Why the Packers Lost to the 49ers Again

The Packers offense seemed in control of this game from the very start. But their inability to finish drives (and finish the game) would end up being their downfall.

Green Bay made 5 trips into the red zone and a 6th trip just outside of it. They ended up with a combined 6 points from 4 of those drives.

On top of that, Green Bay made too many mistakes during the final 17 minutes of the game, including 2 interceptions and an incompletion to an open receiver on 3rd-and-2.

It’s hard to beat a team as good as the 49ers when you make critical mistakes in the biggest moments and fail to capitalize on opportunities.

Slowing Down Green Bay’s Rushing Attack

One of the key elements of this matchup was the run game. The Packers would end up with numbers that looked decent in the box score: 28 runs, 136 yards, 4.9 yards per rush. But they didn’t tell the whole story.

First, let’s talk about the area where Green Bay had success.

Matt LaFleur was prepared for the 49ers’ frequent use of 9 or wide-9-technique edge defenders. He called multiple pin-and-pull runs that specifically targeted this look and got Packers running backs to the outside by pinning that edge defender.

This included Aaron Jones’ 53-yard run in the 4th quarter:

The Packers successfully used this concept multiple times throughout the night. And they would finish the game with 108 yards on 11 rushes outside the tackles.

Green Bay’s biggest issue, however, was their inability to run the ball inside consistently. They ran 12 times for just 25 yards between the tackles (removing QB sneaks, kneels, etc.). This was an area where they had created big plays, sustained drives, and dominated the Cowboys just a week earlier (18 runs, 92 yards, 5.1 yards per rush).

Even more damaging to their chances was their inability to run it with any success in the red zone. The Packers gained just 1 yard on 6 carries inside the 49ers’ 20-yard line (five of these were runs between the tackles). Against Dallas the week before, they ran it 10 times in the red zone for 35 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 4 of those runs gaining at least 5 yards.

This was where the 49ers’ use of 9/wide-9 technique edge defenders came into play.