Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers began preparing for the Packers two quarters into Green Bay's 48-32 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Shanahan addressed the media before the 49ers' NFC divisional round game and let it be known that he wasn't completely surprised by the Packers' strong performance against Dak Prescott and Co., who entered the playoffs as the conference's No. 2 seed.
“I would say that – before we got into the playoffs, just because we hadn’t really studied and seen Green Bay. When we had those 10 days, you kind of saw a lot of people,” Shanahan said. “You realize they had a good chance. I didn't know who was going to win, but I wasn't surprised by what happened. Dallas is a good team.
“It was a little surprising at the beginning, but once you watch the tape and really get into Green Bay and really think about their numbers and watch their players and how they do it, it doesn't surprise me at all now.”
The 49ers coach also added that he and his team did not closely examine Saturday's opponent. Until the Packers, aided by quarterback Jordan Love and running back Aaron Jones, went on a full-throttle run early in the second quarter and made it clear they were next for the 49ers.
“We were already in here [in the office], so we did it that day,” Shanahan told reporters. “We had mixed things up a bit earlier in the week and got a few teams together. But [we] began to really focus on them midway through the second quarter. Then they will [the Cowboys] I scored at the end of the second quarter, so I basically did both at halftime. And then in the third quarter I was assigned to a team [the Packers].”
With the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys eliminated during Super Wild Card weekend, the 49ers' playoff path now looks clearer.
However, 49ers star defenseman Nick Bosa points out that at this point in the Lombardi Trophy hunt, no team should be underestimated and swept under the rug.
“Yeah, definitely don’t look past the opponents in the playoffs,” Bosa said. “But when you look at the tape, it makes perfect sense.”
Over the weekend, the 49ers rested and had a head start in analyzing Saturday's opponent, an added advantage for Shanahan that he didn't expect — but one he'd be happy to take advantage of against a dangerous Green Bay.
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