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49ers left out in the cold in Green Bay
By Morris Phillips December 5, 2010 |
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GREEN BAY-The 49ers didn’t seem likely to win in Green Bay, and in a matter-of-fact manner, they did not. The Packers probably figured as much, as they remained patient despite their first half mistakes before pulling away from the 49ers in a 34-16 win. Throughout the 49ers were reminded of what could have been, as Aaron Rodgers, the sixth-year pro from Cal, has ascended to one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL while their top choice from the pivotal 2005 draft, Alex Smith, languishes on the bench, healthy, but inactive, behind Sunday’s starter, Troy Smith. Smith--the current starter--gave it the old college try, cashing in on a 66-yard touchdown pass and run to Vernon Davis before halftime, but failing to land big plays in the third quarter with Vernon Davis and Ted Ginn, when his passes were delivered a half second too late. Without Frank Gore in the run game taking pressure off Smith, the 49ers played hit or miss in the passing game against the NFL’s stingiest defense. And struggle they did, managing just 11 first downs, and maintaining possession of the ball for just a scant 22 plus minutes. Not surprisingly, the 49ers promising start, and 6-0 second quarter lead, disappeared in a hurry. Twice the 49ers started drives in Green Bay territory with the lead, but managed to score just three points. In the end the 49ers scored just 16 points, just off the league-low 15.1 points a game the Packers are allowing. “We do need to score when we’re in the red zone,” Delanie Walker said. “We talked about it all week if we get down there, we’ve got to put the ball in either running it or passing it. And we didn’t do that.” Meanwhile, Rodgers started slow, but with the help of his talented, veteran receivers, the Packers’ signal caller caught fire right before halftime and in to the third quarter. In a typical performance, Rodgers threw for 296 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. Rodgers avoided throwing an interception for the fifth straight game, and his passer rating of 135.1 was above 110 for the fourth consecutive game. Both accomplishments mirror numbers posted by the franchise’s best quarterback, Bart Starr, surpassing any streaks posted by Rodgers’ predecessor, Brett Favre. “Aaron is playing sharp. The emphasis really starts with ball security, staying within the offense. That’s what you want from all your players, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. He is really in a groove,” Green Bay Coach Mike McCarthy said. Rodgers’ high-level performance turned the 49ers secondary into victims, best illustrated in Donald Driver’s catch and run that put the Packers up 21-13 in the third quarter. On the play Driver was wide open downfield against blown coverage, made the catch, and ran through four 49ers tacklers (including Nate Clements who had two shots at Driver) 35 yards before falling into the end zone. “I thought Donald Driver’s touchdown was the biggest play in the game. I thought it ignited our football team,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “That was pretty amazing what they did today, especially Drive’s catch and breaking through all those tackles,” rookie Green Bay tackle Bryan Bulaga said, referencing Driver and Greg Jennings, who caught a pair of touchdowns. “That was pretty unbelievable, especially when you watch it on film and just rewind it five or six times.” The Packers outscored the 49ers 20-3 in the second half, turning the game into a rout. When 49ers’ nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin departed in the third quarter with a groin injury, the Packers turned to their normally pedestrian run game and got a lift from rookie back James Starks. On a 17-play drive that ate up more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, Starks gashed the 49ers repeatedly, in a drive that culminated in the game’s final field goal. All the while, the 49ers offense was stuck on the sideline in 27 degree weather, just admiring the Lambeau Field sellout crowd and the Packers’ simple 1929 throwback uniforms. “To pretty much impose their will, move the ball when they want to, it’s embarrassing,“ Takeo Spikes admitted. The 49ers now turn their attention to next week’s home game with first-place Seattle, a final opportunity to make a run at an improbable playoff berth. If the 49ers can win the three divisional contests remaining, the possibility exists that they could win a tie-breaker with Seattle and/or St. Louis at 7-9. But more likely, the questions will turn away from the playoffs and on to the job security of Coach Mike Singletary and the San Francisco players. “I coach for my job every week. I never take anything for granted. Our guys know we got Seattle coming up this week. And that’s the only thing we’ll think about,” Singletary said. THE 2005 DRAFT DEFINES THE 49ers: In retrospect, the 2005 draft wasn’t one that any NFL team would want to define them. Of the 32 first round picks, only DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys, Roddy White of the Falcons and Aaron Rodgers of the Packers have become Pro Bowl caliber players. Ronnie Brown, Heath Miller, Antrel Rolle and Logan Mankins have become solid players, but the majority of the other selections, Pac Man Jones, USC’s Mike Williams and Jason Campbell among them, have struggled. Unfortunately, the 49ers were in position to have the biggest disappointment. Of course, they aggravated the process with frequent coaching changes which stunted Alex Smith’s development. Along with Aaron Rodgers’ undeniable talent, he’s benefitted immensely from the stability in the Green Bay organization along with their patience and belief in the former Cal star. |
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