Packers 30, 49ers 24. FINAL

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Packers 30, 49ers 24. FINAL

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers made San Francisco pay for a draft-day snub in 2005 and the Green Bay Packers survived a second-half surge by the 49ers for a 30-24 victory Sunday.

Rodgers threw touchdowns to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, and Ryan Grant rushed for 129 yards and a score. The Packers (6-4) won their second straight game, rebounding from a midseason skid to emerge as a solid playoff contender going into their Thanksgiving Day date at Detroit.

Alex Smith recovered from a rough start to make things interesting with three second-half touchdowns, including rookie Michael Crabtree's first career score, but it wasn't enough for the 49ers (4-6).

The Packers' win was dampened by a left knee injury to outside linebacker Aaron Kampman and a knee injury to cornerback Al Harris. It was not immediately clear how severe their injuries were.

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Backed into his end zone after the Packers downed a punt at the 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Smith threw an interception to Nick Collins. Rodgers took over at the 11 and converted a third down with a pass to tight end Jermichael Finley. Grant scored on first-and-goal from the 1 to give the Packers a 30-10 lead.

But Josh Morgan returned a kickoff 76 yards and Smith threw a 24-yard touchdown to Vernon Davis, cutting Green Bay's lead to 30-17 with 10:37 remaining. With Harris and Kampman still sidelined, Smith had long completions to Isaac Bruce and Crabtree on the next series, setting up a fourth-and-5 at the Green Bay 10. Smith found Frank Gore for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 30-24 with 5:56 left.

But the Packers put together a drive that included a third-down conversion by Rodgers on a sneak, allowing them to run out the clock.

Rodgers was 32 of 45 for 334 yards, including 274 in the first half as the Packers took a 23-3 lead. Rodgers got a serviceable performance from his offensive line, which allowed two sacks Sunday. Coming into the game, Rodgers had taken a league-worst 41 sacks.

Although Smith's second-half rally was impressive - he finished 16 of 33 for 227 yards - Rodgers' performance provided further evidence that the Packers got the better end of the deal when the 49ers chose Smith with the No. 1 pick in 2005. Rodgers, who also was under consideration for the top choice, slipped all the way to the Packers at No. 24.

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GAME BLOG:

4th Quarter

 

 

3:03 p.m. Packers 13th Drive.  5:50

Drive Start: Green Bay 9

Who wants it more?   The Packers need to sustain a drive in order to eat this clock.

Grant runs for a hard fought 2 yds.   3rd and 4 deep in Packers territory

1st Down!   Rodgers quick out to Finley just past the marker.

 Grant 22 yd run!   That was all Grant because there really was no hole to start that play.  Now the Packers have some room to work

Jackson with a 9 yd run to the San Franciso 50.  Inches short of the first down.   The Packers running game has looked good.

 Rodgers 2 yd run to the 49ers 48 yd line.  FIRST DOWN.   That should be enough to eat the rest of the clock. 

49ers are out of time outs so the Packers will just kneel to kill the clock.  Way too close for comfort here folks.  The same Packers team did not show up for the second half that played in the first half.   Where is that killer instinct coach?

 

2:53 p.m.  49ers 13th Drive.  8:43

Packers 30, 49ers 24. 

Smith-Gore 10 yd TD

Drive Start: 49ers 17

Smith-Bruce 20 yd pass.   The Niners are moving he ball without taking much time off the clock.   I am starting to get worried folks 

Smith -Crabtree 35 yd pass.  This is not good.   1st and 10 on the Packers  15 yd line.   But McCarthy throws the red flag to challenge the completion.  

Ruling on the field stands.  1st and 10 on the Packers 15 and the Packers lose a time out.

Tempers are starting to rise.   Morgan and Bush locked up for quite a while after the whistle after a short completion.

Johnny Jolly comes up big.  Knocks down a pass to force a 4th and 5.  49ers go for it.

Smith-Gore 10 yd TD.  Gore was all alone.  How can you be that wide open that deep in the red zone.   49ers are now within 6 pts. 

2:49 p.m.  Packers 12th Drive.  10:42

Drive Start: Green Bay 23

Driver 4 yd completion.  Big 3rd down here.   Can't have a 3 and out.

Rodgers sacked!  Packers need to punt with 8:43 left in the game.  The Niners have all the momentum right now.  The Packers need a stop and do it without Kampman and Harris

 

2:41 p.m.  49ers 12th Drive.  11:01

Green Bay 30, San Francisco 17

Smith-Davis 24 yd TD.

Drive Start:  Green Bay 24

Morgan 76 yd kick off return.   That is not what the Packers needed.   Every time we put in the Dagger, something happens to let the Niners back in the game.

NO!  Al Harris is down in the End Zone.  It looks like he is in a lot of pain.

Smith-Davis 24 yd TD.   We are going to miss Al Harris, because putting Mathews on Vernon Davis is not going to work.

2:35 p.m.  Packers 11th Drive.  13:23

Green Bay 30, San Francisco 10

Grant 1 yd TD run.

