NFC Conference Championship: Packers @ 49ers Sunday, Jan 19th, 5:40PM

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think we should all resign ourselves to the fact that the Rodgers era will not see another Super Bowl. Partly because the talent gap is too wide and partly because Rodgers is now a slightly above average quarterback now. It's past time to look for his successor.

 

Rodgers was pretty pedestrian (for him at least) and this team with 13-3, and just lost the NFC Championship in a head coach's first year. I think it's ludicrous to say that they team can't make another Super Bowl with Rodgers at QB.

 

I do agree that it is time to draft and develop a successor. We know absolutely nothing about Boyle, but I would be surprised if he's the heir apparent.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Fackrell is perfect as a backup edge player. He gives great effort and is all over the field. He isn't going anywhere. They need more from Gary, though. He needs to be a situational pass rush weapon. Showed flashes, but not enough of them.

 

Martinez is fine if you can stack a speed 'backer next to him. Lancaster is a space eater, and that's it. He's replaceable.

 

Was Gary injured? Or did he not play a snap?

 

He played ... not much, though. And was pretty invisible. Calling him a bust at this point is the king of stupid takes, but next season is huge for that guy. He needs to be productive enough to get on the field on a regular basis, regardless of the Smiths. And it's up to Pettine (or whoever the D Coordinator is) to get production out of a guy with that kind of talent.

[adambr2]

I think we should all resign ourselves to the fact that the Rodgers era will not see another Super Bowl. Partly because the talent gap is too wide and partly because Rodgers is now a slightly above average quarterback now. It's past time to look for his successor.

 

Rodgers was pretty pedestrian (for him at least) and this team with 13-3, and just lost the NFC Championship in a head coach's first year. I think it's ludicrous to say that they team can't make another Super Bowl with Rodgers at QB.

 

I do agree that it is time to draft and develop a successor. We know absolutely nothing about Boyle, but I would be surprised if he's the heir apparent.

 

Oh I don't think they can't make another Super Bowl with Rodgers. I just doubt they will. They've had two shots in the last four years and really neither team was very close to being capable of it. The hourglass is emptying.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Their successor would still likely hit FA before Rodgers retires. He was not great this year, but I am not ready to throw that towel in yet. Still think with some time in this offense, and a season or two to infuse the right personnel that he has something left. I don't even think they know what "this offense" even means yet. Rookie coach getting here is pretty wild. He's set a high bar for himself but I'm excited to see if they can build on it.

 

I think Rodgers will have seasons better than this one.

[DHonks]

The NFL can be very volatile and they could very well and probably will win fewer than 13 games next year. I still think Rodgers will have a year or two of MVP-level resurgence, not unlike Favre and Manning had late.

 

Rodgers hasn’t been very good since 2015, and his first half performance killed any chance we had tonight. MVP? I don’t think he’s a top 10 QB

[homer]

The NFL can be very volatile and they could very well and probably will win fewer than 13 games next year. I still think Rodgers will have a year or two of MVP-level resurgence, not unlike Favre and Manning had late.

 

Rodgers hasn’t been very good since 2015, and his first half performance killed any chance we had tonight. MVP? I don’t think he’s a top 10 QB

 

I mean...are you blaming him for the botched snap?

[homer]

Their successor would still likely hit FA before Rodgers retires. He was not great this year, but I am not ready to throw that towel in yet. Still think with some time in this offense, and a season or two to infuse the right personnel that he has something left. I don't even think they know what "this offense" even means yet. Rookie coach getting here is pretty wild. He's set a high bar for himself but I'm excited to see if they can build on it.

 

I think Rodgers will have seasons better than this one.

 

Need at least one more WR weapon. I think Sternberger is starting TE next year. Then you've got Adams, Lazard. Need another guy.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

C'mon, that's not even true. I know we're all sad, but it's not.

 

Rodgers had an MVP level run in the 2016 season that spilled into the 2017 playoffs. 2015 is just false. He was basically still working miracles until the two years the team missed the playoffs, one of which he missed half the year.

 

It's been a less productive transitional period of his career, not unlike other vet QBs have had. There was a regime change, he threw for 4000 yards and 26/4 and people are talking about him like they're watching Michael Jordan slosh around for the Wizards.

 

His play was not great this year, but I think it's getting a little hyperbolic.

[adambr2]

Rodgers is still a solid QB, but he's not good enough to carry the team anymore. Problem is, he also doesn't have a defense like Peyton Manning had with the Broncos good enough to carry him, either. So here we sit, in football purgatory.

