Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith was candid about his team’s performance in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco in an interview with PFT Live on Thursday.
The Packers’ defensive captain said his team wasn’t “ready to play” and even took on a majority of the blame for the defense’s massive struggles stopping the run against the 49ers.
With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, Smith and the Packers fell behind 27-0 in the first half and ended up losing 37-20 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. The defense faced only eight passing attempts but allowed 285 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Smith echoed the thoughts of coach Matt LaFleur, who said the Packers lacked the energy and intensity necessary to compete with the 49ers in a championship game. He also pointed to a lack of execution from himself and Preston Smith on the edges against the run.
“They schemed us up very well. We weren’t ready to play football as a team,” Smith told Chris Simms and Mike Florio of PFT Live. “They got to our edges. That’s something that me and Preston have to work on, setting the edge better.”
Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and all four scores, and much of his yardage came before contact and outside the tackles.
The Packers also have a California problem. LaFleur’s team lost all three trips to the West Coast in 2019 in blowout fashion.
“We didn’t come ready to play,” Smith said. “I don’t know if everybody was sleeping, but I can tell you I wasn’t ready to play either. Coming in the night before, we weren’t ready to play football.”
Smith said it might’ve helped for the team to fly out to California “a little bit earlier” to help players “get adjusted” to the time difference.
The Packers lost two games to the 49ers in Santa Clara and another to the Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson by a combined score of 100-39.
Smith said he knew he wasn’t ready to play in the NFC title game. In fact, he admitted he was having teammates slap him on the pads during the game to help him get going.
“You have to be prepared to go play football at all times,” Smith said.
Smith shifted blame away from defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and comfortably assumed responsibility for the Packers’ performance in San Francisco.
“As a leader, I put that on the table, and I tell all the younger guys, put it on me, because we didn’t prepare right,” Smith said. “It was my first year as a captain. I’m still learning myself.”
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