The Green Bay Packers had the rusty and — on this night — mostly unremarkable San Francisco 49ers on the ropes in Saturday’s NFC Divisional Round, but another deluge of missed opportunities and blown chances, from the team’s opening drive to the last, opened the door for a heartbreaking defeat — and the top-seeded 49ers gleefully took up the Packers’ on their offer, escaping what could have been a historic win for Matt LaFleur’s team.
The taste of defeat was a familiar one. This recipe for a devastating playoff loss was one that the Packers — under three different quarterbacks over three decades — have cooked up on multiple occasions. On Saturday, the Packers let a chance to go to the NFC Championship Game melt away on a rainy Santa Clara evening, the bedrock of victory eroded slowly but steadily with the falling force of every missed opportunity.
“We fully believed and fully expected to win this game,” LaFleur said. “We had plenty of opportunities to put the game out of reach and unfortunately just didn’t do enough. It’s never just one play.”
A loss like Saturday’s in Santa Clara never comes down to just one play. But when one team — especially a team pegged as a 10-point underdog on the road — blows so many repeated chances to win a football game, each individual missed opportunity becomes magnified in significance.
“There was a lot of plays out there if one play goes different, we probably have a different result right now,” LaFleur said.
The Packers were minutes away from a truly improbably NFC title game berth. Once 2-5 and 3-6, LaFleur’s young but resilient team clawed their way back to relevance, and they transformed themselves from a pesky seventh seed to a truly fearsome force when they clobbered the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wildcard Round. At AT&T Stadium, the Packers seized every opportunity, tightened the screws on the Cowboys at every turn and landed what seemed to be like four or five knockout blows. Saturday’s loss stings even more because the Packers crafted something resembling the inverse script.
“There’s a finality to the season that is always tough unless you’re the last team standing, and for us to lose this game, certainly stings. And I’m sure it’s going to sting for a long time,” LaFleur said. “This hurts.”
Here’s every missed opportunity that cost the 2023 Packers a chance to go to the NFC title game:
Charvarius Ward prevents the touchdown
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Ambry Thomas’ pass interference penalty likely saved four points because Romeo Doubs had him beat on a double move for what was likely to be the game’s opening touchdown without the blatant infraction. Following the penalty, the Packers ran three plays and settled for a 29-yard field goal — an inauspicious start for the big road underdog. Love’s third-down attempt to Doubs in the end zone was disrupted at the catch point by ball-hawking cornerback Charvarius Ward. Matt LaFleur dialed up the right play for the coverage, Doubs got inside position out of the break and Love made a nice throw. Ward recovered and got one arm inside Doubs, and the Packers receiver couldn’t make the play in a contested catch scenario. A week earlier, the Packers marched down the field and punched in a touchdown for a 7-0 lead. In Santa Clara, a 10-play drive ended with a short field goal. Harbinger.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Darnell Savage #26 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after missing an interception during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Levi’s Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
After a false start set up 1st-and-15 on the 49ers’ opening drive, Brock Purdy pulled a Dak Prescott and threw the ball right between the “2” and the “6” on Darnell Savage’s uniform. Unlike in Dallas, when he came off a route, made the pick and housed the interception to give the Packers a 27-0 lead, Savage somehow dropped Purdy’s gift at the 49-yard line. Had he made a clean catch, Savage would have only needed to elude Kyle Juszczyk before he was off to the races. Even if he had been tackled immediately, the Packers would have been up 3-0 with the ball inside 49ers territory coming off a turnover. A chance to go up 10-0 or set up another score bounced off Savage’s hands with 5:36 to go.
The @49ers stop the QB sneak on 4th and short!
