The seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers snuck into the postseason with a 9-8 record as the NFL's youngest team (average age: 25 years, 214 days) in Year 1 A.A.R (After Aaron Rodgers). They looked like it Saturday night, leading for most of the night, once again crumbling late against the San Francisco 49ers in a 24-21 defeat. The 49ers are on to the NFC Championship for the fourth time time in five seasons.
Simply making the dance in Jordan Love's first season as the Packers' primary starting quarterback while absorbing a $40 million dead cap hit for trading Rodgers to the New York Jets could be viewed as a win for the organization, a sign that they have a quarterback to build around long-term. However, they needed to make a handful more plays to overcome the NFC's top seed on the road.
The loss also continues the haunting the 49ers have done to the Packers in the postseason as Green Bay drops its fifth consecutive playoff game against San Francisco. The win did erase the narrative that the 49ers can't come from behind and win during Kyle Shanahan's era. His San Francisco squad entered Saturday night 0-31 down five or more points in the fourth quarter since 2017, when he became their head coach. They were the only NFL team without such a win in this span. Not anymore.
Brock Purdy, who was called a "game manager" by former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton, partially erased some of that narrative by leading a 12-play, 69-yard scoring drive that Christian McCaffrey, who finished with 98 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, punctuated with a six-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left in the game. Purdy finished with 252 passing yards and a touchdown on 23 of 39 passing.
The first half was a 7-6 slog in favor of San Francisco, but the action began to swing Green Bay's way after the break. Maligned defensive coordinator Joe Barry's unit forced a punt on the 49ers first drive after the half, and Love showed poise on the ensuing possession. He overcame running back Aaron Jones, who has been the NFL's hottest rusher the last five weeks, dropping the football on a toss play that pushed the Packers to a second and 21 on their own 34. He finished with 108 rushing yards on 18 carries.
On third-and-15 during the same series, Love hung in the pocket to rifle a pass deep down the field to wideout Bo Melton. That throw was critical because 49ers corner Ambry Thomas committed his second pass interference penalty of the game, resulting in a gain of 41 yards for Green Bay. On the very next play, Love threw his first touchdown of the game to wide open Melton on a play-action wheel route down the right sideline for a 19-yard score.
On cue, the 49ers clapped back with a touchdown of their own, a 39-yard, electrifying breakaway rushing score by McCaffrey. The score was set up by tight end George Kittle on the play before with a 32-yard catch-and run. He caught the 49ers first score on a 32-yard pass from a scrambling Brock Purdy. He finished with a team-high 81 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown on four caches.
The ensuing Green Bay kickoff return can only be described with one word: chaos. Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, the NFL's First-Team All-Pro kick returner in each of the last two seasons, exploded for a 73-yard return, but he had the football punched out on the tail end of the play as the ball bounced around on the Levi's Stadium grass, but special teams captain Eric Wilson jumped on top of the football for the recovery.
Four plays later, Love threw his second scoring strike of the night on a two-yard out route to rookie tight end Tucker Kraft. LaFleur dialed up a play that sent Jones out to the shallow right corner of the end zone with three receivers running routes to the left. That made it difficult for 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner to fight through the bodies, allowing Jones to haul in the lollipop throw from Love that gave the Packers their first seven-point lead of the night 21-14.
The 49ers couldn't fully capitalize on Love's first bad throw of the postseason, a pass behind Kraft that the tight end tipped in the air and resulted in an interception by linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Purdy's misfires forced rookie kicker Jake Moody to take and make a 52-yard field goal.
Following a 49ers' punt, Packers rookie Anders Carlson hooked a 41-yard field goal wide left, allowing San Francisco one last chance to steal the lead back with 6:18 left to play. Like they have all year, Purdy methodically marched them down the field, reaching the Packers 15 with two minutes left in the game. He made a critical play happen with his legs, scrambling nine yards to the Packers' six, and then on third and one, McCaffrey powered through the line of scrimmage for the go-ahead six-yard rushing score with 1:07 left to play.
That left Love with 67 seconds and three timeouts to get into field goal range. The Packers reached their own 36, but Love made an ill-advised, cross-body throw on a rollout to the right. The pass hung in the air, allowing Greenlaw to come away with his second interception of the night. The first-year starting quarterback finished with 194 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 21 of 34 passing.
They didn't fold under pressure. They trailed for the most of game as Purdy struggled to get in rhythm in the wet, rainy conditions. However after Carlson missed a field goal that would've put Green Bay up seven, Purdy locked in. He completed six of his seven passes on the 49ers' final drive for 47 yards in addition to a nine-yard scramble after the pocket collapsed, setting up McCaffrey's go-ahead score one play later.
