Need-to-know info
- Who: Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers
- When: Saturday, Jan 20 at 8:15PM ET
- Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- How to watch: FOX
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers. In the Playoffs. Again. This NFC Divisional Round matchup sets a new record – it’s the tenth time the two franchises have met in the postseason, a feat unmatched by any other pairing.
In the 90s, it was all about Brett Favre and the Cheeseheads. But it’s San Fran on top now with four straight postseason wins – and they’re unsurprisingly favored to extend that streak after securing the top seed with a 12-5 record.
The 49ers are favorites to lift their fifth Lombardi Trophy, but their season hasn’t been plain sailing. A hot start was followed by a three-game slump, before embarking on a winning run that saw them sail to a second straight NFC West title.
It’s that hat-trick of losses which will give Green Bay confidence. The Browns, Bengals and Vikings all beat the 49ers back when they had first-choice Quarterbacks available. Baltimore also beat them in what could be a Super Bowl rehearsal. The pressure is on to deliver.
But deliver, they can. The 49ers offense is loaded with stars. He might not be getting the MVP award, but Christian McCaffrey has been the best player in the NFL this year. Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle are just a few more of the offensive weapons that have made San Fran too hot to handle this year.
And Green Bay? No Favre, no Rodgers, no problem. The Packers might just have found their next long-term quarterback. Jordan Love was electric down the stretch but took it to the next level on Wildcard Weekend, dominating Dallas in their house.
The connection with Romeo Doubs was jaw-dropping – the rookie pass-catcher hauled in six receptions for 151 yards, plus a touchdown for good measure. It wasn’t all about the offense. Jaire Alexander almost got a pick-six, Darnell Savage did. The Packers raced into a 27-0 lead and at 48-16, pulled their starters.
It was emphatic, it was a statement, and it’s got us very excited for the latest installment of this famous NFL rivalry.
