This is the first of several segments that will preview the Packers vs. 49ers playoff game on Saturday. It features the San Francisco passing offense versus the Green Bay defense.

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin: In the wild-card game last week, the Green Bay Packers decisively defeated the Dallas Cowboys by denying Dak Prescott’s go-to receiver. It might be tough to repeat that performance against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday in the divisional-round playoff match.

Here is a look at how the 49ers passing attack, headed by Brock Purdy, will compare vs Green Bay’s pass defense.

49ers Make It Through Offense

NFL player with the most receptions (16) and targets (10) was Cowboys All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb. But in the first half, when they dominated the game, the Packers held him to only two receptions out of seven targets.

The 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy doesn’t rely too much on a single person, which is the issue. Receivers Brandon Aiyuk (75 receptions, 1,342 yards, seven touchdowns), Christian McCaffrey (67 receptions, 564 yards, seven touchdowns), tight end Georgie Kittle (60 receptions, 1,020 yards, six touchdowns), and receiver Deebo Samuel (60 receptions, 892 yards, seven touchdowns) are the four players who caught at least 60 passes with six touchdowns.

With Samuel adding 225 rushing yards and McCaffrey leading the NFL with 1,458 rushing yards, there are now four players with more than 1,000 yards.

With a plethora of weapons, Purdy finished third in touchdowns, fourth in completion %, and sixth in yards while leading the NFL with a passer rating of 113.0 and an all-time high 9.64 yards per attempt.

With 6.6 yards after the catch per pass, San Francisco ranked first in yards after the catch because to Purdy’s accuracy and his playmakers’ brilliance. Pro Football Focus ranks receiver Samuel No. 1 with 8.7 yards gained per reception and No. 2 with 25 forced missed tackles. With 7.3 YAC, Kittle was almost ranked first among tight ends.

So, is Purdy an excellent quarterback or just a competent QB with outstanding supporting cast and stats?

Grant Cohn of All 49ers on SI.com: His statistics indicate he’s the top quarterback in the league, therefore it’s difficult to claim he’s as good as they seem. Although he doesn’t rank in the top five, he excels at some areas.

Packers at. 49ers: A Quarterback Comparison

He considers the field to be excellent. He’ll easily reach the fourth guy in his advancement. Receiver comments like “I was jogging through my route, I was the fourth option, I never get the ball in this play, and it came to me, and it was a touchdown” are common after games. That’s quite the skill—I’ve never heard of Jimmy Garoppolo’s stuff.

It’s also very hard to fire him. It is imperative to consider him as a mobile quarterback and to maintain him in the pocket. You don’t want to allow him to escape the pocket because he has the ability to scramble and produce huge plays. He is an extremely talented quarterback, and it is clear that the offense, defense, and play calling scheme put him in the best possible positions to maximize his potential.

Interesting thing about Purdy is that, in an attempt to avoid being perceived as a game manager, he has a slight Napoleonic complex (no offense to Brock). It’s common knowledge that among the starting quarterbacks in the league, his arm is the weakest. He gets around it really effectively, but he considers himself a gunslinger and is called a “game manager,” which has gotten him into some difficulty.

With this team, he’s taking chances that he doesn’t need to. In the last ten games, he has thrown ten picks. Even though he still has excellent numbers, he usually throws an interception when the Niners lose. Whenever he doesn’t throw a pick, they are unbeaten. Thus, during the playoffs, he must sort of harness his inner game manager.

Packers’ Pass Defense

The Packers’ starting cornerbacks entering the season were Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas. Because of Alexander’s injury (and a suspension) and the trade of Douglas, they started seven games apiece. In their place, Carrington Valentine, a seventh-round draft pick, started 12 games while Corey Ballentine started six games after not starting a single game since 2020.

So, it’s certainly not a surprise the Packers finished 25th in opponent passer rating, 23rd in passes defensed and 31st in interceptions.

However, in the demolition of Dallas, the Packers intercepted two passes. One of those was by Alexander, who injured his sprained ankle during the third quarter. It’s possible that he would have played a smaller role if the Packers had practiced on Tuesday.

Tackling will be essential because of Samuel and Kittle’s run-after-catch ability. The focus will be on Alexander and Valentine, who fared okay, and safety Darnell Savage, who has consistently had one of the worst missed tackle rates in the NFL.

The Packers excel at a few things. They restrict the very explosive plays (25 of 25-plus yards, sixth-best), but they allow up far too many explosive plays (86 of 16-plus yards, 22nd in the league). And according to SportRadar, they pressure the quarterback, ranking ninth in sack % and sixth in pressure percentage, led by Devonte Wyatt, Kenny Clark, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary.

Trent Williams, the left tackle, is a formidable opponent, but San Francisco allows about average pressures. Colton McKivitz, the right tackle, is the weak link. Could Purdy make a few costly errors because to the pressure of the situation and Green Bay’s defense?