From the Stands: Lambeau Field and The Best Bad-Weather 49ers Game I Attended, Part 2

As the 49ers season looms, I'm eager to share my recollections of some of the most unforgettable Niners games I've witnessed in person. Among them is a game that stands out as the best bad-weather game I've attended.

The game I speak of is the January 22, 2022, NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field. The wind chill dipped to minus 10 degrees that day.

Spirited and respectful, the Packers fans carried a certain air about them. It was as if they were tougher-minded than us, who had not grown up in the cold. Perhaps they had something extra in them, like an extra dose of character or a hot toddy or two?

At halftime, my son and I went to the atrium to put more hot hand warmers in our boots. When we returned to our seats, a Packer fan greeted us with some good-natured smack talk. "I'm surprised to see you two again. I thought it might be too cold for you," he said.

"No, I replied. "We simply went to the atrium to put on some suntan lotion. It's all good." And indeed, it was all good for the 49ers in the second half.

Spoiler alert: The Niners defense held the Packers offense to 58 yards in the second half and recorded five sacks for the third successive game. At last, the 49ers offense got rolling.

The snow flurries intensified as Deebo Samuel returned the second-half kickoff 45 yards to mid-field. The Niners marched through the Packers territory as Samuel tacked on 41 yards rushing and receiving. The drive stalled when Elijah Mitchell ran the ball to the four-yard line but was flagged for a personal foul for grabbing Eric Stokes' facemask. A few plays later, San Francisco got on the board with a 29-yard field goal from Robbie Gould.

Green Bay answered with an impressive 13-play drive, advancing the ball to the San Francisco 8-yard line. Given San Francisco's struggles, the 49ers needed to keep the Packers out of the endzone. Arik Armstead responded with a seven-yard sack on third and goal, forcing Green Bay to settle for a 33-yard field goal and keeping it a one-possession game.

The Niners countered with an impressive drive of their own featuring a nice run by Kyle Juszczyk, yes Juszczyk, and a 24-yard reception by Kittle on third and eleven. Jauan Jennings' 6-yard catch took the ball to the Packer's 19-yard line, but Mitchell was stuffed on fourth and one, forcing a turnover on downs.

San Francisco's defense stood firm, with Armstead recording another sack on third down. And what would become the play of the day, at least until that moment, was Jordan Willis blocking Corey Bojorquez's punt, which was recovered by Talanoa Hufanga and taken in for a touchdown. Gould's extra point tied the game. The Packers fans were stunned.

Play-by-play television announcer Joe Buck summarized the game in simple and indisputable terms: the field is treacherous, and the game hangs in the balance. Color analyst Troy Aiken noted that with a sheet of ice covering the field, conditions favored the receivers. Still, Hufanga broke up a deep ball to Devonte Adams on third down, and the Niner's offense took the field at their 29-yard line with 3:20 remaining in regulation.

Photo by Jon Opelt

Suddenly, Packer Backers were gripping, while hope swelled among the Niner Gang. On first down, Garoppolo connected with Kittle for 12 yards. The 49ers methodically moved the ball down the field, with Samuel picking up 14 yards on a reception out of the backfield and then gaining eight yards on an inside run on third and seven. Two plays later, Gould took the field for an attempted 45-yard game-winning field goal.

Please understand the ball gets harder and flatter in sub-freezing temperatures, which ultimately reduces the kicker's range.

A 45-yard field goal try is not automatic under the best of circumstances. In these conditions, everything was iffy: the snap, the hold, the footing, and the kick.

Four seconds remained on the stadium clock. The crowd was loud as the Chosen Frozen screamed at the top of their lungs, hoping to disrupt the play. After what seemed like an excessive amount of time, Taybor Pepper snapped the football, Mitch Wishnowsky was good on the hold, and Gould stepped into the kick, sending it high, deep, and down the middle, with distance to spare.

It felt like the stadium went quiet for a moment as the ball sailed through the uprights. And then came the exhilaration of cheers from 49ers fans as the San Francisco sideline rushed onto the field to celebrate.
Forty-Niners' fans had shown up, and it was time to show out. So, I peeled off two layers of clothing and struck a victory pose in my "Feels Great Baby, Jimmy G" t-shirt. The weather didn't feel so cold while basking in the warmth of a win.

The stadium emptied, and we went to the atrium to thaw and greet fellow 49ers fans. The Niner Gang has a well-deserved reputation for representing on the road. But on this day at Lambeau, there were maybe 700 49ers fans, at best.

We seemingly met them all. Almost to a person, they told us how far they had traveled, what the experience meant to them, and their gratitude for seeing an instant classic at a football shrine and in the harshest conditions.

This game was a test of character for the players and the fans. I was happy that we passed the test and witnessed a win.

The wind chill was still minus 10 degrees as we walked to the parking lot to find our car. Maybe we were feeding off an adrenaline rush, but somehow, the weather didn't feel so unpleasant.

After all, we had just witnessed the best bad-weather game ever-- a memory I will always cherish.

This article is the third segment of From the Stands. I'm not just sharing my memories but inviting you to be part of this journey. What are your recollections of the Packers/ Niners 2022 Division Playoff Game and Robbie Gould's game-winning field goal? Reach out to me via email (jjopelt@gmail.com) or a tweet at from_the_stands@#49ers. Tell me what made those games so memorable to you. Remember to leave your name and city of residence and check in because your comments may feature in a future article, making this a collective recollection of our shared love for the 49ers.

• Written by:
  Jon Opelt
  Reporter. Immersed in 49ers football from Kezar to Candlestick to Levi's Stadium.
  All articles by Jon Opelt
  @opelt_jon