Drive Start: San Francisco 11

Rodgers- Finley 10 yd pass.  Stopped at the goal line.  What a rope thrown by Rodgers.

Grant 1 yd TD Run.  There is your Dagger!  

 

2:34 p.m. 49ers 11th Drive.  13:40

Drive Start:  San Francisco 2

Interception.  Nick Collins with a great play.  Packers ball at the 11 yd line.  Is it too early for the Dagger?

3rd Quarter

2:31 p,m, Packers 10th Drive.  2:12

Drive Start: Green Bay 35

Grant 11 yd run.  The Packers running game is looking good.  I think this is the first team to run for over 100 yards against the 49ers all season.

Rodgers-Jackson 9 yd pass to SF 37.  Obviously Jackson is what the Packers screen game needed. 

A couple of ugly plays including a bad Donald Lee drops leaves the Packers with 4 and 12.  Looks like a punt

Great Special Teams play.  Martin downs Kapinos punt on the 49ers 2 yd line.   How about a safety folks?  That would be nice.

 

2:18 p.m.  San Francisco 10th Drive.  4:14

Drive start: San Francisco 12

Desmond Bishop wraps up Goode for a 2 yd loss on the punt return.  That's a good start.  Now let's get a 3 and out.

 Williams misses a sure sack on the blitz, but Jenkins supplies enough pressure to force to force a punt.  Like I said, we need a 3 and out.

2:13 p,m.  Packers 9th Drive.  7:28

Drive Start: Green Bay 20

Ryan Grant 11 yard run.  Nice attitude.  Grant simply ran over a San Francisco defender to get a few more yards at the end of the run.

NO! Just off Drivers finger tips!  Donald had a step on Dre Bly deep in SF territory but just couldn't bring it in.

49ers hold on 3rd down to force a punt.   We need a defensive stop here.

2:02pm.  49ers 9th Drive.  9:40

Green Bay 23, San Francisco 10

Smith-Crabtree 38 yd TD pass.

Drive Start: San Francisco 32

So Close!  Jenkins almost intercepted a tipped Alex Smith pass on 1st down.

Smith- Davis 30 yd completion.  OUCH!  That wasn't as much a defensive break-down as it was a great leaping catch by a Pro Bowl caliber player in Vernon Davis.   San Francisco is moving the ball much better this half.

Williams intercepts a Smith pass intended for Isaac Bruce but lands out of bounds.   A nice athletic play wasted.

Smith-Crabtree 38 yd TD.   How was that not pass interference?  Crabtree pushed off on Al Harris but the three blind mice either didn't see it or ignored it.  The Packers need to respond with a score of their own.  Don't let the Niners think they are in this game.  Worse news is that Kampman has been taken to the locker room with an injury.

1:57pm.  Packers 8th Drive.  11:23

Drive Start:  Green Bay 28

Big run by Grant negated by a holding penalty.  Enough with the penalties already!

Rodgers- Jackson 9 yd completion.  On 3rd and 12 the Packers only could get 9.  Packers will have to punt.

1:44 p.m.  49ers 7th Drive. 15:00

Drive Start: San Francisco 20

Smith - Davis 32 yd completion.  The Packers defense is not starting the 2nd half well.  The Niners have to throw to get back into the game so they shouldn't be giving up 32 yard passes.  

Al Harris makes a great play breaking up a pass to Crabtree.   3rd and 10 San Francisco.   They need to hold here.

Smith - Hill for an 8 yd gain.  The 49ers will go for it on 4th and 2 deep in Packers territory.  Don't let the Niners think they have a chance to get back in this game.  This is a huge play!

 Incomplete pass!  The 49ers turn over the ball.  Clay Mathews made that play with intense pressure on Smith.  That hit had to hurt.

 

2nd Quarter

 

1:27 p.m. Packers 6th Drive.  1:40

Green Bay 23, San Francisco 3

Crosby 27 yd FG.

Drive Start: San Francisco 45

Williams with a nice punt return.   27 yds to the SF 45.  This team wants to put the nail in the 49ers coffin by half time.  Nice killer attitude. 

Rodgers-Jackson 16yd gain.   The Packers have rediscovered the screen pass and the 49ers wish they hadn't.   This is just methodical use of the 2 minute offense.

Rodgers scrambled but had to step out of bounds with 1 second left.

Field goal attempt.    Crosby closes out the first half with a 27 yd FG.   Please remind me why Alex Smith was picked 1st over-all while Rodgers dropped to 24th in 2005.

 

1:21 p,m.  49ers 5th Drive. 2:23

Drive Start:  San Francisco 19

Jenkins stuffs Frank Gore for a big loss on a screen attempt on 2nd down.   WOW!!   The Packers are like a big American muscle car firing on all cylinders.  The 49ers can't know what has hit them at this point 

Al Harris wraps up Vernon Davis after a 5 yd gain.  The 49ers are forced to punt yet again.

 

1:09 p.m. Packers 5th Drive. 7:29

Green Bay 20, San Francisco 3

Rodgers-Nelson 7yd TD pass.

Drive Start: Green Bay 19.