 

They can try going all in on the next few years but I'm not sure it'll be enough. I just wanted to some indication tonight that they were ready to compete for the NFC but they are a long ways away.

[homer]

Rodgers is still a solid QB, but he's not good enough to carry the team anymore. Problem is, he also doesn't have a defense like Peyton Manning had with the Broncos good enough to carry him, either. So here we sit, in football purgatory.

 

They can try going all in on the next few years but I'm not sure it'll be enough.

 

I honestly think they are two players away from having a really dominant defense.

[DHonks]

I always was a huge advocate for a 3-4. Given the lack of time playing our base defense these days, I’d like to see us move to more of a 4-3. Bigger interior linemen, bigger ends on 1st down. It might help occupying blockers better having 4 true linemen. We had a lot of sacks this year, but our line generally got pushed around

 

I really hope Allison is gone. We need to get better on both lines, plus at WR.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Allison may not play football again. You can make a case he was the worst player on the team.

[DHonks]

The NFL can be very volatile and they could very well and probably will win fewer than 13 games next year. I still think Rodgers will have a year or two of MVP-level resurgence, not unlike Favre and Manning had late.

 

Rodgers hasn’t been very good since 2015, and his first half performance killed any chance we had tonight. MVP? I don’t think he’s a top 10 QB

 

I mean...are you blaming him for the botched snap?

 

We don’t know if communication or timing was an issue on that snap. He has been getting blitzed all year on 3rd down and didn’t see the guy on the strip sack. He threw to his 5th receiver in double coverage for a pick. He missed a wide open Graham on 3rd down on first drive. Bad half

[FVBrewerFan]

Rodgers is still a solid QB, but he's not good enough to carry the team anymore. Problem is, he also doesn't have a defense like Peyton Manning had with the Broncos good enough to carry him, either. So here we sit, in football purgatory.

 

They can try going all in on the next few years but I'm not sure it'll be enough.

 

I honestly think they are two players away from having a really dominant defense.

 

I wish that was true. If Savage and Clark were as good and consistent as they could by e, and Gary played like a 1st round pick they would be two players away.

 

As it stands though they need a MLB, 2 linemen, and a CB better than King. Dominant is a high bar.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The Packers will have money to play with this offseason, and will likely be able to make 2-3 pretty big signings. How good would someone like Amari Cooper look at WR (or Breshad Perriman), or Chris Jones at DE? ILB isn't real great, but Joe Schobert or Danny Trevathan would be good fits. Cory Littleton from the Rams would be a perfect fit next to Martinez if he re-signs. It's time to devote some resources to that spot.

 

Boy, how much cash did Derrick Henry make himself the last couple months?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The 49ers are a dominant defense with a very meh CB2. They're not going to be void of weaknesses. They need LBs that can cover and contain the edge. They don't need a corner better than King and they don't need two linemen.

 

They got torched in 2009 to end their season and were the top D in 2010 and they didn't do it by plugging every hole with all pros. They hit on Sam Shields and it made a world of difference. It can be very subtle things that open up schemes.

 

I just genuinely don't see where the sky is falling stuff is coming from. If I have a big issue with the team right it's that they should have had this soft rebuild underway a year earlier because it was kinda obvious they were going to suck last year and we could be a year further into the next guy's plan.

 

They're fine. From an organizational standpoint this team was a MESS last year. There was so much turmoil and the MLF hire was widely hated. They had a great year, just give em a chance to see what they follow it with. They won a lot of games and know where they have to get better.

[superfly]

The NFL can be very volatile and they could very well and probably will win fewer than 13 games next year. I still think Rodgers will have a year or two of MVP-level resurgence, not unlike Favre and Manning had late.

 

Rodgers hasn’t been very good since 2015, and his first half performance killed any chance we had tonight. MVP? I don’t think he’s a top 10 QB

 

What do you expect him to do when his 2nd leading WR is a running back and he literally has 1 other pass catcher that belongs on the football field? Lazard is interesting but he’s a #4 or at best a #3 right now. Scantling is a bust as is Allison. Graham is near the end, Marcedes Lewis is a blocker.

[Fear The Chorizo]

They need a game wrecker mlb that can make plays without lineman in front of him clearing up all the blocking. For too long GB mlbers have been the guys who aren't athletic enough to make attacking plays by beating blocking to the punch and running downhill, instead they sit back in running holes or coverage and have to rely on angles to corral guys down. Passive linebackers in today's NFL have no shot against speed at RB and good TE's. #50 for GB got embarrassed tonight.

