Packers vs. 49ers highlights: Brock Purdy comes through with late rally

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Packers vs. 49ers highlights: Brock Purdy comes through with late rally

Mike Brehm, Tyler Dragon, Cydney Henderson and Jim Reineking, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Sun, Jan 21, 2024 ·

18 min read

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It wasn't pretty, but Brock Purdy got it done.

Purdy led a 12-play, 69-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to help the San Francisco 49ers survive in a 24-21 victory.

The Green Bay Packers had a 21-14 advantage entering the fourth quarter after three lead changes in the third quarter. But momentum started to swing San Francisco 's way when Packers kicker Anders Carlson missed a 41-yard field goal wide left midway through the final period.

Purdy and the 49ers conducted what wound up being the game-winning touchdown drive after Carlson's missed field goal.

The Packers had a chance to tie or take the lead on their final possession with under two minutes in the fourth quarter, but Jordan Love tossed an ill-advised pass over the middle to Christian Watson that was intercepted by 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw .

Love had 194 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Packers running back Aaron Jones produced 108 rushing yards.

Purdy, who had an inconsistent performance, passed for 252 yards and one touchdown, but he missed multiple throws.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) passes under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive end Karl Brooks (94) during the third quarter.

Greenlaw and Fred Warner led the 49ers defense. The star linebacker tandem combined for 15 tackles, and Greenlaw had two interceptions.

The 49ers' victory means they have advanced to three consecutive NFC Championship games.

Who do the 49ers play next?

The 49ers will play the winner of Sunday's Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Detroit Lions game.

The 49ers beat the Buccaneers 27-14 in Week 11 and are 20-6 all-time against Tampa Bay . The Buccaneers won their lone playoff meeting.

The 49ers are 38-27-1 all-time against the Lions. The teams are 1-1 in the playoffs. - Mike Brehm

49ers get game-sealing interception

Jordan Love tried to force a pass to Christian Watson and it turned disastrous for Green Bay . Love threw across his body to Watson and 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw got in front of it to intercept the pass with 52 seconds remaining in the game. - Tyler Dragon

49ers 24, Packers 21: Game-winning touchdown drive

The 49ers went on a 12-play, 69-yard touchdown drive after Green Bay's costly field goal miss.

Brock Purdy had an inconsistent game, but he had his best drive of the night when the 49ers needed him most. Purdy completed six passes during the 12-play drive, including one on third-and-5 to extend San Francisco's series. The game-leading touchdown was scored on running back Christian McCaffrey 's 6-yard touchdown run up the right side with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. - Tyler Dragon

Packers miss field goal attempt

Packers kicker Anders Carlson had a chance to give Green Bay a seven-point lead with 6:21 left, but his 41-yard field goal attempt went wide left. The rookie went 27-for-33 during the regular season. - Mike Brehm

Packers 21, 49ers 17: Interception leads to 49ers field goal

The 49ers weren't able to convert an interception into a touchdown, but they were able to walk away with three points.

LB Dre Greenlaw intercepted Packers QB Jordan Love and returned it to Green Bay's 48-yard line. But Purdy and the 49ers weren't able to get anything going on offense. They settled for a 52-yard field goal to bring them within four points of the Packers. - Cydney Henderson

Packers 21, 49ers 14 (END OF THIRD QUARTER)

A wild third quarter featured 22 total points and three lead changes.

The Packers ended the quarter with a 21-14 lead. Wide receiver Bo Melton caught a 19-yard touchdown and Green Bay had a big 73-yard kickoff return by Keisean Nixon to help lift them to an advantage entering the fourth quarter.

The Packers had seven total first downs in the third quarter.

The 49ers' lone touchdown of the quarter came on a 39-yard run by running back Christian McCaffrey.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw an interception toward the end of the quarter. San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw was the recipient of the INT. - Tyler Dragon

Packers 21, 49ers 14: Keisean Nixon's big return leads to Packers TD

Two-time All-Pro return man Keisean Nixon nearly wasted a 73-yard kick return.

Nixon accelerated by 49ers special teamers on a kickoff return, but had the football poked loose from him inside San Francisco's 30-yard line. Luckily for Nixon, out of nowhere Packers' Eric Wilson dove on the football and recovered it safety at the 49ers' 20-yard line.

