The Packers missed too many scoring opportunities and lost another postseason heartbreaker to the 49ers on Saturday night, 24-21, at Levi’s Stadium.
The Packers led by four points and had a chance to go up by seven midway through the fourth quarter, but rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal. With less than a minute remaining, the 49ers marched 69 yards the opposite way for the game-winning touchdown.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love then sent a terrible pass back across the field on Green Bay’s final drive, intercepted by 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw for his second interception of the half.
San Francisco advances to the NFC championship game, and the Packers’ season ends.
For the Packers, Love went 21-of-34 for 194 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 72.4 passing rating. RB Aaron Jones carried 18 times for 108 yards, becoming the first 100-yard rusher versus San Francisco in 51 games, including the playoffs.
WR Romeo Doubs had four receptions for 83 yards, while WR Jayden Reed had four for 35.
Three red-zone opportunities in the first half yielded only six points for Green Bay, but as the game progressed, they became increasingly important.
The 49ers’ QB Brock Purdy was 23-of-39 for 252 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions, and an 86.7 rating, while the Packers missed numerous interceptions. RB Christian McCaffrey ran 17 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.
TE George Kittle had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Jauan Jennings had five catches for 61 yards.
Here’s a recap of all the action:
Packers lead 49ers 3-0 after first quarter
The Packers won the opening coin toss and decided to receive. Following a 7-yard Aaron Jones run, Jordan Love completed the first of three first downs on the first series with a 7-yard pass to tight end Luke Musgrave. Jones carried the ball four times in a row, gaining 21 yards and advancing it to the San Francisco 40.
On third-and-6, Romeo Doubs earned a 13-yard defensive pass interference call from Ambry Thomas, moving the ball into the 49ers’ red zone. After Love failed to connect with Doubs on a third-and-8 slant in the end zone, Green Bay scored 29-yard Anders Carlson field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead with 7 minutes, 22 seconds left in the first quarter. The 14-play, 58-yard drive took 7:38.
Following Josiah Deguara’s tackle on Deebo Samuel, the 49ers took the field from their own 20-yard line. Darnell Savage nearly intercepted Brock Purdy on first-and-15 following a false start penalty but was unable to get the ball in. Samuel was injured on the next play after making a 9-yard catch. He was assessed for a head injury and then returned.
Kenny Clark and Preston Smith teamed up to sack Purdy for a seven-yard loss. The Packers took over at their own 18 after Mitch Wishnowsky’s 57-yard punt and Jayden Reed’s 12-yard return.
San Francisco was called for defensive pass interference again, this time on safety Tashaun Gipson against Christian Watson for a 7-yard gain to the San Francisco 25.
Charvarius Ward stumbled in one-on-one coverage against Romeo Doubs, resulting in a wide-open 38-yard gain down the right sideline to the San Francisco 33. On second-and-11, Tucker Kraft made an 11-yard catch to open up the sideline for Emanuel Wilson.
Jones received a 9-yard pitch as the first quarter concluded, setting up third-and-1.
49ers lead Packers 7-6 at halftime
The Packers attempted a Jones run and Love sneak, but officials determined he didn’t reach the line to gain, resulting in a turnover on downs at the San Francisco 14.
The 49ers converted two third-and-1 situations, with Purdy finding Jauan Jennings for 16 yards. Purdy threw the ball away from inside the hashes on first-and-10 at the GB 37, but officials said it was not intentional grounding because he was outside the pocket.
Green Bay tried a blitz on third-and-5, but San Francisco picked it up, giving Purdy time to find George Kittle for a 32-yard touchdown to put the 49ers ahead 7-3 with 8:42 remaining.
Love answered with a 27-yard pass to Reed on the first play of the next series. Green Bay gained 14 yards on back-to-back Jones and converted on third-and-7 with a 22-yard pass to Doubs, setting up first-and-goal at the San Francisco 9.
After Love couldn’t connect with Kraft in the back of the end zone on third down, as Green Bay settled for another Carlson 29-yard field goal to cut the Packers’ deficit to 7-6 with 4:09 left in the first half.
Purdy completed a quick pass to Jennings for 12 yards and the initial first down. A 2-yard McCaffrey run led to the two-minute warning. On third-and-1 at the Green Bay 42, San Francisco used its first timeout with 34 seconds left in the half.
