49ers – Packers Divisional Playoff Live Blog

This is the live blog for the San Francisco 49ers (11-7) NFC Divisional Round playoff matchup with the Green Bay Packers (13-4) from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

3:55 Inactive for the 49ers: CB Ambry Thomas, RB Trey Sermon, DB Jarrod Wilson, LB Marcell Harris, DB Deommodore Lenoir, OL Jaylon Moore, DL Maurice Hurst

3:57 Inactive for the Packers: T David Bakhtiari, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, LB Jonathan Garvin, S Vernon Scott, S Shawn Davis

4:02 Ambry Thomas has been playing very well. Apparently, the knee injury he suffered in Dallas is too much for him to go. That means either Dontae Johnson or Josh Norman will be starting opposite Emmanuel Moseley. My guess is it will be Johnson. This is a big blow for the San Francisco secondary.

Not on the inactive list for Green Bay is cornerback Jaire Alexander. Alexander had a big interception of Jimmy Garoppolo when these teams met up back in week 3. It will be interesting to see how many snaps he plays tonight.

4:22 The wind is blowing pretty good. The kickers for both teams, Robbie Gould and Mason Crosby, missed field goal attempts short from 50-yards out. 

4:49 It looks like it will be Dontae Johnson getting the start tonight. He lined up opposite Emmanuel Moseley during warmups. 

5:09 Fox showed Jimmy Garoppolo taking the tape off his right thumb and stepping into the huddle during warmups. He looks fired up for this game.

5:10 Aaron Rodgers threw 33 passes when these teams met in week 3, Davante Adams was targeted on 18 of them. 

5:15 49ers won the toss and defer. They will kickoff to start the game.

5:24 That was about as easy as it gets for Green Bay. The Packers drive 69 yards on 10 plays and AJ Dillon runs it in from 6-yards out.

Well balanced drive for Green Bay, 5 runs and 5 passes. San Francisco has nothing for Davante Adams, Rodgers threw his way 3 times, all were complete for first downs and totaled 35 yards.

5:31 After a good return by JaMycal Hasty gets the ball out to the 40, San Francisco goes three and out. A false start on Daniel Brunskill pushed them back to 2nd and 14, and Za’Darius Smith ran over Laken Tomlinson to sack Jimmy Garoppolo on 3rd down. 

Rough start for the 49ers.

5:37 Fred Warner comes up with the first big play for San Francisco, forcing a fumble on a completion to Marcedes Lewis and the 49ers take over at the 42.

Green Bay had been picking up chunks of yards on every play. The 49ers offense needs to make Green Bay pay for the mistake.

5:41 The 49ers can’t get out of their own way. Brandon Aiyuk can’t hold on to a second down pass from Garoppolo, and Tom Compton is beat by Rashan Gary on the next play for a sack. 

5:50 San Francisco’s pass rush getting itself going a bit, forcing Rodgers to move around and he throws incomplete twice to tight end Dominique Dafney. San Francisco takes over at their 38.

5:55 Jimmy Garoppolo has thrown three passes. All three have been right on target. All three have been dropped.

5:57 First quarter comes to a close, Green Bay 7 San Franciso 0.

Green Bay 107 yards, San Francisco -7 yards. San Francisco can’t run and their receivers can’t hold on to the ball. 

6:01 While the 49ers offense can’t get going, the defense has been really good after that first possession, forcing back-to-back three and outs. Samson Ebukam with the sack of Rodgers on third down.

San Francisco is doubling Davante Adams all over the field and it’s working. 

6:07 Tom Compton can’t block Rashan Gary, giving up his second sack to the former Michigan Wolverine in the game. 

Green Bay is simply beating San Francisco at the point of attack.

6:16 49ers defense has played a heck of a game after that opening drive. The front is getting a lot of pressure on Rodgers, the secondary is taking away Adams, and now the offense needs to get a first down.

6:24 Two-minute warning. San Francisco offense finally gets moving. Garoppolo with a 15-yard completion to George Kittle, a 16-yard completion to Elijah Mitchell and some tough runs gets them to the Green Bay 25.

6:30 Trent Williams is called for holding, and Jimmy Garoppolo throws an interception on the next play. Not coming away with any points there really hurts.

6:37 Jimmie Ward giveth and Jimmie Ward taketh away. Ward gets caught flat footed and Aaron Rodgers finds Aaron Jones down the right sideline for a gain of 75. After a sack by Nick Bosa, Ward comes through to block the Mason Crosby field goal attempt as the first half comes to a close.

As bad as the 49ers offense has played in this game, they are down only 7 and will have the ball to open the second half.

This game feels a lot like week 3 for the offense. 

Total first half yards: Packers 205 49ers 58

7:00 The 49ers offense just cannot get out of its own way. Driving into the redzone, Elijah Mitchell gets called for a facemask, then they can’t get lined up correctly and get called for an illegal formation. All of this pushes them back to the 26 instead of having the ball inside the five.

The possession finally ends with a field goal by Robbie Gould. Packers 7 49ers 3

7:06 Pressure, Pressure, Pressure. 49ers defensive front is really getting after Rodgers and has been for most of the game. 

Quick three and out gets the ball right back to the offense.

7:12 The 49ers cannot hold up in pass protection on third down, allowing four sacks of Garoppolo on the money down. 

Feels like the defense needs to score if the 49ers are going to win this.

7:22 Going to the 4th quarter with Green Bay inside the 49ers redzone. Packers have been pounding away at the 49ers on this possession. Feels like a touchdown here seals the game.

7:30 Arik Armstead gets to Rodgers on 3rd and goal. Mason Crosby with a 33-yard field goal. Packers 10 49ers 3

Only one or two more possessions left in this game for the 49ers. They need to get into the endzone here.

7:41 Another promising 49ers drive ends up in no points when Elijah Mitchell is stopped on 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 19.

Taking the points and playing defense would have made sense there considering how well that side of the ball has played. Plus, a touchdown there doesn’t win the game for you.

7:50 Arik Armstead with a huge sack of Aaron Rodgers on 3rd down. Jordan Willis breaks through to block the punt and Talanoa Hufanga runs it in for a touchdown to tie the game up at 10. CRAZY!

8:04 The 49ers need to get a first down here to keep the clock moving and the ball out of Aaron Rodgers hands.

8:09 Robbie Gould sends the ball through snow and wind from 45-yards out to send San Francisco into the NFC Championship game. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!

8:15 The 49ers are playing next Sunday in Los Angeles or Tampa Bay for a trip to the Super Bowl! They were 3-5 at the middle of the season. Covering this team has been so much fun.