4 reasons why 49ers stand no chance vs. Packers in NFL playoffs
By Peter Panacy
Reason No. 3: Packers won’t make same mistakes as Cowboys did
Some may argue the Niners “survived” the Cowboys in the Wild Card round, and a cleaner game from San Francisco’s vantage point should have led to a completely one-sided victory.
Not a finish that ultimately came down to the final play of the game where Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott inexplicably ran a draw with 14 seconds remaining instead of taking multiple shots at the end zone for what could have been a game-winning touchdown.
Perhaps that gaffe, along with the whopping 14 penalties for 89 yards against the Cowboys, falls upon head coach Mike McCarthy, whose team led the NFL with 141 penalties against during the regular season.
Related Story: 5 things Niners must clean up after beating Cowboys in Wild Card round
Yet the 49ers had plenty of their own mistakes, too, including nine penalties for 58 yards and one which included a bone-headed decision by Jimmy Garoppolo not to allow his offense to get set before that attempted quarterback sneak late in the fourth quarter that could have iced the game.
In stark contrast to Dallas, the Packers were flagged just 69 times during the regular season, the league’s best mark for penalties called, and Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur won’t be allowing his team to suffer anywhere near the number or kind of mental miscues and mistakes the Cowboys had.
If the Niners play another mistake-prone game against the Packers, San Francisco loses. Plain and simple.