2022-23 LIEFL NFC DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME San Francisco 49ers (5-3) vs Green Bay Packers (5-2)

[Long island EFL]

 San Francisco 49ers (5-3) vs. Green Bay Packers (5-2)

                                            NFC DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME January 12, 2023

49ERS GOING TO NFC CG AFTER UPSETTING PACKERS 38-35!

When Coach Ed Viggs was faced with the dilemma of both of his teams Green Bay and San Francisco having to play each other in the NFC Divisional Championship Game, Viggs selected Green Bay, winner of LIEFL Super Bowl XVI because they had a chance to repeat, but his 49ers would  tear that hope down with the #2 Coach Matt Zoo-York playing with the 49ers!

KICKOFF!

Long Island Electric Football League, January 13, 2023. Thanks for reading! The defending LIEFL Super Bowl XVI Champion Green Bay Packers (5-2) took the field, alternate Coach Matt Zoo-York said, "Today, the 49ers are the top team in the NFC. How can you lose when you have Jerry Rice and Ricky Watters? Did anyone watch them beat Atlanta? We are coming to win." Coach Viggs could just say, hey those 49ers went from the gutter last season to being a contender this season. I made no changes to the team. We are a little rusty, but I have to give the Packers another chance to get to the SHOW!"

The last time the San Francisco made it to a NFC Championship Games was the LIEFL 1982 season, the 49ers were (8-6) that season but they stormed through the playoffs beating the Chicago Bears 28-21 in the NFC CG, and ultimately losing to the Miami Dolphins in LIEFL Super Bowl VI, 27-21! This 49ers team is loaded with talent though, and their multi-dynamic approach to winning is due to the Coach Viggs, sitting across from the alternate coach Matt Zoo-York. 

On the opening kick return, Packers star Sterling Sharpe flew 43-yards into the helmet hit of Harris Barton who made a great tackle. The first two runs were turned back by this tough 49ers front line led of Randy Cross, Ronnie Lott, Ken Norton and Charles Haley, and on third down the 49ers came up with a huge play on defense stopping the Packers, forcing a fourth down situation. The Packers haven't seen many of these situations this season, dominating opponents on defense, but the offense has always been suspect. They have a worthy running back in Terdell Middleton but the Packers need different formations to give Middleton the best opportunity. Viggs knows best.

The 49ers defense makes a profound statement early on in the first quarter, coming up BIG on 4th down again, stopping the Packers at their own 37-yard line and the ball was turned over to San Francisco with the first major play of the game at 6:49!

 

When the 49ers took over they made it clear that this is going to be a game as Ricky Watters scampered to the outside for 14 yards on his first carry, met by Packers linebacker, Ray Nitschke. On the next play Watters picked up another seven, and the 2 minute warning sounded with no score in the first quarter. On their next play, the 49ers picked up where they left off last game with Dwight Clark sliding through the tackle and linebacker for a 23-yard touchdown play to put the 49ers ahead 7-0 with quarter coming to a close! 

 

The Packers struggled on offense after Terdell Middleton's first down of 15 yards. Coach Viggs is not used to his Packers playing from behind and he decided to pass, which is what he is great at. He will pass until he scores. In the LIEFL and in any league you have to develop a strategy throwing the ball, but your defense has to be able to defend against it. Viggs threw a bomb to a wide open Ton Hutson for a 63-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7, with 9:13 to go in the half!

 

Like the rest of these playoff games in the Long Island Electric Football League this season the defensive battle has been fierce. On first down for San Francisco, Ricky Watters first  attempt to run the ball we're thwarted by a hard-hitting Green Bay defense. Coach Matt Zoo-York, the alternate coach for the game found Jerry Rice break open on Packers defender Jim Taylor on the right side of the field hitting Rice for a 72-yard touchdown play! 49ers retake the lead 14-7, with 3:15 to go in the half with the clock winding down!

 

Sterling Sharpe exploded on the kickoff for 64-yards but he was pummeled by Harris Barton at the 36 yard line of the 49ers with 2:12 left to go in a half with the 49ers and the Packers going head to head.

 

On first down Coach Viggs looked to Hutson again on the pass, striking Hutson for a 35-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14-14, with the half quickly winding down.

 

On the ensuing kickoff Jerry Rice returned a gorgeous 65-yard kick return. One play later Ricky Watters ran 11 yards for a first down to the Green Bay 25-yard line, but Green Bay had no timeouts to slow up the final seconds remaining in the quarter. The 49ers called their last time out with 36 seconds remaining and one more try at the end zone.

 

On first down again for San Francisco, Coach Zoo-York had a wide open Jerry Rice in the end zone who broke free but a pass would be too risky in the endzone with a Packers defender right next to Rice in the endzone so Zoo didn't take the chance in throwing to Rice in case there was an interception. Instead, the 49ers kicked a 25-yard field goal to take the lead 17-14 as the second quarter came to a close!