Simply put, San Francisco looked like the NFC's top seed when the chips were down in the final minutes.
Green Bay's youth had an edge this postseason as receiver after receiver sprung open for completions from Love with no one in their area code. However, their inexperience hurt them in a season-killing way when it mattered most. Carlson's 41-yard field goal attempt would have put the Packers ups seven, likely ensuring overtime had it gone through the uprights with 6:21 left to play.
Instead, the miss allowed the 49ers to have plenty of time to march down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. Then, Love's inexperience finally showed on his last pass attempt of the season, his second interception to Greenlaw. After rolling out, he decided to throw a YOLO ball down the middle of the field to Christian Watson across his body despite multiple 49ers defenders lurking. The result was an underthrow that Greenlaw as able to corral, which ended the Packers promising postseason run.
Carlson's missed field goal. Green Bay controlled the game for most of the night, but that miss breathed new life into what had been a quiet Levi's Stadium and struggling 49ers offense.
One throw from each quarterback. First, Purdy's 32-yard touchdown throw to Kittle while on the run.
However, the best throw of the night belongs to Love and his third and seven dart to Romeo Doubs for a gain of 22 yards that gave Green Bay a first-and-goal at the San Francisco 9.
The 49ers will host the winner of Sunday's Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions showdown in the NFC Championship game on January 28 at 6:30 pm. ET. The Packers' 2023 season comes to an end.
As those who paid attention to the in-game graphic know, the 49ers are now 1-31 when trailing by 5+ points heading into the fourth quarter during the Kyle Shanahan era. And now every broadcast and pundit can retire that stat.
The Packers had a good season. They went 9-8 and pulled off a huge upset in the wild card round, and fell just short of pulling off another one here. And they did that with the youngest offense in the league.
The Niners are heading into the NFC Championship Game for the third year in a row. They have lost each of the last two. They last went to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.
Love escapes from the pocket and throws back across his body, and Dre Greenlaw gets his second pick of the game. That will send the Niners to the NFC title game.
Romeo Doubs double-caught that ball and almost had it knocked out of his hands because he did. And then Love ALMOST hit him with a laser over the top of Greenlaw's outstretched arm but it just missed.
12 plays, 69 yards, 5:11 off the clock, and McCaffrey into the end zone from 6 yards out. Packers have a chance to tie the game or win it here with 1:07 left.
There's the touchdown to take the lead. What a drive.
Down to the two-minute warning and then Niners will have a few chances to get into the end zone here. Keep in mind they do have all three timeouts so if they turn it over on downs there is still a chance they can get the ball back.
That was a LASER from Purdy to Aiyuk to convert on third down. And then another chunk gain to Chris Conley.
Oh man that is a brutal drop from George Kittle. Wide open and he was just looking for the hit before he started running.
The Niners are taking their sweet time here. It seems like they want this to be the last possession of the game.
Love has been very good with those fadeaway jumper throws but he came up short there. And then we get our second missed field goal of the game, this time from the rookie Anders Carlson. 49ers need a touchdown to take the lead here.
It looked like Love was gonna have a ton of time there to find a receiver downfield, but pressure closed in quickly and he had to check it down. A short run by Jones then set up third-and-long.
Also, that Jones run completely erased the field position the 49ers gained with the punt.
Aaron Jones. Unbelievable. He's up to 107 yards on 17 carries now.
It sure looked like Ray-Ray McCloud was open on that third-down throw. Purdy just left it way too far inside. Just a bad night for him. And the Niners punt instead of trying a long field goal. Would have been from 57-58 yards.
That ball hung up there forever on the throw to Jennings over the middle. If Keisean Nixon stayed back he might have picked it.
Jonathan Owens came flying down from the secondary to tackle CMC behind the line on that first-down run. Huge play.
It looked like Love had Jones open right away but he wanted to scramble, then he saw Jones a little too late and tried to throw back across his body, and nearly got intercepted again.
Moody's kick from 52 yards out is good and it's a 4-point game. Packers will have a chance to extend their lead back to 7 or make it a two-score game.
Purdy is just off tonight. Missed McCaffrey and Kittle on back-to-back plays now.
Purdy almost missed a wide-open Aiyuk there. Great job by #11 to go down and grab that ball.
And now it's Love's turn to just flat-out miss a throw. This one gets tipped into the air and intercepted, and the Niners have new life.
49ers players have been slipping all night, but I think that carry from Aaron Jones is the first time I've seen it from a Packers player.
Purdy just flat-out missed that throw to Jennings. He's wide open there and put too much air under it. Should have been picked off.
