Sometimes you know where you’re watching history, a young man coming of age in front of your own eyes.
Packers vs. 49ers: Kaepernick puts on historic performance
Green Bay couldn’t stop Colin Kaepernick, who destroyed its defense the entire evening.
Colin Kaepernick authored such a performance on Saturday evening at Candlestick Park when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers to advance to the NFC Championship game.
Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards, the most any quarterback has ever rushed for in a single game. The Nevada product also threw for 263 yards, accounting for four touchdowns all together.
However, there was more to this game. Let’s go inside the numbers:
San Francisco's main defensive concern was stopping Aaron Rodgers. How did they hold him down? By controlling the ball for 38 minutes. The Packers couldn't stop the 49ers from running the football, allowing 323 yards on the ground.
Frank Gore carved a path through men like B.J. Raji, amassing 119 yards. When the 49ers weren't running, Michael Crabtree was unstoppable, making nine catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Rodgers played a decent game, but nowhere near good enough to beat a top San Francisco team. The rest of Green Bay’s roster didn’t help Rodgers, despite running well on the surface for 6.5 yards per carry. However, when you only rush 16 times, it’s easy to catch a team by surprise to pick up a decent median.
The Packers defense, though, is the ultimate culprit, playing an embarrassing brand of football. Green Bay gave up 15 rushing first downs and let the 49ers go 8-for-13 on third down.
It might be time for Dom Capers, the Packers defensive coordinator, to find work elsewhere. Regardless, it’s time for Packers coach Mike McCarthy to find some better pieces on that side of the ball.
One area San Francisco will want to clean up is the penalty column. The 49ers took eight penalties, costing them 86 yards. On a day when Kaepernick doesn’t set records and they’re playing a team that has a defense, the penalties could cost them a championship.
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