The way the 49ers lost to the Packers in Week 3 still leaves Jaquiski Tartt disappointed, and that is a good thing.
The veteran safety recorded four total tackles -- three solo -- but according to Pro Football Focus, Tartt missed another three tackles in the game. The defensive back received a 47.9 overall grade which was mostly due to a 28.3 tackling score.
“I think that first game when we played them early in the year, as a team we didn’t really have our identity then,” Tartt said on Thursday. “Now we definitely know what our strengths are and we play into that. I played bad that game. Numerous players, we just didn’t play together.
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“I feel like this time around it should be a dog fight."
Since that Week 3 matchup, Tartt has missed only seven tackles over 12 games and allowed 14 receptions in coverage for 119 yards, including only 51 yards after catch.
The seventh-year safety knows that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his receivers are going to get some yardage, but the goal on the defense is to make them earn it. Tartt can’t wait for Saturday’s rematch.
“It’s another opportunity to show what I can do and what this team can do,” Tartt said. “We feel like we have another chance to play a team that beat us. That’s always a good thing and it’s in the playoffs so it’s going to be a great game.”
San Francisco 49ers
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DeMeco Ryans believes that motivation from Week 3 is very prevalent in the locker room. It might be stronger amongst his defense that allowed a six-play, 42-yard game-winning drive by the Packers after the offense had battled back to their first lead of the game.
The defensive coordinator believes his group is playing in a much more cohesive style, partly because the adversity the team faced early in their first match-up with the Packers. Ryans believes that the loss bothers more players than just Tartt.
“I’m very happy for Week 3,” Ryans said on Wednesday. “I think it was definitely a pivotal moment in our season. Just defensively, for guys just making the turnaround and really changing.
“You take a heartbreaking loss like that and you know the plays that we could have made defensively in that game. You go back, we had multiple opportunities to make plays, to help our team win that game and defensively, I feel like we did not help our team win that game when the offense went down and scored to put us in position to win the game.”
The 49ers now have a chance to avenge their Week 3 loss on Saturday when the two teams clash in the Divisional Round.