initially didn't feel good about. But as we got closer and
closer to the end of the week, I began to feel better about
it. 49ers at the Packers. The line has been moving farther
and farther and green baize Direction. Minus 6. Now,
Packers are at home Lambeau Field. Biggest spread of
the week over under
47. Let's start with 49ers offense.
Green Bay defense in Green Bay. Be
getting some guys back. Likes a Darius Smith, Wait.
Is JR. Alexander would be huge. What do you see
when it comes to the matchup of college hands offense
and Joe berries defense.
I mean, again, I like Joe Barry. I certainly do. I think
he's done a really good job with their defense. But I mean,
I think this is a, this is a tough offense for them to
defend. This is different team, different offense than earlier
in the
year, when the first matchup and the Packers won
the football game. There was no Elijah Mitchell in that game.
There was no aspect of Debo Samuel playing tailback in that
game either.
And And the Packers are they jumped out on them early and
hung on and made some, you know, unbelievable plays at
the end of them when they don't win the football game,
but I have a hard time thinking. This Packers teams
going to be able to stop the 49ers offense, consistently.
This is my issue with the Packers.
We saw it kind of down the stretch of the season,
they play a team, that's got a little, a big, physical
ailments aligned and that can run the ball. You can move
these guys. Kenny Clark's good. He's real good. The rest of
the guys that put their hand in the ground.
You know, they're they're good. They're good players. There's
nothing special. I don't look at it and go. Oh, wow, that's
a dominant group up there. It's a reason, they've fallen short
the last few years,
you know, like we've talked about
the Box, the Box, controlled that defensive line last year.
The 49ers are still running on that device. A line from
the year, before in the NFC championship game,
and I just think that, that is a clear advantage to me for
the San Francisco 49ers. Now, the one thing I look at and like
your health thing there and all that. Hey, you Za'darius back,
no more importantly to me, you get gyre, Alexander back
and that maybe gives you a little wiggle room
to take more chances or add more guys into the Run game to
slow it down. Because now you can go, you can have snaps or
you go.
All right. I'm going to, I'm cool with Stokes playing. I you
want man to, man. I'm cool with Jai are man-to-man on Debo
here.
We'll roll the dice. Let's see if we can stop this. Crazy.
Shanahan Run game with the rest of these guys.
That, that is definitely a big. Big key or a helpout factor for
the Packers, the fact of Gyro Alexander can go and play in
this football game. But ultimately,
I worry about again that front seven
of the pack of the Packers middle linebackers. Not real,
big not thumping, linebackers, not great at stopping the Run.
They're going to be probably over-aggressive. What scares me
about that as you get over-aggressive in the middle.
You know what happens?
It's D, both Samuel,
rock it up his ass, flying across of a play-action pass
and they hit them and it's like oh,
Josh, I think I'll be able to tackle him before he runs it in
for an enzyme the touchdown. So
I do give the advantage to
the 49ers here in this. And this part of the matchup. What
about you?
Well, and we know how fired up and physical that offense can
get if you're not healthy. Yeah, Kettle and Debo
if they're healthy, they're motivated. They're driven their
Roughnecks. They roll out of bed and punch you in the face.
And that's the attitude. They need to bring to the table to
set the tone early. Now. My only concern
obviously is the You're back. Yeah, right. I didn't even hit
on top logo. Yeah, he's got, he's got the lingering thumb
problem. Right?
He's got the shoulder problem. Now, which happened from
the Cowboys game? Look, it was 23:7. Brandon, iux open, Jimmy
Garoppolo, misses him,
then it's 23:10 and he sells the ball over receivers head.
It's intercepted by the Cowboys. Yada yada yada 2317
and they got a sweat
and pray and hope that they don't automatically blow it.
And it was another Garoppolo mistake there. Two mistakes
one. Help them one heart them one that helped them was
the low pass to George kettle on the play that result in
the fumbled the Cowboys recovered, right? Thank God Jimmy.
Garoppolo misfired, a screen pass and then
there was Garoppolo rushing, the fourth and inches. Before
Trent Williams could get set, pushing back, the 49ers and
forcing them to punt light. So Garoppolo is the weekly
question morning, artists fan. If I'm a 49ers fan.