Four plays later, Packers quarterback Jordan Love tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tucker Kraft . The Packers then successfully converted a two-point conversion to take a 21-14 lead with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter.

There have been three lead changes in the last three possessions.

Nixon has 97 yards on two returns. Nixon's return was the Packers' longest kick return in playoffs since Desmond Howard's 99-yarder in Super Bowl 31 vs. the Patriots following the 1996 season, per the AP. - Tyler Dragon

49ers 14, Packers 13: 49ers take lead on Christian McCaffrey's 39-yard TD run

The 49ers answered right back with a score of their own. They marched 75 yards down the field in only four plays to take a 14-13 lead over the Packers. San Francisco did so with two of their best players: tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey.

Kittle broke a tackle during a reception from QB Brock Purdy for a 32-yard gain into Packers' territory. On the next play, McCaffrey made a defender miss and ran the ball 39 yards to the end zone. - Cydney Henderson

Packers 13, 49ers 7: Packers take advantage of pass interference

The Packers took full advantage of a 41-yard pass interference penalty on San Francisco.

On third-and-15, 49ers cornerback Ambry Thomas interfered with Packers wide receiver Bo Melton. As a result of the penalty, the football was placed on the San Francisco 19-yard line. One play later, Melton capped things off by catching a 19-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 13-7 lead in the third quarter.

Melton's route and Green Bay's play design completely fooled San Francisco's secondary on the touchdown. - Tyler Dragon

49ers' Deebo Samuel ruled out with shoulder injury

Deebo Samuel's night ended prematurely . The wide receiver suffered two separate injuries in the first half Saturday night. Samuel was hit hard during the 49ers' first drive and had to be evaluated for a head injury. The 49ers cleared Samuel to return, but the versatile wide receiver then sustained a shoulder injury during the team's second possession.

The 49ers originally deemed Samuel questionable to return in the second quarter. They later downgraded Samuel to out in the third quarter due to the shoulder injury. He was seen walking around the 49ers' sideline with a hoodie on during the second half. Samuel's night ended with two catches for 24 receiving yards. - Tyler Dragon

49ers 7, Packers 6 (HALFTIME)

The 49ers are heading into the locker room with a 7-6 halftime lead over the Packers. It could have been larger if it weren't for San Francisco kicker Jake Moody 's 48-yard field goal being blocked by Packers DL Colby Wooden in the final seconds of the half.

The first half marked multiple missed opportunities for both teams. Packers QB Jordan Love couldn't find the end zone in three trips to the red zone and safety Darnell Savage Jr . dropped a sure-fire interception that could have been returned for major yards, if not a pick-six. Love has 10 completions for 115 yards so far in the contest and Aaron Jones has rushed for 49-yards.

The only touchdown of the first half came from QB Brock Purdy's 32-yard touchdown to tight end George Kittle. Purdy has completed 10 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown, but he's been without receiver Deebo Samuel, who exited the game in the first quarter to be evaluated for an injury. Although he was cleared to return, he injured his shoulder later.

49ers 7, Packers 6: Packers opt for field goal after drive stalls in red zone

The Packers are settling for another field goal.

Kicker Anders Carlson booted a 29-yard field goal to bring the Packers within one point of the 49ers.

Receiver Romeo Doubs caught a 22-yard pass on his tippy toes near the sideline to put the Packers at the 49ers' 9-yard line, but their drive stalled in the red zone after a run for no gain, pass for -2 yards and an incomplete pass. - Cydney Henderson

49ers 7, Packers 3: Brock Purdy connects with George Kittle

The 49ers are on the scoreboard.

After a quiet first quarter, the 49ers drove 86 yards down the field in 12 plays and scored a touchdown in their first possession in the second period.

San Francisco scored on its first big play of the night. Brock Purdy passed deep to tight end George Kittle for a 32-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 7-3 lead.

Kittle has two catches, a team-high 41 yards and a touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Purdy's up to 91 passing yards. - Tyler Dragon

Packers' fourth-down tush push falls short in red zone

The 49ers defense made a defensive red zone stand against the Packers.

Green Bay looked poised to add to the their three-point lead, but they were stopped inches short of a fourth down conversion. On fourth and 1 at San Francicsco's 14-yard line, Packers quarterback Jordan Love attempted a tush push to get a first down. Although it looked close, referees marked the ball just short and the chains confirmed that.

