3 Weaknesses Packers Must Expose to Upset 49ers in 2024 NFL Playoffs

3 Weaknesses Packers Must Expose to Upset 49ers in 2024 NFL Playoffs0 of 3

Aaron JonesMatthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers face a daunting task on Sunday when they take on the No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers. Fresh off a stunning 48-32 win over the No. 2 seed Dallas Cowboys, they’ll have to pull off another upset to stay alive.

The Niners have spent all season establishing themselves as one of the premier teams in the league. They are second in total DVOA, second in our power rankings and finished third in the league in point differential.

They are, by all accounts, an elite team.

That doesn’t mean they don’t have some faults, though. They ran through a rough patch in the middle of the season when they lost three consecutive games and the Ravens beat them 33-19 in Week 16.

There aren’t a lot of weaknesses, but there are a few that the Packers will need to attack if they are going to continue their improbable run.

Right Offensive Line1 of 3

Colton McKivitzDavid Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 49ers are one of the rare teams who are capable of putting a great offense on the field despite a so-so offensive line. Trent Williams is one of the best in the league, but the interior of this o-line has plenty of questions.

Left guard Aaron Banks has scored a 54.9 grade from PFF this season, ranking 55th out of the 80 guards they have graded.

However, it’s the right side that can be a problem for San Francisco.

Spencer Burford at right guard is the offensive lineman the Packers should be looking to target. He’s ranked 66th and has 24 blown blocks, eight penalties and six sacks allowed, per Sports Info Solutions.

Colton McVivitz has attempted to replace Mike McGlinchey on the right side this season but the results have not always been great. According to Sports Info Solutions, he has 39 total blown blocks this season and 34 have come in pass protection. He’s surrendered 12 sacks.

Kyle Shanahan is excellent at protecting his offensive line. His scheme keeps defenses on their toes with motion and play-action that makes it easier to mask deficiencies up front. Still, Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry has to find ways to take advantage of the shaky side of the offensive line.

Zone Run Defense2 of 3

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On first glance, the 49ers run defense is strong. They are 14th in yards allowed per carry at just 4.1 and third in yards allowed per rush.

But those numbers are also a product of the game scripts. The Niners have spent a lot of this season holding onto leads that have forced teams to throw the ball and abandon the run.

A deeper dig into the numbers shows the Niners run defense is vulnerable. They are 26th in EPA allowed per rush. Specifically, they have struggled in stopping zone concepts. They are 31st in the league in EPA allowed per zone run as opposed to third against gap schemes, per 33rd Team.

The Packers aren’t the heaviest users of zone scheme. They are 20th in zone usage and it makes up 68 percent of their run game on the season. However, they are ninth in EPA when running zone concepts.

Aaron Jones has been a big part of their late-season run. He will need to have a big day on the ground if the Packers are going to pull off the upset.

Matt LaFleur will need a heavy dosage of zone concept with Jones attacking this defense to use some of the Niners own offensive philosophies against them.

Safeties3 of 3

Ji’Ayir BrownRyan Kang/Getty Images

There aren’t a ton of weaknesses in the 49ers defense, but the safety group is definitely one that Jordan Love needs to test early on.

Neither rookie Ji’Ayir Brown or veteran Tashaun Gipson had great games when the Ravens beat them. Lamar Jackson went 9-of-10 for 125 yards and two touchdowns when targeting the safety tandem.

Now, both Brown and Gipson are returning to the lineup after sitting out with injuries in recent weeks. Brown missed the final two games of the season with a knee injury while Gipson sat out the season finale with a quad ailment.

Should either of them reaggravate the injury or simply not be ready to take on a full workload, the Niners would turn to 32-year-old Logan Ryan.

Brown has played well for a rookie overall, but not many teams have tested him. He has only been targeted 16 times all season, per Pro Football Reference, while Gipson has a little more of a sample size.

The Packers should be looking to test Gipson and his injured quad early. Then they should be looking to test Brown to see if the rookie is really ready for playoff football.