49ers can upset Packers behind Deebo Samuel, Elijah Mitchell

The 49ers notched a big playoff victory over the Cowboys, and now the No. 1 seed Packers stand between them and the NFC Championship game

While the ending probably left more than a few San Francisco 49ers fans with a weak heart, an overall impressive 23-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round means the Niners will be in the playoffs for at least one more week.

The path to the Super Bowl hardly gets any easier for San Francisco, however, as its next game will be at Lambeau Field against the No. 1 seed, the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay has been the best team in the NFC indisputably, and the Packers defeated the 49ers in Week 3 by a score of 30-28 at Levi’s Stadium. The game was a heartbreaker, as the Niners scratched and clawed from a big deficit and were up 28-27 with under a minute remaining, but a masterclass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers allowed the Packers to kick the winning field goal as time expired.

But the return game doesn’t have to be the same result. San Francisco has a big weapon in the bag it didn’t have last time, and it just so happens to dovetail nicely with the biggest weakness in the Green Bay defense.

49ers will use Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel and the ground game with great effect vs. Packers

49ers fans will remember fondly the 2020 NFC Championship game where the Niners literally ran all over the Packers. It was domination from start to finish, as San Francisco won 37-20 (a flattering scoreline to the Packers, as the score was 34-7 at the end of the third quarter) to advance to the Super Bowl.

The problem for the Packers was their inability to stop the 49ers running on them, and this is a problem that can be exploited again. Green Bay finished the regular season third worst in the league when it comes to conceding yards per carry, with a horrible 4.7 YPC against.

The Niners have found their running identity this season. Rookie running back Elijah Mitchell has been a sensation as a sixth-round NFL Draft choice, while wide receiver Deebo Samuel is a worthy All-Pro who once again turned on the style against the Cowboys by gaining 110 all-purpose yards in the Wild Card round.

Read More: 49ers vs. Packers: Divisional round betting odds and prediction

The Cowboys were unable to stop San Francisco from running on them despite having a slightly better run defense than Green Bay.

The equation looks pretty simple for the 49ers.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s chance of winning a shootout with Rodgers is slim to none, and the team needs to do what it did against Dallas: control the clock with a dominant ground game.

The Niners have the tools to go to Lambeau Field and come out winners.

The only question is if the Packers can stop them this time around in the playoffs.