The 49ers got a close look at Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earlier this season, so they have some idea what to expect when they hit the field in Green Bay for Saturday’s divisional round game.
Practices this week will be focused on getting the defense ready for those things and that means backup quarterback Trey Lance is going to be playing the role of Rodgers when the scout team is on the field. There’s a wide gulf between the reigning MVP and a rookie with two starts under his belt, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team is relying on Lance doing all he can to mimic the kind of approach that Rodgers will bring to the game at Lambeau Field.
“Aaron does a real good job of not making bad decisions and not turning the ball over,” Shanahan said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “But he also makes all the plays downfield whenever you’re off just a hair. We need Trey to be very aggressive, let it rip. Hopefully, if he does make some mistakes in practice, our defense will catch it and make him pay. But we need him to be aggressive at everything he does because Aaron doesn’t miss in many of those opportunities when they’re presented to him.”
Rodgers was 23-of-33 for 261 yards and two touchdowns in their 30-28 Week Three win over the 49ers. That outing included a 37-second drive for a game-winning field goal and that kind of quick-strike ability is going to be hard to simulate on a practice field regardless of how aggressive Lance is able to get over the next couple of days.