GREEN BAY, Wis. – Robbie Gould lived up to his name.
On a Lambeau Field littered with snow flurries, the San Francisco 49ers’ veteran kicker made a 45-yard field goal as time expired to knock off the top-seeded Green Bay Packers 13-10, a loss that may have marked the end of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the team.
Gould has made all 20 field-goal attempts he has attempted in the playoffs during his NFL career. The 39-year-old’s latest helped the 49ers complete an improbable comeback by scoring 10 unanswered points in the last five minutes.
“I always trust Robbie. He’s as good as gold, man,” San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. “He always is.”
The 49ers continued their postseason hex on Rodgers and advanced to the NFC championship game on Jan. 30, when they’ll visit either the second-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the third-seeded Los Angeles Rams, who meet in a divisional round matchup Sunday.
San Francisco’s win, coupled with the fourth-seeded Cincinnati Bengals’ 19-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans earlier in the day in the AFC playoffs, marked the first time both No. 1 seeds lost in the NFL’s divisional round in the same season since 2010. Green Bay upset the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets took out the New England Patriots in the AFC that season.
“It’s dangerous, man. When a team gets hot, it’s dangerous,” Garoppolo said. “So we’ve just got to keep this thing going, focus on next week now, and keep this thing rolling.”
Rodgers was 19-of-25 passing for 221 yards and dropped to 0-4 in career playoff starts against the 49ers. He’s the first quarterback in NFL history to lose four postseason starts to a single opponent.
He now enters an uncertain offseason. After skipping the Packers’ mandatory minicamp last year in a standoff with management, Rodgers said he was uncertain whether this would be his last seasom in Green Bay. Last month, the three-time NFL MVP said he was keeping all options open.
Rodgers didn’t want to speculate on his future Saturday night, though he also said he didn’t want to be part of a rebuild if he keeps playing.
“I don’t think it’s fair to anybody or myself to really go down those paths at this point,” he said. “It’s disappointing, sad and fresh. I’ll have conversations in the next week or so and start to contemplate after that.”
The Packers earned the NFC’s top seed for a second straight season and were the league’s only unbeaten team at home this season, but Rodgers & Co. again failed to reach the big game. They haven’t made it to the Super Bowl since their 2010 championship season.
“I just didn’t envision it like this,” said Green Bay’s Aaron Jones, who had nine catches for 129 yards and 12 carries for 41 yards.
AP photo by Matt Ludtke / San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner tackles the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Jones during the first half of an NFC divisional round playoff game Saturday night in Green Bay, Wis.San Francisco tied the game with 4:41 left thanks to a breakdown by Green Bay’s special teams, the Packers’ biggest weakness all season.
Jordan Willis’ outstretched left hand blocked a punt by Corey Bojorquez, who was kicking from the front of his end zone. Talanoa Hufanga picked up the ball at the 6-yard line and ran it in to make it 10-all.
After the Packers went three-and-out, the 49ers got the ball back at their 29 with 3:20 left and drove into field-goal range. Deebo Samuel delivered a 9-yard run on third-and-8 from the Green Bay 38, and the 49ers ran down the clock to set up Gould.
A.J. Dillon’s 6-yard touchdown run capped a 69-yard drive on the game’s opening series. Green Bay’s offense didn’t do much of anything after that.
Green Bay’s special teams fared even worse.
Well before that blocked punt, San Francisco’s Jimmie Ward blocked a 39-yard field-goal attempt from Mason Crosby on the final play of the first half, preventing the Packers from extending their lead to 10-0. The Packers also allowed Samuel to return the second-half kickoff 45 yards, setting up the 49ers’ first field goal.
San Francisco won by overcoming a brutal start from its offense. The 49ers had minus-10 yards in their first four series, three of which included third-down sacks. It was the first time the 49ers had opened a game with four straight three-and-out series since a 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 27, 2009.
The 49ers didn’t get a single first down or completion until Garoppolo connected with George Kittle on a 15-yard gain with less than 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. Garoppolo was just 9-of-17 for 105 yards with an interception, but the 49ers still managed to win.
“It took everything,” Garoppolo said. “We knew it was going to. I mean, it was just offense, defense, special teams, everybody stepping up and doing their part. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The temperature at kickoff was 14 degrees with a wind chill of zero, making it the fifth-coldest playoff game in Lambeau Field history. The second half was played amid snow flurries.