Packers GM Brian Gutekunst can't ignore one massive problem from Packers playoff loss

This one hurts. If you're a Green Bay Packers fan, you could almost taste a berth in the NFC Championship game. Jordan Love, Aaron Jones, and a surprisingly feisty defensive effort had given the Packers a late lead in San Francisco against the NFC's No. 1 seed. Ten unanswered points later, it was gone, and a season that had morphed from disappointing to "Oh, actually we can win it all," was over.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has been an underappreciated hero to this franchise, first by extricating himself from the Aaron Rodgers circus with his job and team intact, then by building a roster that is the youngest in the league, yet still had the goods to get within a minute of the NFC title game.

The Packers' arrow is undoubtedly pointing up, but there's one major issue that needs addressing, and unfortunately, it came back to bite Green Bay on Saturday night.

Rookie placekicker Anders Carlson has been hurting the Packers all year, and he did it again in San Francisco.

After Aaron Jones broke a 53-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to put the Packers in field goal range, Carlson had the opportunity to extend Green Bay's lead to seven with just over six minutes left, but his 41-yard attempt pulled left.

The 49ers took full advantage, embarking on a 12-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in Christian McCaffrey's second touchdown run of the night. Had Carlson made the kick, that Niners' touchdown would have merely tied the game (and could have also put added pressure on fellow rookie Jake Moody's extra point, especially considering Moody had already had a kick blocked earlier in the night). Instead, the Packers trailed for the first time since two-thirds of the way through the third quarter.

Faced with a deficit with under a minute remaining, Jordan Love forced a ball that he probably would never have attempted in a tie game, and the ensuing interception by Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw effectively ended the game.

We can't hang the loss entirely on Carlson's shoulders, but he has to bear a significant portion of the blame. Yes, he's a rookie, and yes, the conditions in Levi's Stadium were sloppy, but with the season on the line, you have to make that kick. Carlson was perfect on field goals under 40 yards this year but finished the season only 50% from 40 and above. In today's NFL where so many kickers are nearly automatic and the difference between winning and losing often comes down to inches (thank you Al Pacino), that isn't going to cut it.

Fox's Tom Rinaldi gave a damning sideline report during the game in which he said that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Carlson, "When he goes out there, I just pray," which is not exactly what you'd call a ringing endorsement.

Like the Pittsburgh Steelers with their head coaches, or Logan Roy with picking his successor, the Packers are known for being famously patient with their kickers. Carlson's forerunner in Titletown, Mason Crosby, spent 16 seasons in Green Bay, during which he got more second chances than Tristan Thompson, but always somehow survived. Will Carlson be given that same grace, or will LaFleur be able to separate church and special teams?

Jordan Love's outstanding play has accelerated the timeline in Green Bay. The season that began with Packers fans just hoping to see a glimmer of hope for the future is now over, but next season will carry the same expectations that Wisconsinites have carried for decades: Super Bowl or bust. Brian Gutekunst has a difficult decision on his hands. Will he put it through the uprights?