I just accept the fact that That at some point that guy is
going to pick up the season. Sorry Kristen, but that's what
he's going to do at some point. Whether it's this game, whether
it's the next game or whether it's a Super Bowl, he's going
to do something
to cause the whole thing to implode and I just assumed get
it over with if I'm the 49ers and I feel like that's what
they can count on unless he's injured and then it's Trey
lance
being thrown to the Wolves and the only good thing there is.
He played college football at North Dakota State. So maybe he
won't be affected by the cold
if it is cold, and it should be cold. Lambeau Field, but I just
the quarterback position to me. I mean, you know, we talked
during PFT live today about the coaching matchups.
Well,
Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers. I mean, there isn't a sharpie.
Yeah, big enough.
No, do I make the check node? Goes on the side of
the Packers. Later on that one node. I listen. I think if they
have a better quarterback, I'm picking the 49ers in this game.
No doubt about it. There's no doubt. You. You said it right?
I mean, it's first off, its a rare. And why is it? Why is it?
First, you will say that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't good enough.
I don't know, either seeing it.
Well, hello, not seen it. It's just people who were oh,
you hate Jimmy Garoppolo say no. I
like good quarterback play and I'll point out when we don't
get good quarterback playing. Why are we acting like this
guy's great quarterback? When he's clearly not the evidence
has been in front of our eyes between the inability to stay
healthy, right?
The failure to hit Emmanuel Sanders
with a championship on the line.
The fact that he freaked out Kyle, Shanahan in
the divisional round in 2019, right, with what should have
been three interceptions. Eric Kendricks were high and they
turned him into Bob Griese for the rest of that game and all
of the next game.
He barely threw the ball in the NFC Championship. Are you
kidding me? Well, it could have been the Super Bowl. MVP. Yeah.
Well, it's his fault that he wasn't. So I just I get
exhausted by the 49ers fans who are.
So I just think dropping this guy up
II, get you. I mean listen, they're almost like he doesn't
think he is exactly not on his own team. Doesn't think he's
the own organization they are.
Replacing him and it is insane. You know, I think we're open
on. Well, when it goes into
is a little bit, like we've talked about a lot over
the years people just see winds and they go, what's going to be
the quarterback. It's got to be the quarterback. That's why they
win. That's why
no, it's not. They have a really good football team. They
win
in spite of their quarterback. They win.
They have a quarterback. That's top 20 ish in football. Nowhere
near the top 10, you want to put them somewhere between 14
and 22. Sure. I Reasonable Minds can differ there,
but that's about where he is. It's in that range. I mean,
and how many one more thing. Well, yeah. Hold on. Let me
just finish this because it gets good. How many fuckin
times? We got to see him screw the game up, like you said,
I mean way talking about
last week Rams game that they want and we get 18, he threw
two interceptions early on in the game, the tight. But he had
a great Drive.
No drama, right? It tightens game. They kicked the shit out
of the Titans. He look really good until he didn't and then
I'll shit. So,
if people are delusional,
the Seahawks loss,
right? This is a team that's won. Eight out of the last 10,
but you look at the losses or the question of moments, and
they all go back to that guy. So I'm with you there. Go ahead
and say your thing. Let me just say one thing and this pains me
to say,
but this will tell you that there's no bias here. This is
truth-telling by me. If
if yeah, Kyle hadn't allowed himself to be talked into Jimmy
Garoppolo and had waited for Kirk Cousins like he had wanted
to do.
They would have two more Super Bowl rings already
in San Francisco. They have one already. I'll agree with a 1/2
to more. Yeah, I would agree that and it pains me to say
that I know
is what have won Super Bowl ring.
I think they would have to. Yeah. No, I get that. Maybe
they'd be getting their second win this year. Yeah, maybe
that's a way to look at it. Exactly. Right. Exactly. Right?
I think that's fair and that's reasonable.
Now you get to the other side.
Oh, Aaron Rodgers
is hey, this is the quarterback with the most pressure on them
this weekend. No doubt about it. This is Legacy defining
and he's got a damn team from his hometown that's coming. And
they're going to try to whoop his ass. It's a scary matchup
for them as far as the Packers offense, but,
you know, I do think they figured some things out in
the first game and I think they realize and we talked about
this a little earlier today. The 49ers Place some looks that
I just look at teams and go.
