GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) -The stage is set. The Packers will host the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend. San Francisco beat the Cowboys 23-17 Sunday in the wild card round.
Green Bay and the Niners’ last meeting may have only been Week 3, but the game was one of the most nail-biting this season. Now, it’ll be a rematch, with much more at stake.
It was a 30-28 Packers victory in Santa Clara, Calif. It went similarly to many other games this season: they had a decent lead through three, an opponent come back in the 4th quarter and then, last minute heroics.
In this case, Jimmy Garoppolo’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk put San Fran ahead 28-27 with 37 seconds left in the game. As the world knows, 37 seconds is a lifetime for Aaron Rodgers. He threw two long passes to fellow All-Pro Davante Adams. A 25-yard throw and a 17-yarder to Adams, setting up Mason Crosby to nail the 51-yard field goal to win it.
That was nearly four months ago. Now, the Niners have been one of the hottest teams in the league, 8-2 in their last 10 games. This includes the wild card win over the Cowboys.
But that’s not the only aspect that makes San Fran one of the toughest possible opponents. It’s the Packers and 49ers playoff history.
Green Bay has suffered three playoff exits to the Niners in the last nine seasons. With that, Rodgers has more postseason losses to San Francisco than any other team.
Most recently, and still fresh in the Packers’ minds: The NFC Championship two years ago. Rodgers got harassed by Nick Bosa and that defense. He was sacked three times and intercepted twice in the 37-20 loss.
On the other side of the ball, the Niners had 285 yards on the ground, including all four of their touchdowns from Raheem Mostert. Luckily for the Packers, he’s no longer with the team. However, San Francisco is seventh in rushing this year.
And of course, they have All-Pro receiver Deebo Sammuel. Although his worst game was against the Packers, this regular season he put up one 1,770 all purpose yards and 14 touchdowns.
Another aspect of this upcoming game is the Matt LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan connection. The two head coaches who have worked in several different organizations together with similar mindsets and offensive philosophies. They’re friends but also intense competitors.
While the Packers will have fresh legs and returning many players from injuries, the Niners just finished a do or die game with some huge blows. Two of their star linebackers went down. Nick Bosa left with a head injury, and Fred Warner with an ankle injury. That will be something to keep an eye on as the week goes on.
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