GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The San Francisco 49ers survived Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. There’s no other way to put it.
They endured an Arctic January chill that had kickoff temperatures at 5 degrees and dipping with subzero wind chills.
They withstood a flurry of second-half magic tricks from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And they delivered when it mattered most, with kicker Phil Dawson nailing a 33-yard field goal as time expired.
Now it’s on to Carolina for the second round of the NFC playoffs after a 23-20 defeat of the Green Bay Packers. That victory was sealed on Dawson’s kick, the exclamation point on a 14-play, 65-yard drive.
On the road. In the cold. With quarterback Colin Kaepernick converting a pair of key third downs – one with a 17-yard dart over the middle to Michael Crabtree and later with an 11-yard escape run on third-and-9 from the Packers 38.
Give the 49ers defense plenty of credit for their toughness and sturdiness. They sacked Aaron Rodgers four times and forced Green Bay’s offense into four three-and-outs.
Yet it was Kaepernick (16-for-30 passing, 227 yards, one TD plus 98 yards rushing) who catalyzed the game-winning drive with help from Crabtree (eight catches, 125 yards) and Frank Gore (20 carries, 66 yards). It was enough to keep Rodgers off the field for the final 5 minutes with the star quarterback wanting to produce more late-game heroics.
For the second straight week, it appeared a Rodgers magic trick on fourth down in the fourth quarter might prove to be one of the game’s most memorable plays.
With a little more than 13 minutes to play and the Packers facing fourth-and-2 at the 49ers 30, Rodgers seemed to be in the grasp and about to be pulled down for a momentum-killing sack by defensive tackle Ray McDonald. But somehow the quarterback, who first appeared ready to throw a desperation jump pass, wriggled around and slipped free.
Rodgers kept the play alive, rolled right and found receiver Randal Cobb over the top of the defense for a 26-yard gain.
Two snaps later, John Kuhn scored from 1 yard out, pushing the Packers ahead 17-13 and completing a 12-play, 80-yard drive.
But that wasn’t the only fourth quarter brilliance from Rodgers. After the 49ers quickly rallied to take a 20-17 lead on a 28-yard TD pass from Kaepernick to Vernon Davis, Rodgers guided the Packers to another scoring march, this one 11 plays and 64 yards and ending with Mason Crosby’s 24-yard field goal that tied the score at 20. Also included on that drive: a nifty underhand flip to Kuhn for 8 yards on third-and-5 plus a 25-yard dart down the left side of the field to Cobb.
Rodgers finished the day 17-for-26 for 177 yards but saw the Packers’ season ended in the same gut-wrenching fashion in which they kept the Chicago Bears out of the postseason a week earlier.
The 49ers took a 13-10 lead to halftime with Kaepernick again showcasing his athleticism and versatility against a Packers defense that has struggled to contain him.
Late in the first half, with pressure coming, Kaepernick delivered the game’s longest gain to that point, tucking and bolting though an opening up the middle. The third-
year quarterback’s speed left a horde of Packer defenders in his wake and produced a 42-yard run. Two snaps later, running back Frank Gore took an inside handoff and rumbled 10 yards up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown that put the 49ers ahead 13-7.
Rodgers, meanwhile, led the Packers to scores on their final two possessions of the half. In his first action at Lambeau Field since fracturing his collarbone Nov. 4 against the Bears, Rodgers delivered a pretty 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 5:50 left in the second quarter. That capped an impressive 14-play, 70-yard drive after the Packers had gone three-and-out on their first three series.
Green Bay finished the first half with a nine-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Mason Crosby’s 34-yard field goal as time expired. Rodgers finished the first half 11-for-15 for 97 yards with that TD pass to Nelson.
The 49ers took an early 6-0 lead with a combination of stingy defense and ball control offense. The Packers had three-and-outs on their first three possessions, with Rodgers not getting his first completion until less than 12 minutes remained in the first half.
But two lengthy 49er drives in the first quarter ended in short field goals of 22 and 25 yards by kicker Phil Dawson, missed opportunities with San Francisco failing to put the Packers into a deeper deficit.
A week after stunning the Bears with a last-minute 48-yard touchdown pass to win the NFC North, Rodgers and the Packers were looking to use that momentum and their heightened offensive confidence to create some playoff magic.
The pregame buzz in Green Bay centered mostly around the weather forecast, with temperatures projected to be near 10 degrees below zero by night’s end and wind chills approaching minus-50, according to the National Weather Service.
That seemingly gave the Packers a bit of home freeze advantage. But the 49ers are also built for the elements thanks to a tough defense and a consistent running attack. And they entered the afternoon with plenty of confidence after rolling over the Green Bay defense in each of their last two meetings. In the season opener in September, Kaepernick threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-28 win in San Francisco as the 49ers rolled up 494 total yards and also got a big game from receiver Anquan Boldin (13 catches, 208 yards, one TD).
In last season’s playoffs, the 49ers met even less resistance, barreling their way to a 38-24 win with 579 total yards. Kaepernick’s versatility was again a huge factor as he rushed for 181 yards and two scores while also passing for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The 49ers again found the winning formula on Sunday night and now will travel to Carolina for next week’s divisional round. The Panthers beat the 49ers 10-9 in Week 10 of the regular season.
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