Records will be set Saturday night when the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers meet in the NFL Divisional playoffs. This will be the tenth postseason meeting between these two franchises, the most all time. It’s also the third meeting in the last five postseasons. One enters the game with home field advantage and a first round bye. The other enters as the only number seven seed to win a playoff game. Let’s preview the Packers and 49ers.
Green Bay Packers
If you read my Wild Card predictions, you know I didn’t have the Packers making it this far, but I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. Green Bay showed up and showed out in Dallas setting up this rivalry renewal. Jordan Love finished the day with similar stats to C.J. Stroud in his playoff debut. Love completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. He also finished with a near perfect passer rating of 157.2.
The Packers let off the gas late in that game allowing Dallas to make the score artificially close. However, that playoff game was completely dominated by Green Bay. The Packers won’t have controlled climate of a dome to help them in San Francisco, but the weather in Green Bay in January is usually so cold, they might be the only team capable of going into the Bay Area and pulling the upset.
San Francisco 49ers
Meanwhile, the 49ers are looking for their third straight trip to the NFC Championship Game. Jimmy Garoppolo led San Francisco to the playoffs during the 2021 season where the 49ers upset both the Cowboys and Packers before falling to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams. One year later, Brock Purdy took over after both Trey Lance and Garoppolo got hurt and led the 49ers back to the NFC Championship Game. However, Purdy got hurt in that game, and Philadelphia toppled San Francisco.
Purdy led the 49ers back to the playoffs with some big wins in the 2023 season. San Francisco clinched the best record in the NFC and a first round playoff bye. Now, they look to return to the NFC Championship game, this time as a host rather than the road team.
Packers vs. 49ers Predictions
One season after trading Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, the Packers have already exceeded my wildest dreams. I’ve learned not to sell Green Bay short. The numbers may not be in their favor, but the Packers will play to their fullest every snap of every game.
The San Francisco 49ers won 12 games this season including a 5-3 record at home. The 49ers played eight games against opponents who made the playoffs, going 5-3. However, San Francisco rested its starters in the final loss to the Rams. While I don’t want to pick against the Packers, I think the 49ers win this one.
Final Score – San Francisco 49ers 27 | Green Bay Packers 24
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