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Second possession. On 3rd-and-1 from the 14-yard line, Aaron Jones got stuffed on an inside run from shotgun. The Packers wasted no time on fourth down, going fast and aligning for the popular “Tush Push” play. The 49ers were ready and flooded the A-gap, and after a scrum, officials ruled Love short of the first down. On replay, the spot looked questionable, and at least one 49ers interior defender appeared offsides. No review, no flag. Instead of 1st-and-10 from the 13-yard line, the Packers turned the ball over on downs. This squandered scoring opportunity loomed large all game.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) scores a touchdown against Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage (26) during the second quarter in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers’ first scoring drive — right after the turnover on downs — was a mess. Brock Purdy converted a 3rd-and-1 with a sneak and Christian McCaffrey converted a 3rd-and-1 with a short run, throwing salt into the wound of the Packers’ inability to execute the same two short yardage plays a drive earlier. Soon after the conversions, De’Vondre Campbell came unblocked off the edge on a blitz but hesitated for just a half-second, and it allowed Purdy to get off a disrupted pass. Without the hesitation, it’s certainly possible Campbell would have delivered a crushing sack and a possible sack-fumble. A few plays later, Purdy launched a ball out of bounds while under pressure in the tackle box but wasn’t flagged for grounding. The penalty could have helped end the drive. On 3rd-and-6, Purdy went off-schedule to find George Kittle, who beat Darnell Savage down field for a touchdown. The Packers had four or five chances to get off the field but didn’t, and the 49ers took their first lead.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) completes a pass to running back Aaron Jones (33) during the second quarter of their NFC divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers Saturday, January 20, 2024 at Levi’ Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
A truly incredible throw on the run from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs on 3rd-and-7 set up 1st-and-goal from the 9-yard line. The next three plays: run for no gain, Love throwaway under pressure off play-action, Love throwaway to back of the end zone under pressure. On the second down play, the Packers wanted Christian Watson leaking out from right to left, but the 49ers held up his route and disrupted the whole play. On third down, it’s possible Love would have had time to hit Dontayvion Wicks running a shallow cross but Elgton Jenkins got beat immediately. Running the football and winning off run action was so important to the Packers in the red zone during the final stretch of the 2023 season, but they couldn’t get it done up front in a big spot. Kicking another 29-yard field goal meant the Packers scored just six points in their first three red zone trips. It was a 15-point sacrifice for a team that went 4-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone in Dallas.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) runs against Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens (34) during the third quarter in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers’ second touchdown — which came on the drive immediately following the Packers’ go-ahead score in the third quarter — never happens if the Packers don’t have an epic meltdown at the safety position. On 3rd-and-6, the Packers pressured Brock Purdy but Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens messed up the communication in coverage on George Kittle and allowed an explosive play. Savage passed off Kittle and Owens didn’t react in time. A better executed play by the Packers and Owens either makes a play on the ball or stops Kittle short. Instead, the drive continued. On the next play, Christian McCaffrey made Savage miss at the second level before skipping past Owens (who might have been blocked in the back?) and into the open field on a 39-yard touchdown. These are plays — especially the Kittle completion — that can’t happen in a big game. It’s one thing to get by a special player like McCaffrey in the open field. It’s quite another to blow a coverage and leave a player wide open when the defensive front wins on third down. Huge miss. The Packers trailed 14-13.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
After the Packers retook a 21-14 lead, the 49ers faced 3rd-and-5 from their own 22-yard line. Brock Purdy overthrew Jauan Jennings on a deep dig route and Keisean Nixon was in perfect position behind the play to make the interception. The ball went right through his hands at the around the 33-yard line. Had he made the pick, Nixon likely would have gotten to his feet without being touched down, and he had blockers in front. An All-Pro kickoff returner, Nixon might’ve weaved his way for a pick-six. At the very least, the Packers’ second dropped interception took a scoring opportunity away inside 49ers territory.
Dre Greenlaw makes a big play on defense!
