My first question to Kyle Shanahan: Amid the bitter cold at Lambeau Field on Saturday night, will Jimmy Garoppolo play with a glove over his sprained thumb?
“I didn’t ask him that. Interesting question,” Shanahan replied.
Now let’s open the floor to more interesting questions from curious 49ers fans on my Instagram and Twitter flux :
Is there any chance they’re wearing all-white 1994 jerseys? (@joepal1002)
No, they go with the white jerseys and gold pants, a set they last wore in their Jan. 9 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams. They are 6-1 in those, only losing to Arizona on Oct. 10. They were 0-2 in all-white backhands last month at Seattle and Tennessee.
Will the coach give players chicken soup during the game to warm up? (@andresfernandez_realtor)
Chicken soup and hot chocolate are likely in the 49ers locker room, and I don’t know what will be on the sidelines besides heated benches and oversized parkas.
How long has it been since the Niners played in near zero weather? (@tr1st9n)
Eight years ago, the 49ers won their coldest game ever, a wildcard playoff game in Green Bay, when it was 5 degrees at kickoff with a minus 10 wind chill. temperature dropped, like the Packers. (It was minus -15 the next day when my Mercury News colleagues and I drove to Chicago, and we kept running the rental car’s heater from floor defrost to prevent frostbite.)
#49ers vs pronunciation guide #Packers
🏈Nick (not Joey) Bosa
🏈Deebo Samuel (not Samuels)
🏈Brandon Aiyuk (eye-yook, not I-yuck)
🏈K’Waun (not Kevin) Williams
🏈Fred (not Frank) Warner
🏈Samson Ebukam (not Ebukams)
🏈Kyle Juszczyk (YOOZ verification)
🏈Laken (not LaDanien) Tomlinson— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 21, 2022
Is there good food in Lambeau? (@cms_408)
The brats. The brats. The brats. My first trip to Green Bay in 2000 made me dizzy, and the more kids I ate in the press box, the better I felt. Colleagues then informed me that the kids were soaked in beer. These were in old school metal trays. Nowadays, there is a company-sponsored slow cooker.
How are the visitors’ changing rooms? (@traviscampbell79)
From what I remember, cramped conditions await rather than a spacious room. A bank of lockers runs parallel to the catwalk (making it difficult to walk through the bags) and rows of lockers obstruct the middle of the room. It’s typical to deny visitors a chance to get all the attention and all eyes on a pep talk. Unfortunately, the locker rooms remain close to the media as part of the COVID protocol, although all journalists must be vaccinated and strengthened to attend the playoffs.
Can we attend Kap 2.0 with Lance races? (@hardcore_fitness_x)
Honestly, I thought about it, until I saw Garoppolo rush into practice on Wednesday, unhindered by his sore shoulder and thumb. The 49ers could still make an appearance at Lance, but don’t count on it. And certainly don’t expect him to match Kaepernick’s show of 181 yards and two touchdowns (plus 263 passing yards and two touchdowns) in the 45-31 division win in January 2013.
Which past win against the Packers is your favorite? (@random49er_dude)
It wasn’t Kaepernick’s playoff debut, nor Raheem Mostert’s franchise-record 220 yards and four touchdowns in the 2019 NFC Championship. Nor was it their January 2014 win at Lambeau. , where JIm Harbaugh celebrated by kissing journalist Matt Barrows’ bald forehead. All were phenomenal wins. But Terrell Owens’ “Catch II” on Steve Young’s goal line is the most iconic moment, even though all he won was a wild card game from January 1999.
Over/under Jimmy with eight pass attempts this time? (@corralalmada)
On. He only attempted eight passes (six completions, 77 yards) because the 49ers were too busy running the ball through the Packers’ Swiss defense (42 carries, 285 yards). The 49ers will try to go wild again, but they’ll need more assists this time.
Could Trent Williams play full-back in a goal-line package? (@DreamCh01848759)
Let’s leave Williams at left tackle, as he was unable to play two weeks ago with a sprained elbow. The 49ers have a perennial Pro Bowl fullback in Kyle Juszczyk. Now, if you want a lineman channeling the 1980s Guy McIntyre package, nose DJ Jones has made a few cameos in recent years I believe.
Before ✈️ in Green Bay, I had to ask @JoshDubowAP which QB faced #49ers most in non-split games.
His answer :
14: Favré
12: Rodgers, Brees, SimmsBest overall: Russell Wilson 21, then Jim Everett 19
Thank you Josh
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 21, 2022
Is Lambeau Field heated and if so will they turn that off as a home team advantage? (@ brash505)
The “frozen tundra” hasn’t frozen in 50 years. Yes, a heating system exists, apparently with underground pipes pumping antifreeze less than a foot below the grass. Could the Packers flip a switch for their own benefit? The NFL’s Deflategate Police probably disapprove of that.
Is the team staying in a hotel in Green Bay? (@joselpz22)
They usually stay about 20 minutes away, in a town that had the only hotel capable of hosting an NFL team — and a nearby bar where it’s Christmas-themed year-round. (Update: Comrade Maiooco says the 49ers are staying in Green Bay, and my social media searches spot them across the Fox River, about 3 miles from Lambeau Field.)
Will it snow? @chris.gtz/3
Unlikely, and a bigger issue could be the wind. The forecast calls for 11 degrees at kickoff with winds of 10 to 15 mph, and that will drop to 5 degrees and a wind chill of maybe minus 15 in the fourth quarter, according to NBC 26 meteorologist Brittney Merlot.
FROZEN TUNDRA FORECAST 🏈 PACKERS PLAYOFF GAME: Gather, layer up! 🧤 First, wear a light long sleeve with a fabric like merino wool, avoid cotton! Then, wear an insulating layer like fleece or wool. Finally, you’re winter coat! 🥶 TIP: Don’t forget the hand warmers and body warmers! pic.twitter.com/3pJacOEaTS
— Brittney Merlot 🌞 (@MerlotsWeather) January 21, 2022
What is your score prediction for the game? (@tylermize29)
The Niners win 26-24, although 26-23 would have made for an appropriate point total (49).
