Packers-49ers Q&A: Did Kyle Shanahan take the ball out Jimmy Garoppolo’s hands last week?

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers return to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2016 season. There, they will face off against the San Francisco 49ers, the No. 1 seed in the conference. Kyle Posey of Niners Nation kindly volunteered to answer our questions about the 49ers and provide some insight into their strengths and weaknesses.

APC: A week ago, Jimmy Garoppolo started the first playoff game of his career. After throwing a pick in the second quarter, he only attempted six throws the rest of the game. Was this indicative of Kyle Shanahan taking the ball out of Garoppolo’s hands, and what are reasonable expectations for the young signal-caller as he gets ready to start his first NFC title game?

I think the game script allowed Shanahan to run the ball more. The 49ers built a big lead and they were dominating the trenches. What makes Shanahan great and what separates him from other play-callers is he sticks to what works. Running was working. I do think some of the throws Jimmy made played a hand in Shanahan not going for the jugular.

We’d like to thank Kyle. Be sure to check out the rest of our Q&A session with Niners Nation over the course of the week as well as our Q&A session over there. As always, keep your internet machines tuned to Acme Packing Company this Sunday for our comprehensive game-day coverage of Packers versus 49ers.