Big predictions from the Green Bay Packers for their Divisional Round matchup with the 49ers.
Will the Packers continue to grind out victories over the Niners?
The Packers have had a successful 2023 NFL campaign so far. They finished the regular season with a 9-8 record and secured a Wild Card Round win over the Dallas Cowboys. Led by quarterback Jordan Love, the Packers have shown resilience and determination throughout the season. The big question now is whether or not they have what it takes to make a deep playoff run. Now, let’s explore some bold projections for the Packers as they eagerly approach their playoff clash with the 49ers.
In the NFC Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium, the Packers dominated the Cowboys with a dominant effort. On the first drive, Matt LaFleur’s team quickly jumped out to a 7-0 lead, which he later increased to 27-0 thanks to a pick-six from Darnell Savage. They then scored a touchdown to make it 34-10 after stopping a 10-0 Cowboys drive. Finally, two touchdowns in the fourth quarter helped the Packers extend their lead to 48-16. It is important to recognize the high caliber of the Packers’ performance despite a few garbage-time touchdowns. When playing the Cowboys, Green Bay performed almost perfectly. It was the team’s seventh win in the previous nine games.
In the process, Green Bay became the first No. 7 seed to claim victory since the playoff expansion in 2020. Quarterback Jordan Love, in his inaugural postseason appearance, completed 16-of-21 pass attempts for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Love finished the regular season ranked second in the NFL with 32 touchdown passes. He continued his impressive form with 21 TD passes and only one interception over the last nine games.
Now he faces the formidable 49ers defense. They are known for excelling in various aspects, and the Packers have a challenging task ahead. The 49ers concluded the regular season with a stingy defense, allowing a mere 17.5 points per game. That ranked third lowest in the league. Yikes.
Here are our bold predictions for the Green Bay Packers as they face the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round matchup of the 2023 NFL season.
Air Jordan
In Sunday’s Wild Card round victory over the Cowboys, Jordan Love completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Despite facing a porous Cowboys defense that experienced breakdowns, Love’s performance was nothing short of sensational. He initiated the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks in the second quarter. Love continued to extend Green Bay’s lead throughout the game afterward. A 38-yard pass to Luke Musgrave and a three-yard touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs highlighted his prowess. Doubs actually proved to be a reliable target for Love. The duo’s connection played a pivotal role in Green Bay’s triumph. We’ll see if they can recreate that in their clash against the 49ers in the Divisional Round. It will be very tough, though. The Niners have a top-tier defense that will really test Love. We have this Jordan breaking 250 yards again, but he’ll sweat for it.
Doubting Doubs
Romeo Doubs had a fantastic opening postseason performance. He recorded six receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys victory. Doubs’ incredible performance, which saw him eclipse his season-high receiving yards in just the first half, accounted for more than half of Jordan Love’s 272 throwing yards. Doubs solidified his role as a key member of the Packers with a 46-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and a three-yard score in the reception in the third yard. As Green Bay prepares for a challenging road game against the 49ers in the Divisional Round, Doubs hopes to replicate his stellar postseason performance. However, it will be very challenging to accomplish so. Here, Doubs is returning to the ground after less than 70 yards of scrimmage.
Nixon Removed
Keisean Nixon contributed significantly with 11 tackles (seven solo) and a sack in the victory over the Cowboys. Nixon tied his career high tackle total from Week 17 even though he was unable to return kicks. His performance demonstrated his adaptability and possible significance in Green Bay’s next game against the 49ers. This is especially important in light of Jaire Alexander’s ankle injury, which has cast doubt on his availability as the starting cornerback. Nixon should be quite active, but not to the same extent as he did in the Wild Card Round, in our opinion.
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