas with the pass rush. And, Love/the offense played terribly in the 4th quarter besides the big Jones run - some of it is conservative playcalling, but he was throwing behind receivers in the middle of the field and that last INT was a brutal decision. Tough conditions to throw the ball in, no doubt - but the decisions just have to be better, too. Yeah, kicker's gotta make 40 yard field goals and that sucks, too - but the Packers had multiple opportunities to go up two scores in both halves of football and couldn't find a way to make those plays against a team that wasn't just going to hand it to them. young team playing on the road an all, and next season looks much more promising than it did back in October....but it also stings losing a game which they should have won. This game felt a bit like a more tempered version of the NFC Championship game loss at Seattle - can't capitalize early and take a big lead, then offense whithers a bit when they could have salted the game away in the 4th quarter.

I would send the house every play and if you give up a td right away you at least give the offense the ball back with time left on the clock

They are going to milk this to the end of the game

They are going to wind up losing this game, and they have no business losing it

Somebody pick one of those lollipops off already

Another bad throw there

He's been awful

Packer defense dropping like flies

Dang nabbit....so defenses can catch gimme INTs

Make this a two score game somehow....Packers already should be up by that much, to be honest

God....2nd INT missed

Give Wilson an extension right damn now

Ok so it's insanity now

10 seconds talking well about the defense, three missed tackles and a TD later

Great playcall too