 

49ers get the football to start the third.

 

To open the third quarter 49ers Jerry Rice returned a stunning 100-yard kick return down the right side of the field and into the endzone kicking off the third quarter in fashion, as the 49ers take the lead 24-14, to open the third quarter! HOOYAH!

 

 

On the Packers next drive, the 2020 LIEFL Super Bowl XVI MVP Sterling Sharpe, returned a fast 46-yard kick until he was hit hard by 49ers linemen Fred Dean and Charles Haley. On first down the Packers tried again to ignite their running game. Packers fullback Jim Taylor were stopped by that hard-hitting 49er defense, but on second down Taylor broke Free to the right side on a Zoo-York trap play taking it 54-yards downfield for an amazing touchdown with 10:21 left in the third quarter! The Packers are playing come from behind with the 49ers still leading the game 24-21!  Green Bay is turning on the juice!

 

Jerry Rice returned the next kickoff 36-yars and San Francisco wasted no time after being pushed back 10 yards on a Ricky Watters run. Coach Zoo-York had coach Viggs watch his own 49ers destroy the Packers hopes as Jerry Rice took another huge touchdown down field on a 73-yard reception into the end zone for Rice's second touchdown of the game! Jerry Rice is playing MVP football in this tournament, sort of like Sterling Sharpe did last season. The 49ers take the lead stunning the Packers 31-21 with 4:59 left to go in the third quarter.

 

The 49ers have been deadly in the passing game, and we are waiting for the Packers to put up some blocking for the explosive Sterling Sharpe. Sharpe with his blazing speed, nearly broke free at the 50-yard line but he was meant head on by Ken Norton who made his third tackle of the game. The 49ers are playing BIG, as a two minute warning sounds and the third quarter!

 

Terdell Middleton ran for two yards for Green Bay after San Francisco stopped Jim Taylor on first down, bringing up a third-down situation as the third quarter comes to a close.

 

And on third down Coach Viggs knew he had to come up with a big play so he connected with receiver Tom Hutson again for a 15-yard first down bringing the ball to the San Francisco 49ers 40-yard line with 13:55 left to go in the game!

 

Green Bay mixed it up with Terdell Middleton sliding to the left from the 34-yard line exploding for a touchdown run to bring the game within three as the Packers score a beautiful touchdown with the 49ers ahead 31-28 with 10:41 in the game.

The 49ers killed the clock with a powerful running attack with Ricky Watters at the helm driving slowly downfield. After Ricky Watters mounted the first down runs, he ran two more times with the clock winding down, and Coach Zoo-York decided to make his move with a pass again, this time hitting tight end Dwight Clark who came up with another huge touchdown catch for 52-yards to put the 49ers ahead 38-28 with the two minute warning sounding off. This game has left people speechless! 

 

With After another Sterling Sharpe kick return 51-yards past midfield, the Packers had used all their timeouts advancing into San Francisco territory.  On the next setup Viggs threw a rocket to Sterling Sharpe who raced a 35-yard touchdown catch in to the endzone making the score 38-35, with the 49ers in the lead. San Francisco wasn't finished. They called their last time out with 3 seconds on the clock giving Jerry Rice one more opportunity, but Rice was stopped at the 32-yard line. In an unbelievable stunning upset, the San Francisco 49ers (6-3) showed their resiliency heading to their first NFC Championship Game to play the winner of the Cinderella Minnesota Vikings (4-4) or the New York Giants (6-2). There was no quit in the defending champion Green Bay Packers (5-3). They simply ran out of time and the defense couldn't stop the San Francisco offensive attack and Jerry Rice. The Packers just got outplayed by a great football team this season. 

 

The Packers defense held Ricky Watters to just 47 yards, but Jerry Rice was a wrecking machine for San Francisco. Rice had 8 touches for an incredible 470 all-purpose yards with three touchdowns, including two receptions for 145 yards. Rice exploded for a 100-yard kick return touchdown, earning him the game ball. The Giants or Minnesota will be a great game for the 49ers! The 49ers saw the ball 21 times for 592 total yards with five touchdowns to the Packers 24 touches for 503 yards with five touchdowns. Packers star Sterling Sharpe had 6 touches for 265 yards with just one touchdown.  What a game!

 

The Number 1 and 2 seeds are eliminated and Coach Viggs finds himself eliminated as well. Coach Billy O'C told Viggs that he can play with O'C's Buffalo Bills against the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

            L O N G  I S L A N D  E F L  L I V E  U P D A T E  JANUARY 13, 2023

 

 

LONG ISLAND EFL

 

 

Edited January 13, 2023 by Long island EFL
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