Nathaniel Hackett had a tough few weeks as a coach for the Denver Broncos. His last week with the Green Bay Packers wasn’t a picnic either.
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers have already faced Nathaniel Hackett, and on a much bigger stage than Sunday Night Football Setup they are about to share.
On a cold January evening earlier this year, the Niners won because they shut down the Hackett unit.
last season NFC Knockout Game Between San Francisco and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, the home team entered as a heavyweight candidate. The 49ers were beaten, the Packers had a good rest as the conference’s top player, and the weather was frigid with snowfall.
Then the match started and ended with a stunning victory for San Francisco 13-10.
That evening, Hackett was the coordinator of the Green Bay attack. His offense totaled only 263 yards, with one reception by running back Aaron Jones being 75 yards. Put out the 69-yard drop drive to start the game, and Hackett collected 119 yards in the remaining 51 plays of the night.
While Hackett wasn’t calling for plays – that would be Packers coach Matt Lafleur – he certainly didn’t help create a high-quality game plan or make any adjustments throughout the competition. Aaron Rodgers threw 29 times in defeat, famously targeting either Jones or future All-Pro Davante Adams on 21 occasions.
Fast forward so far, and the Niners’ defense is pretty much the same, with the addition of Charvarius Ward’s corner. However, Hackett’s offense is nowhere near as talented as the Green Bay unit.
So far, Hackett’s Denver Broncos have just seven points (32) more than penalties (25), which splits matters with the lowly Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans. This weekend, Shanahan and his 49ers are coming to Denver, with veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center position and George Kettle likely returning to the tight end from the former All-Pro team.
To beat the Niners, Hackett’s offense—which he called the Plays—must be true. Last week against Houston, newly acquired Russell Wilson completed less than half of his attempts in a gruesome 16-9 victory. That wouldn’t work in the face of a San Francisco defense that employs overbearing edge Nick Bossa, as well as midfielders Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw at the front seven, to create chaos against the Broncos streak.
Hackett desperately needs to come up with a new plan, focused on attacking the weak spot in the 49ers’ defense – the corners. While Ward is good, Emmanuel Moseley and Samuel Womack III could be exposed. the problem? Wilson hasn’t been sharp, and he might be without receiver Jerry Goody this week as he returns from a shoulder injury.
If Denver wasn’t going to win the Ocean against San Francisco, the team wouldn’t win. The Broncos ran the ball well this season behind the tandem of Jafonte Williams and Melvin Gordon III, pushing for 4.9 yards per carry. But against a strong San Francisco front, Denver needs Wilson to soften the defense with some medium to deep throws.
The good news for Denver? Wilson enjoyed success against the Niners, winning twice over Defense Coordinator DeMeco Ryans unit in 2021. However, the numbers were modest, with Wilson averaging 6.33 YPA with four touchdowns to one interception.
Ultimately, this is up to Hackett. Last week, Broncos fans booed their team for 13 penalties and three second-half stoppages before the fourth quarter ended halfway. Among those infractions, Denver was called in for delaying game offenders. One came at Houston’s 1-yard line fourth down, and the other at Houston’s 36-yard line to convert a long field goal attempt into a kick. This has Broncos fans counting down the hour of play.
If Denver doesn’t have a clever offensive plan, and team-wide discipline to accompany it, the Niners will roll.
Of course, San Francisco has experience with Hackett, and for the forty-four years it has been a positive experience.
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