Another silly penalty cost the Packers 10 yds of field position to start this drive.   When will they get these penalties under control?

Rodgers had all the time in the world but no one was open.  Rodgers tried to force it to Driver deep, but the pass falls short.

Brandon Jackson gets the 1st down on a short screen and run for 16 yards.  Haven't heard from Jackson all season.  Nice to see him contribute.

Rodgers-Driver 15 yd completion to the GB 49.   What a great catch by Driver, but that play was made by Ryan Grant who picked up the blitz.

1st down Green Bay.  Driver to the SF 33 on a nice WR screen by Rodgers.

Rodgers scrambles for an 11 yd gain to the SF 7.  That is what Rodgers can do that Favre simply can't do anymore.  Rodgers makes plays with his feet.

Rodgers-Nelson 7yd TD.   The Packers are on fire.  Everyone is getting involved and they are owning the 49ers on both sides of the field.  This is more like what we expected after the great preseason by the green and gold.

 

1:06 p.m. 49ers 4th Drive. 8:47

Drive Start: San Francisco 20

Cullen Jennings sacks Alex Smith at the SF 11 yd line.   It looks like Jennings is getting some more plays for him to get pressure on the QB after his blow up a couple of weeks ago.

Al Harris breaks up a pass play and the Packers almost intercept it.

Crabtree catch but goes nowhere.  Yet another 3 and out for the 49ers

 

1:00 p.m.  Packers 4th Drive.  11:06

Green Bay 13, San Francisco 3

Rodgers-Jennings 64 yd TD pass.

Drive Start: Packers 22

Rodgers-Jennings 9 yd completion to GB 36.  Way to keep the drive alive.  That was a big 3rd down conversion.

Rodgers-Jennings 64 yd TD.  That was all Jennings.   A nice short pass that Jennings turned into a huge play with his break away speed.  We have been waiting for that all season.

12:54pm.  49ers 3rd Drive.  12:38

Drive Start: San Francisco 20

BJ Raji sacks Alex Smith for the first sack of his NFL career.  Hopefully we will see many more of those for the next several years

Clay Mathews with nice pressure on Smith forces him to get rid of the ball for an incompletion.  49ers still can't get anything going offensively.  Yet another 3 and out.

.12:48 p.m. Packers 3rd Drive Continues

Drive Start: Green Bay 38

Rodgers had to throw the ball away on 3rd and 7 but he didn't get out of the tackle box so now the Packers face 3rd and 17 after the 10 yd intentional grounding penalty.  At least he didn't take a sack.

Yet another drive stalls.  This time the Packers had to punt.

 

1st Quarter

12:44 p.m.  Packers 3rd Drive. 1:21

Drive Start: San Francisco 38.

Grant 10 yd run up the middle to the 49ers 48.   So far this is the best performance of the year by the O-line and Grant.   Nice push on most running plays

 

12:33 p.m. 49ers 2nd Drive.   2:25.

.Drive Start:  San Francisco 16

Spencer Havner just blew up the 49ers return man.  The Packers look like they are playing with an edge.

Kampman sacks Alex Smith on 3rd and 7.  The Packers are controlling play at this point.  49ers will have to punt.

 

12:22 p.m. Packers 2nd Drive. 7:36

Green Bay 6, San Francisco 3

Mason Crosby 27 yd FG

Drive Start: Packers 23

Rodgers-Jennings 37 yd completion.  What a great pass by Rodgers.  He hit Jennings in full stride deep into 49ers territory.

The Packers Drive Stalled again in the Red Zone.  Had to settle for a 27 yd Mason Crosby FG

 

12:13 p.m. 49ers 1st Drive.   10:11

Green Bay 3, San Francisco 3

Joe Nedney 46 yd FG.

Drive Start:  San Francisco 20

Frank Gore up the middle for a 42 yard run to the Packers 38.  Poor tackling.   It is going to be a long day if the front 7 can't contain Gore.

No Gain on 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 29.  Pickett and Raji stuff the run.  The big boys came up big.  They force a field goal attempt by SF.

Joe Nedney's 46 yd FG is good.   Nice defensive stand after a rough start with the big Gore run.

 

 

12:03 p.m.  Packers 1st Drive 15:00

Green Bay 3, San Francisco 0

Mason Crosby 24 yd FG.

Drive Start: Green Bay 26

Packers win the coin toss and elect to receive the ball.  Jordy Nelson returns the kick off to the Green Bay 26.

Rodgers 20 yard pass to Jermichael Finley.   It sure is nice to have Finley back.  Those big plays up the middle have been missing since his injury.

Grant with two nice back to back running plays.   Off the right Guard for 10 yards and then around the left end for 26 yards. Ryan Grant looks like he is running with an attitude today.

Missed oppourtunity by the Packers.  Green Bay had a first down on the 49ers 11 but had to settle for a field goal after two short runs and an incomplete pass to Finley in the end zone.   Looks like we might be fighting the officials today as well as the 49ers.  They missed an obvious hold on the 3rd down play.

Mason Crosby hits a 24 yrd FG to make it 3-0 Packers.

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