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With just over three minutes to go in the third quarter and the Packers leading 21-14, Jordan Love hit Christian Watson on a quick screen for 11 yards to near midfield. The next three plays: Aaron Jones slips for -1 yards, Love incomplete and Love intercepted. On the pick, Love was in a clean pocket but just threw the checkdown behind Tucker Kraft. Would Kraft have beat Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw for a first down? Probably not. But the interception turned what would have likely been a punt inside the 20-yard line into a turnover giving the 49ers the football near midfield. Not only did the Packers squander a golden opportunity — especially at 1st-and-10 from the 49 — to go ahead by two scores, but they handed the 49ers an easy chance to score.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Following the interception, the 49ers faced 3rd-and-9 from the 47-yard line. A chance to get off the field with no damage done was squandered. Joe Barry blitzed Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon but neither got home, and Eric Wilson got caught in no man’s land covering Brandon Aiyuk on the crosser. Brock Purdy made the catch tough on Aiyuk but it was still a conversion. The 49ers converted 10 third downs, and this was another one that created points. Instead of a punt giving the ball back to the Packers, Jake Moody hit a 52-yard field goal to close the gap to 21-17 to start the fourth quarter.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Packers went three-and-out on their possession following the 49ers field goal, but the drive absolutely should have continued. On third down, Love extended the play and threw to his left to Aaron Jones, who was open moving from the right to left. Love thought Jones was going to stop running and sit in the zone. Instead, he kept running, and the throw was behind and nearly picked. A conversion there would have kept the drive going near the Green Bay 40-yard line. Instead, an unforced error and the Packers punted it away.
January 20, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Jones ripped off a 53-yard line to get the Packers inside 49ers territory, and Emanuel Wilson’s hurdling run set up the Packers inside the 25. A touchdown would have put Green Bay up 11 points with under six minutes to go. The next three plays: short completion, short run and an incompletion under pressure. On third down, the 49ers confused the Packers pass protection unit and Love had to make a hurried, fadeaway throw. With better protection, Dontayvion Wicks likely would have crossed the face of the safety in Cover-0 and had a chance to convert a huge first down inside the 10-yard line. Instead, the Packers sent out the kicking unit…
Green Bay Packers place kicker Anders Carlson (17) watches his field goal during the second quarter of their NFC divisional playoff game against the San Francisco Saturday, January 20, 2024 at Levi’ Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Kicks under 45 yards have a success rate of well over 80 percent in the NFL, but Anders Carlson pushed his 41-yard field goal attempt wide left with 6:18 to go. Disaster. Instead of going up seven points, the Packers put their defense on the field to defend a fragile four-point advantage against what was the most efficient quarterback and offense in football. Matt LaFleur’s team played with fire and got burnt big-time. Carlson missed kicks in six straight games and 10 of the last 12 to end 2023. No miss was bigger than this one.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers signals for a first down after catching a pass during the second half against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Levi’s Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
On the go-ahead touchdown drive, the 49ers converted 3rd-and-1 with a far-too-easy quarterback sneak and 3rd-and-5 with a completion to Brandon Aiyuk against Keisean Nixon’s man coverage. On the second conversion, Aiyuk created a tiny bit of separation and Purdy fit in the throw. Credit Aiyuk for making a big-time play in a big-time spot. The contested catch kept the drive alive. Had the throw fallen incomplete, the 49ers — with three timeouts left — would have had to pick between punting the ball away and going for it on 4th-and-5. Instead, the drive continued, and inevitability started setting in.
CMC FOR THE LEAD
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The go-ahead score had to come on third down. It had to. On 3rd-and-1 following a 9-yard Brock Purdy scramble, Christian McCaffrey burst through a huge hole, bounced off Jonathan Owens’ diving tackle attempt and breezed into the end zone for the touchdown. Kenny Clark and T.J. Slaton both ended up on the ground, Quay Walker had no idea where the ball was and Owens hesitated for a second and had no chance to stop McCaffrey. Ugly, ugly run defense on the biggest defensive play of the season. It was so poor some wondered if the Packers let them score. 49ers 24, Packers 21.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws an interception that is caught by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (not pictured) late in the fourth quarter during their NFC divisional playoff football game Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Down three with 1:07 to go and three timeouts left, Jordan Love came back on the field with the task of moving the Packers at least 40 yards to get into reasonable field goal range. Love got one first down but then made one of his biggest individual errors of the season. On 1st-and-10 from the 36-yard line and two timeouts left, Love felt early pressure and extended the play to his right but then threw across his body to the middle of the field, where he was picked easily by Dre Greenlaw. Aaron Jones got stuck between leaking out into a route and helping protect, and Nick Bosa was right in Love’s face when he made the ill-advised throw. It had no chance. The first-year quarterback should have thrown the ball and survived to live another down. With two timeouts and at least three more downs to play with, Love didn’t need to make a hero play. He still tried, and the resulting turnover ended the season.
