Why the Packers and 49ers won’t play in the Divisional Round
We’ll talk about whether the 49ers are playing the Packers or the Rams in a week. The winner between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay will travel to Santa Clara if both home teams win on Sunday.
We’ll provide the “two-minute” handicap for the Niners’ probable Divisional Round opponent every day this week. First up, the team with the biggest longshot against the Dallas Cowboys is the Green Bay Packers, who are over a touchdown underdog.
Jordan Love and Brock Purdy had a lot of questions going into the season. Halfway through the season, Brian Gutekunst, the general manager of Green Bay, wasn’t convinced about Love.
After tearing his UCL in the NFC Championship game of the previous season, Purdy required surgery that some believed would keep him out until Week 1, if not September.
All Purdy accomplished this past season was set a record for yards per attempt in an NFL season since 2000. In terms of completion percentage, passing yards, touchdowns, and quarterback rating, Purdy placed either first or second among all quarterbacks.
However, it was Purdy’s talent for creating plays out of structure and attacking the intermediate and deep areas of the field that allowed the 49ers offense to reach new heights. The Niners weren’t renowned for their 40-plus throws per game, but when they did, Purdy was extremely effective.
Love went 2-5 over a seven-game span, throwing ten touchdowns and ten interceptions. It is not unusual for a rookie to have early difficulties. Nevertheless, Love has had an incredible eight games of play.
With Love throwing 20 touchdowns and only four turnovers, he has guided the Packers to a 6-2 record. In those seven games, his quarterback rating shot up to 112.7 from 72.5.