 

Martinez wouldn't be on the 49ers roster, yet he is the packers primary starting middle linebacker. Get a guy with speed the ability to play decent pass coverage in that spot and this defense looks alot different in base personnel formations. That's why san fran owned the packers defense - they kept them in base and constantly attacked its weakest link with outside runs and quick throws to the outside.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The NFL can be very volatile and they could very well and probably will win fewer than 13 games next year. I still think Rodgers will have a year or two of MVP-level resurgence, not unlike Favre and Manning had late.

 

Rodgers hasn’t been very good since 2015, and his first half performance killed any chance we had tonight. MVP? I don’t think he’s a top 10 QB

 

What do you expect him to do when his 2nd leading WR is a running back and he literally has 1 other pass catcher that belongs on the football field? Lazard is interesting but he’s a #4 or at best a #3 right now. Scantling is a bust as is Allison. Graham is near the end, Marcedes Lewis is a blocker.

 

Valdez-Scantling was a 5th round pick, and Allison was a rookie free agent. Those guys just are what they are. You can't call a player a bust when they really had no expectations to but from. They were expecting a lot from Valdez-Scantling after he flashed last year, but he's just too limited.

 

This draft is loaded with WR talent. It's time to get one of the top guys and develop a weapon opposite Adams. Or sign a better FA receiver.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Martinez is bad. I'm not going to argue that. He is just not athletic enough to get around the way they need a MLB to in that defense.

[adambr2]

Sounds like a lot of needs and only so many resources available for addressing the needs.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Did you think they would net gain 7 wins last offseason and be in the NFCCG game or did they have too many needs to achieve that?

[homer]

Sounds like a lot of needs and only so many resources available for addressing the needs.

 

They have a boatload of cap room particularly in 21 and 22. They have resources

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Martinez is bad. I'm not going to argue that. He is just not athletic enough to get around the way they need a MLB to in that defense.

 

I don't know if he's bad so much as he's misused and depended on too much in this system, due to a complete lack of talent at ILB other than him. Oren Burks has been a supreme disappointment. He was supposed to be that uber-athletic TE-covering sideline-to-sideline guy. You get one of those guys, Martinez looks a ton better.

[brewcrewdue80]

I think we should all resign ourselves to the fact that the Rodgers era will not see another Super Bowl. Partly because the talent gap is too wide and partly because Rodgers is now a slightly above average quarterback now. It's past time to look for his successor.

 

Rodgers has to adapt to from his risk adverse style. He threw that pick to Sherman there at the end but had Adams caught that, near TD, the game is certainly an onside pooch more interesting.

 

The Rodgers of old would have found a way to have 40-55yards on the ground tonight. That is what made the best QB all-time in skills was his ability to move the chains one way or the other and escape the pass rush. Rodgers had 1 rush for 0yards this game. So understanding that moving forward, if he's not going use his legs to move the chains he's gotta put throws out there that may be intercepted. Favre won a lot of games throwing interceptions. And I'm not saying Rodgers needs to be that bad. But him throwing 15-18 interceptions a season in the next 2 to 3 seasons could help him moving forward with his legs not helping him get the job done. Not saying intermediate throws, but throws 40yards down field. Let's put it this way. He needs to start attacking downfield throws like he does after a defense jumps offsides.

 

That part is probably all I needed to say without much of the rest. When making my statement on becoming Favre-lite, there were so many times where Favre got picked off on 3rd down and long. I wouldn't bat an eye because it was a 40 to 50yard 50/50 bomb to someone deep. Complete it, Wow. It gets picked, and the defender is tackled on contact with the 50/50 jump ball by WR, it's just a standard punt with maybe 5 yard return.

 

The risk on that play though is paid off with a safety not cheating up like San Fran could today. Oh, and I'll say that even though we scored on that defense in the 2nd half, you couldn't put blame on the Def. Cord for calling soft, prevent stuff. We earned those 3 TDs.

Anway, Rodgers I believe doing that 2 or 3 more times a game vs taking the sack or throwing the ball out of bounds, would maybe reinvent him to still being able to be a top 10 QB in the league. He'd have more than 500yards passing a season than he does when these 50/50 bombs complete.

MVS I think was to a degree supposed to be kinda that guy to do that, But dude just has no desire. Not a soldier on that field. Allison too this year seemed to also retire from being a soldier on that field. That's the WR Rodgers needs. What WR can the team sign in FA that has that in him? Drew Brees seems to have 3 on the field every season. Lazard provided some "give me the ball" but I don't see him as the 50/50 go up and take the ball from the defender on way down type.