Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers: 5 Bold predictions for NFC Championship

3. Garoppolo sacked five times, tosses two INTs

There’s no mistaking the fact that the 49ers dominated the Vikings in their Divisional Round victory last week, which goes beyond just the 27-10 final score which they won by. Whether it was with the San Francisco defense, the rushing attack or even a few spots in the passing game, Kyle Shanahan’s Niners were having their way at every single turn against the Vikings.

While that may be true, it’s also just as true that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t have to do much at all. The quarterback went only 11-of-19 for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was not a downright disaster out on the field but it was a pretty pedestrian showing, especially for a player whose big concern about him was his lack of playoff experience.

Garoppolo, for the most part, remains inexperienced in the postseason. He has not been put in a position where he has to put the team on his back and make plays under pressure to win the game. However, with the way Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have been playing, they’re going to get after Garoppolo and, moreover, the Packers offense will turn up the heat too.

In the end, this is going to force Jimmy G to make mistakes or at least take risks. Though Garoppolo has made some great throws this season, he’s also been prone to not succeeding when he makes a risky decision. And in a tightly contested matchup against a Packers team playing well, that’s going to result in some errors on the part of the 49ers quarterback.