It was as if the Packers learned nothing from allowing Colin Kaepernick to rush for an NFL quarterback-record 181 yards in the Divisional round last year. San Francisco’s dual threat pivot rolled up 98 yards on just seven carries, leading his team to a Wild Card victory Sunday over Green Bay.
In just two playoff games against the Cheeseheads, Kaepernick has rushed for more yards against Green Bay than anyone else in the franchise’s postseason history, 279 on just 23 carries – Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith had the previous record with 254 yards in three playoff games. No. 7 energized the 49ers offence with his legs. Three of Captain Kap’s scampers led to 17 of San Fran’s 23 points. So let’s go to the film room for a closer look at how Kaepernick was able to run free on a trio of carries.
We begin with San Francisco down 7-6 after the Packers score the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter. To this point Green Bay has contained Kaepernick and limited him to five yards on three rush attempts. It’s first and 10 from the 49ers 45-yard line. Kaepernick drops back and the Packers use five defenders to cautiously rush the passer. In this picture all five defensive players coming after the quarterback are in solid position. Morgan Burnett (1) and Nick Perry (5) have kept their outside shoulders free in order to stop Kaepernick from getting the edge. And the three interior rushers are in their lanes. At the moment, and it looks like the Packers are in good position—but Andy Mulumba (2) is about to change that.
As the play unfolds, one wrong move opens up a seam. Mulumba, replacing an injured Clay Matthews, jumps inside. Right away, 49ers guard Mike Iupati washes him down the line and creates a massive lane for Kaepernick. Facing a dynamic playmaker, Mulumba’s small error costs the Packers dearly.
Kaepernick is out the gate and Mulumba is in chase mode because he gave up his gap responsibility on the play. Frank Gore chops down linebacker Brad Jones. And with the Packers playing two safeties deep and three players running man coverage on the strong side of the play, Kaepernick has lots of open field on the weak side. He rips off a 42-yard run, his longest of the season. It led to San Fran’s first touchdown of the day and gave them a 13-7 lead.
In the fourth quarter, with Green Bay up 17-13 and San Francisco facing third and four, the 49ers desperately needed a conversion. The Packers line up in a two deep man coverage, meaning five defenders are locked man-to-man on five 49er receivers with the two safeties splitting the field in half to provide help on any deep routes. Up front Green Bay uses four players to come after Kaepernick. Perry (1), rushing from the outside on the left, is once again in good position, as is Mulumba (4) on the right edge, to keep Kaepernick from getting outside the pocket. But, yet again, one single mistake, this time by Mike Daniels (2), does in the Packers.
If you learned from the first gap assignment bust by Green Bay, you can already see what Daniels has done wrong. He made the same mistake as Mulumba. Daniels tries an inside move and is easily blocked out of his gap by Iupati. As before, a rather large lane is open for Kaepernick to take off. And with the defensive backs locked into man coverage none of their eyes are on the quarterback. Kaepernick takes off for a 24-yard gain that again led to a San Francisco touchdown.
On Kaepernick’s final carry of the game there was one minute and 13 seconds on the clock, game tied at 20 and the 49ers needed to convert on third and eight to keep the drive for a possible game-winning score alive. Green Bay decides to send a blitz and play straight man-to-man, no safety help over top. The Packers rush seven defenders against six 49er pass protectors. Simple math says Green Bay should get a free man to the quarterback. A poorly executed stunt by Mulumba and Daniels—the two players who busted gap assignments on the two previous big Kaepernick runs—helps five San Francisco offensive linemen eat up six of the seven rushers. Gore, No. 21, gets the most important block on the play. He seals off a blitzing Jarrett Bush and it allowed Kaepernick to get the edge to gain 11 yards and a crucial first down.
Both of Captain Kap’s best rushing performances in his three-year career have come against the Packers. In the end, Green Bay simply couldn’t contain the 49ers’ QB and on all three Green Bay gap mistakes, Kap capitalized.