The Green Bay Packers looked like the better team in the first half on Saturday night in their Divisional round matchup with top-seeded San Francisco, but the 49ers managed to take a 7-6 lead into the half.
The Packers scored just six points on three red zone trips in the first half, while the Niners got a big play touchdown to George Kittle as they never even had a red zone possession but still managed to be on top. In the third quarter, the offenses on both sides started to heat up, as the Packers finally got in the end zone but were immediately answered by a long Christian McCaffrey TD run to keep San Francisco up by one.
That lead would only last a few minutes as the ensuing kickoff saw a wild sequence where Keisean Nixon broke free to the left side of the field and ran deep into San Francisco territory, before fumbling at the end and almost giving it away if not for an incredible effort by Eric Wilson to dive on the ball.
What a rollercoaster!
Huge Keisean Nixon return, he fumbles, but the Packers jump on it.
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— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
It’s an incredible play by Wilson to get on the bouncing ball while running full speed and control it before the Niners special teams unit could jump on the pile and try to rip it away. There are so many ways for this to go wrong with a bouncing oblong ball, as it’s just Wilson and four 49ers around him, but he was able to grab it and control it and save the Packers possession.
A potentially game-saving recovery from Eric Wilson
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
That return by Nixon and recovery by Wilson became a go-ahead touchdown for Green Bay, as Jordan Love hit Romeo Doubs over the middle to move the ball to the 5 and then hit Tucker Kraft for a TD (and Aaron Jones for the two point conversion) on pick plays on the goal line.
What a response from Green Bay!
Tucker Kraft scores after the long kick return.
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
The touchdown was a legal pick play, as the contact was made at the line of scrimmage, and Love threaded the needle to get the ball to Kraft in traffic for six. After dominating much of the game, Green Bay finally found themselves in control, but if not for the heroic effort of Wilson on the kick return unit to get on the ball, they would’ve been left kicking themselves for another squandered opportunity.
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