Packers Fall to 49ers 30-22 in Opening Day Upset
By Josh Hill
Replacement refs are going to be blamed by some of the less sensical fan bases in the NFL and cited as the reason their team lost. Packers fans across the country are grabbing their pitchforks and torches to burn some refs down, as the Packers lost a highly physical, hotly contested and sloppily officiated game on Sunday.
It was the 49ers first win against the Packers at Lambeau Field since 1990.
The 49ers dominated the entire game, jumping out to a big lead early and holding the Packers to just 7 points for a majority of the game. It wasn’t until the Packers had their backs up against the wall that they started to fight back against the 49ers onslaught. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Packers added to their seven points, but like the championship caliber team they are, they made it a close game by cutting the lead 8 late.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
Packers (0-1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
49ers (1-0) | 3 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
They actually had to do so twice as after a blown block in the back call allowed Randall Cobb to return a punt 75-yards for a score, an Aaron Rodgers interception led to a Frank Gore touchdown.
But it was the various close calls that went against the Packers that have legions of fans heated. It’s not the Rodgers interception, not the terrible defensive day the Packers had — it was those damn refs. Fns quickly discount the block in the back call and hte calls that did go the Packers way. Instead those calls are interpreted as gifts.
But the Packers gave the 49ers the biggest gift of the day by starting the 2012 season slow out of the gates. What wasn’t slow was the 49ers blinding defense that rushed Rodgers hard and all game long. Ahmed Brooks was a monster all game long and it paid off in the end.
Many doubted the 49ers were the real deal this year but either they’re the real deal or the Packers aren’t. It’s a pretty black and white assumption to be had about these teams but we won’t find out until next week which is true. For now, the 49ers are looking like they very well could end up being the best team in all of football this year.
Not so much for the Packers.