The 49ers took over on downs. - Cydney Henderson

Packers 3, 49ers 0 (END OF FIRST QUARTER)

The Packers have a 3-0 lead and ended the first quarter in San Francisco territory.

Green Bay connected on a 29-yard field goal on its opening drive and controlled most of the first quarter. The Packers tallied 111 total yards compared with just 22 yards by the 49ers.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love ended the quarter with 68 total passing yards. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs had one catch for 38 yards.

The Packers possessed the football for 11 minutes and 47 seconds in the first period. - Tyler Dragon

49ers WR Deebo Samuel evaluated for head injury, cleared to return

49ers receiver Deebo Samuel was cleared to return to the team's divisional round playoff matchup against the Packers after sustaining a hit to the head.

With 5:35 remaining in the first quarter, Samuel caught a short 9-yard pass from QB Brock Purdy and appeared to be injured on the play when Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander came in to finish the tackle.

Samuel was taken into the blue tent to be evaluated for a head injury before he was clears. He had two receptions for a team-high 24-yards. - Cydney Henderson

Packers 3, 49ers 0: Green Bay gets field goal on opening drive

The Packers had a promising opening drive going, but it stalled in the red zone.

Green Bay's first series covered 58 yards in 14 plays. However, Jordan Love's pass on third-and-8 from San Francisco's 11-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone.

The Packers had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by kicker Anders Carlson to give them a 3-0 lead with 7:22 left in the first quarter. - Tyler Dragon

Kristin Juszczyk designs another game-day fit after viral Taylor Swift jacket

Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk , is back with her latest creation.

After going viral last week for creating Taylor Swift a custom puffer jacket featuring the name and No. 87 number of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce , Kristin Juszczyk showed up to Levi's Stadium in a custom red two-piece suit with her husband's No. 44 on it. She also designed a corset for model Olivia Culpo, the fiancé of RB Christian McCaffrey.

"You guys have made this week one of the best weeks of my life," Kristin Juszczyk wrote on Instagram. "Let's finish it with a W!" - Cydney Henderson

A familiar playoff rivalry

The Packers vs. 49ers divisional playoff matchup marks the 10th playoff meeting between the two teams. It's the most playoff matchups between any two teams in NFL history. The 49ers hold a 5-4 edge over Green Bay in the two teams' playoff series.

Packers vs. 49ers game time

The Packers vs. 49ers divisional playoff game is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. The game will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Packers vs. 49ers how to watch

The Packers-49ers playoff game will be televised on FOX. Kevin Burkhardt (play-by-play) and Greg Olsen (analyst) will broadcast the game, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reporting from the sidelines.

What are the predictions for Packers vs. 49ers?

USA TODAY Sports' staff picks for the game :

Lorenzo Reyes: Packers 24, 49ers 22— This, admittedly, is a bit of a risk, but Green Bay's offense is playing hyper-efficient ball with Jordan Love conducting the offense. The downfield passing game is thriving and San Francisco's secondary is something of a weak spot. The Packers can also run the ball quite well, so with rain potentially in the forecast, I think Green Bay is playing hot enough for the upset here. That said, the Niners are very talented so as tempting as the Packers on the moneyline sounds, taking the points is the safer play.
Tyler Dragon: 49ers 28, Packers 17— The 49ers have an all-time 5-4 postseason record against the Packers. Expect San Francisco to increase it to six wins. Jordan Love and the Packers had an impressive win in Dallas last week, but the 49ers pose a different challenge. The 49ers have a formidable defense and an offense that imposes its will against opposing defenses. The 49ers averaged a league-high 6.6 per play in 2023. The defense held opponents to 44 red zone drives, the fewest in the NFC. The road to Las Vegas is going through San Francisco in the NFC.
Safid Deen: 49ers 27, Packers 23— Can the Packers force Brock Purdy to turn the ball over and Kyle Shanahan to abort his game plan? It's likely, but a tall task. The 49ers have been to two straight NFC title games and won't let the Packers ruin their chance to reach a third.
Victoria Hernandez: 49ers 28, Packers 21— A lot of this game will depend on how healthy the 49ers were able to get with the first-round bye. Brock Purdy had a stinger and Christian McCaffrey had an injured calf that he said he would have played through if he had to. San Francisco is the better team on paper and will probably continue their march to another NFC championship appearance. But that nearly 10-point spread doesn't bode well against an energized Packers team that put up 48 points on the Cowboys' defense.
Jordan Mendoza: 49ers 27, Packers 23— The 49ers and Packers have given fans some classic playoff games − especially in recent memory − but the playoff series has recently been owned by San Francisco. Jordan Love was near-perfect against the Cowboys, but it's a tough ask to do the same against a top-tier defense in the 49ers. Green Bay keeps in closer than most think, but the 49ers prevail against a pesky team to advance. The spread seems wide, so there's no issue in picking the Packers to cover.