The 49ers converted with a 3-yard pass to Jennings but were forced to use their second timeout with 28 seconds left after Jaire Alexander stopped Jennings in bounds. The 49ers tried a 48-yard Jake Moody field goal after Purdy’s third-and-2 pass sailed out of bounds, but Colby Wooden blocked it to end the first half.
That was the Packers’ first blocked field goal in the postseason since Datone Jones against the Cowboys on Jan. 11, 2015.
Packers lead 49ers 21-14 after 3
Samuel came out of the 49ers’ locker room without his pads and was announced as out after San Francisco’s first drive of the second half.
The Packers opened the second half by forcing a three-and-out. Kenny Clark stopped Jennings for a 1-yard loss on first down and Rashan Gary helped pressure Purdy into an incompletion on third-and-4. Green Bay took over at its 25.
Green Bay moved the ball to the 44 with a 9-yard Reed run and Jordan Love converted with a third-and-1 short. The officials incorrectly spotted the ball and LaFleur was forced to use his first challenge to gain the first down.
On third-and-15, Bo Melton forced a second Thomas defensive pass interference call, a 41-yard penalty. On the next play, Melton came wide open in the end zone for a 19-yard TD to put the Packers back ahead 13-7 with 9:27 left in the third quarter.
The 49ers answered with a 32-yard pass to George Kittle on third-and-6 and a 23-yard McCaffrey TD run to put San Francisco back on top 14-13 with 7:39 left in the third quarter.
Keisean Nixon broke a 73-yard kickoff return. While the ball came out, Eric Wilson jumped on it to start Green Bay’s next drive at the San Francisco 19. Nixon’s return is the second longest in Packers postseason history, trailing only Desmond Howard’s 99-yard TD return in Super Bowl XXXI.
Green Bay jumped back ahead after a 13-yard pass to Doubs and a 2-yard TD to Kraft. The Packers took a 21-14 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter following a successful two-point conversion on a pass to Jones.
The 49ers went three-and-out, with Keisean Nixon nearly picking off an errant Purdy pass on third-and-5. After the series, Quay Walker went to the locker room with a cramping issue.
San Francisco got the ball back after Love’s pass was tipped up and intercepted by Dre Greenlaw, who returned it to the 49ers’ 48 with 2:02 left in the third quarter.
The 49ers converted on third-and-9 with a 12-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk underneath the GB 35. After two incompletions, Gary and Karl Brooks tackled Purdy for a 1-yard gain.
49ers beat Packers 24-21
The fourth quarter began with Moody making a 52-yard field goal to cut Green Bay’s lead to 21-17 with 14:56 left in regulation. Green Bay went three-and-out on its next possession, resulting in Daniel Whelan’s first evening punt.
San Francisco took over at 25 after Whelan’s 42-yard punt with 13:22 remaining.
The 49ers converted a key third-and-10 with a 21-yard pass to Jennings in the middle of the field. The 49ers sent out their punt team after Darnell Savage tackled McCaffrey for no gain on a first-down pass and Purdy threw incompletions on back-to-back plays.
Reed called for a fair catch on Wishnowsky’s punt at the Green Bay 10 with 9:37 remaining. Before the next series, right tackle Zach Tom was ruled out after being evaluated for a concussion earlier in the game.
Jones broke a 53-yard run up the middle on the first play of the series, pushing the ball to the San Francisco 37. Arik Armstead was called for a neutral-zone infraction on the next play. Emanuel Wilson then hurdled a defender to gain eight yards and the first down.
Love was unable to connect with Dontayvion Wicks on third-and-9, and Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal wide left with 6:18 remaining.
Purdy snuck for a 2-yard gain on third-and-1 from the SF 40. Purdy then hit Aiyuk on an 11-yard slant on third-and-5 to cross midfield. A 17-yard pass to Conley moved the ball to the Green Bay 26. The game reached the two-minute warning on a McCaffrey 3-yard run on second-and-2.
McCaffrey was pushed out of bounds with the ball at the Packers’ 15 for no gain. Purdy scrambled for nine yards on the next play to the Green Bay 6. McCaffrey ran in the 6-yard TD on third-and-1 to go ahead 24-21 with 1:07 remaining.
Love opened the drive with an 8-yard out to Doubs. A 3-yard pass to Musgrave converted the first down. Love was then intercepted.
