On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers found out who they will be facing in the NFC Divisional round, and it's their old nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers.
Within the past few years, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have gone 0-3 against the 49ers, including losing to them back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 under Colin Kaepernick.
A lot of NFL analysts have said that this is not a good matchup with the 49ers for the Green Bay Packers for several reasons.
The 49ers have been a thorn in Green Bay's side for many reasons. The main reason has to do with defense. The 49er's defense seems to have gotten back on track with the return of Nick Bosa back into the lineup after an injury last year. Bosa did suffer an injury in the Cowboys game, but at this point, it doesn't look like he'll be out for this weekend's game.
The 49ers defense is a tough bunch when they are on, just ask Dak Prescott. For most of the game Sunday, the 49ers defense held the Cowboys offense in check. The only reason Dallas was able to stay in the game was because of turnovers and penalities.
The 9ers also run the football well. If the 49ers can play defense well and control the line of scrimmage with their running game, the less they have to depend on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to carry the load.
Another team that can cause the Packers trouble are the LA Rams. Unlike the 49ers, the Rams have more going for them.
Why the Rams can cause the Green Bay Packers problems
The Rams seem to be more of a threat to the Packers because they have a more balanced team.
The Rams have quarterback Matthew Stafford, who knows how to make plays with his arm and get it down the field. The Rams can use Stafford to make plays, unlike what Garoppolo can for the 49ers.
The biggest thing the Rams may have going for them is their defense. They have the best defensive player in the league in Aaron Donald, who can take over games along with their newest Ram, Vonn Miller.
The problem with both of these teams is they have a tendency to turn the ball over in critical situations. The reason why the 49ers are in the playoffs is mainly because of the mistakes the Rams made by turning the ball over. The 49ers also ran the ball against the Rams, too, which is one of their weaknesses.
The 49ers were one play away from being eliminated themselves because of an interception by Jimmy G, which got the Cowboys back into the game. Neither team is a pushover, but both have flaws that the Green Bay Packers can easily exploit.
Also check out: Green Bay Packers Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
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