What is the weather forecast for Packers vs. 49ers?

Rain is expected during the game with a temperature in the high 50s.

Who is favored? San Francisco 49ers or Green Bay Packers ?

The top NFL betting apps favor the 49ers over the Packers in their divisional playoff game.

Packers vs. 49ers spread

The 49ers are 10-point favorites over the Packers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds .

Packers vs. 49ers over-under

The over-under is 50.5, according to BetMGM.

Packers vs. 49ers moneyline

San Francisco is a -5000 favorite on the moneyline. Meanwhile, Green Bay is a +375 underdog, according to BetMGM.

Jordan Love trying to do something Aaron Rodgers couldn't

The Packers' succession of quarterbacks shared some fascinating playoff results.

Brett Favre could never beat the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs (0-3), but managed to go 4-1 against the San Francisco 49ers .

Aaron Rodgers went 3-0 in playoff games against the Cowboys, but could not defeat the 49ers (4-0).

With last week's wild-card win over the Cowboys, Jordan Love already did something Favre couldn't in the playoffs. In this week's divisional playoff, Love will attempt to do something Rodgers failed to do in the postseason … defeat the 49ers.

Brock Purdy aims to continue postseason success

Just a few months removed from being the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft , Brock Purdy had helped the 49ers reach the NFC championship game.

He helped the 49ers win playoff games over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys before a torn ligament in his elbow in last season's NFC title game ended the 49ers' hopes of defeating the Philadelphia Eagles .

With a win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Purdy can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first two seasons, joining Ben Roethlisberger (2004-05), Joe Flacco (2008-09), Mark Sanchez (2009-10) and Russell Wilson (2012-13).

Purdy's follow-up season to his nearly out-of-nowhere rise in 2022 has been sensational . Purdy became the first 49ers quarterback in more than 20 years to throw for more than 4,000 yards (4,280) or at least 30 TDs (31). He led the NFL with a 113 passer rating and his 9.6 yards per attempt were the most in the NFL for a qualifying QB since Kurt Warner had 9.9 in 2000.

Packers injury report

The Packers will be without backup linebacker Kingsley Enagbare (knee). Cornerback Jaire Alexander (ankle), linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (neck), running back AJ Dillon (neck) and punter Daniel Whelan (illness) were listed as questionable on the Packers' injury report .

49ers injury report

The 49ers will be without starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell (knee). Linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) was listed as questionable on the 49ers' injury report .

Packers vs. 49ers history

The 49ers and Packers have met 72 times before Saturday's NFC divisional playoff game, with the Packers holding a 38-33-1 (including playoffs) edge in the series dating to 1950. The Packers and 49ers enter this season's divisional playoff game tied with the New England Patriots for the most all-time postseason victories with 37. This year's divisional playoff game marks the 10th time that the Packers and 49ers have met in the playoffs, which is the most of any other matchup. The 49ers hold a 5-4 edge over the Packers in the two teams' playoff series. This historic playoff rivalry includes two matchups in the NFC championship game (1997 and 2019 seasons) and one of the classic wild-card games, "The Catch II."

Here are the results of the previous Packers-49ers playoff games:

1995 NFC divisional playoff: Packers 27, 49ers 17
1996 NFC divisional playoff: Packers 35, 49ers 14
1997 NFC championship game: Packers 23, 49ers 10
1998 NFC wild-card playoff: 49ers 30, Packers 27
2001 NFC wild-card playoff: Packers 25, 49ers 15
2012 NFC divisional playoff: 49ers 45, Packers 31
2013 NFC wild-card playoff: 49ers 23, Packers 20
2019 NFC championship game: 49ers 37, Packers 20
2021 NFC divisional playoff: 49ers 13, Packers 10

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Packers vs. 49ers highlights: Brock Purdy leads San Francisco rally

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