How do you let them? Get away with playing this defense
and more? Was a not it's because the egos of these
coaches. Wait all week. I had this guy go in there and this
guy want you to play that,
and I'll go back to
something that anybody will listen to my podcast. That
I talk about all the time. It's a lost art and football. It's
a lost art, you know,
and Troy Aikman alluded to it yesterday,
right? You saw the quote, Mike. I've read it on P of T. Of
course, you saw the quote. Hey,
he talked about man, the 49ers.
They should. He said the Cowboys should have thrown
the ball to see. Di lammermoor. He had a lot of great looks during
the game. Mmmmmm. I pointed some out on my Wednesday. What
the fuck happened podcast yesterday?
Where you just go,
what, throw the ball? Your guys? Better than no name,
number 20, running backs.
Do you be out here
just play Michael Irvin versus guys better
and see Rogers. And Company will do that. And that's where
it's going to pose some problems for the 49ers defense,
which I think is an exceptional defense,
but that's their weakness,
and they'll give you some opportunities to throw 10 yards
out 20 yards out 15-yard comebacks on the outside. Play
a zone defense which plays like man-to-man
and that's where I look at it to go.
They got a little bit Advantage there. Can they protect Rogers?
I'm not sure. Can they run the ball against this 49ers events.
I'm not sure. The one thing I'm sure about as they can throw
the ball outside against these guys
and Rogers can dice them up. Will they be willing to do it
and go back to the well enough times or do it? That's a big
question for me in this one.
Alright. So here we are the time to make the pics? I get
the impression. We're both picking the pack. There's
the question is who wins on the spread
prediction. I've got back and forth and back and forth and
back and forth. I've settled in Green Bay, 2720. Meaning, Green
Bay wins, Green Bay covers, but I could also see it being 2320
late.
Maybe Aaron Rodgers gets
met LaFleur to pass on the field goal and go for it on
fourth down and go for the win, you know, a sore point from
last year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but I think that it
won't even be
at that level I think.
Like you said Aaron Rodgers, keenly aware of his legacy.
This whole season is wasted if they don't take care of
business against the 49ers. They know all too. Well what
has happened to them in the past when they've had to play
out there, but I think there's a difference. That's why home
field advantage matters, even when
the full season numbers are out of whack and it looks like it
doesn't for a game like this. It does playing at Lambeau
field advantage. Packers
Packers win, twenty seven twenty.
So you think I had my conversation. LED you to
believe that I'm picking the Packers. And
I thought that, yes, were you trying to do it on purpose? No.
No. I was just talking. I was just talking. I really I just
don't know who you're gonna pick the cover. I know you're
going to pick the car. Picking the 49ers gonna win that game.
I'm gonna pick flowers and when the game I am, I know,
I know, I know I said some strong negative things there,
you know, because I tried to be fair to both the matchup and
I know I said some negative things about Jimmy G. I said,
damn Aaron Rodgers can do this and throw these looks outside.
I still am gonna go to the 49ers. I do. I just look at it
and I just think they're a physically better football team
and
The Packers, maybe they went again. It was a tough one for
me. I really go
and this is where in the first matchup things changed, Mike
Rogers & Company
early on got. Those looks I talked about and he threw
the ball outside and they did a lot of good things. The 49ers, then
shifted to protecting their corners
and not letting him do that.
The Packers Run game got going after that and they ran
the ball pretty well in the second half, but it didn't necessarily
do a lot of points. I think the 49ers are going to
Tech these corners
and I think they're going to go,
you know, what we can't stop everything.
We just going to trust our front seven to stop the run
here today because we're not going to let atoms and then V
has run bios or Lazard and do all that. I'm picking the 49ers
on the road.
32:24, Packers are real good. I know that I think this is one
of the,
the, the more horrible matchups, they could be facing
in the divisional, round in all of football.
And you know what, I would feel differently about it, possibly
if it were for a berth in the Super Bowl. But divisional,
round. I think the Packers I just
actually a week off.
I think they're really good about. I just I feel good about
this one.