Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said early last week that the key for the Packers defense to stop San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was to tee off on him, and that's exactly what Matthews did on Sunday.
With the fact that Kaepernick burned the Packers defense in the Niners' 45-31 divisional playoff win last season while rushing for 181 yards fresh on his mind, Matthews connected with a late hit on Kaepernick after he ran out of bounds with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter following a 4-yard run for the quarterback. Matthews was called for a penalty, but it was eventually wiped out when 49ers left tackle Joe Staley got in Matthews face and started to throw a few punches at him.
A video of the altercation can be seen here
The down was redone, and Kaepernick connected with Anquan Boldin to give the team a 14-7 lead, but referee Bill Leavy admitted after the game that the referees mixed up the rules and made the wrong call as the down should not have been reset, and the play should have been a fourth down.
"On the play where the quarterback went out of bounds and was hit late out of bounds, and then there was a subsequent hit by a San Francisco player, the down should have counted," Leavy said per Sports Illustrated. "The penalties were both dead ball, and they should have offset at the spot where the runner went out of bounds. And it would have been fourth down."
Kaepernick finished the day 27-for-39 for 412 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 22 yards on seven attempts.
Many perceived Matthews' blow as a cheap shot and as a premeditated strike, especially considering the fact that Matthews was talking a lot about getting to Kaepernick heading into the game and putting hits on him. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh took offense to the hit and for all the talking that Matthews did leading into the game.
"You're hearing a lot of tough talk right now," Harbaugh told Sports Illustrated while saying Matthews' hit is an example of intent to harm. "You're hearing some intimidating type of talk. Kind of things - same things we were hearing a couple of years ago. It sounds a lot like targeting a specific player."
Leading up to the game, Matthews told the media of his plans to get to the quarterback, but it wasn't expected he'd use an illegal hit to send a message.
"We're always trying to get after the quarterback," Matthews told The San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday morning leading up to the Week 1 matchup. "It's not like this game is any different as far as hitting the quarterback. But it does provide a clearer picture in regards to when a quarterback can be hit."
In the end, it was San Francisco getting the last laugh with a 34-28 victory over the Packers.
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