FIRST LOOK AT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS : THE NFC
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Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
* Time: Sunday, 1 p.m.
* TV: Channel 11.
* Radio: KNX (1070).
* Records: Packers 14-3, 49ers 14-3.
* The Line: Pick ‘em.
* Packers by the numbers (with NFL ranking):
Offense--350.9 (4th)
Passing--231.6 (3rd)
Rushing--119.3 (11th)
Defense--301.7 (7th)
vs. Pass--184.4 (8th)
vs. Rush--117.3 (20th)
* 49ers by the numbers (with NFL ranking):
Offense--319.5 (12th)
Passing--196.4 (17th)
Rushing--123.8 (8th)
Defense--250.8 (1st)
vs. Pass--165.4 (2nd)
vs. Rush--85.4 (2nd)
* Storyline: The Packers have defeated the 49ers in the playoffs the last two years. On Jan. 6, 1996, the Packers upset the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers at San Francisco, 27-17. The tone of the game was set on the 49ers’ first offensive play, a screen pass to fullback Adam Walker. Linebacker Wayne Simmons drilled Walker, who fumbled, and the ball was returned for a touchdown by Craig Newsome. On Jan. 4, 1997, the Packers romped to a 35-14 victory, thanks in part to two punts returned for touchdowns by Desmond Howard.
* Packers on the road in playoffs: Green Bay is 5-8 on the road in NFL postseason history, 2-3 in the ‘90s.
* 49ers at home in playoffs: San Francisco is 17-8 at home in NFL postseason history, but has never beaten the Packers in the playoffs.
* They said it: 49er Dana Stubblefield: “We played them in ’95 in the playoffs and they beat us here. Then, the next year we played them in a Monday night game and they beat us in overtime. Then, we meet them in the playoffs again last year and they beat us again. It sounds familiar, you know? It’s a boomerang, a familiar song around here. We know what has to get done and what we have to do to win this game.”
* How they got here: San Francisco, the top-seeded team in the conference, reached the NFC championship game for the fifth time in the ‘90s by beating Minnesota, 38-22, in a divisional playoff Saturday. The Packers, trying for back-to-back Super Bowl titles, beat Tampa Bay, 21-7, at Lambeau Field.
PACKERS’ SEASON
(14-3)
Chicago: W 38-24
at Philadelphia: L 10-9
Miami: W 23-18
Minnesota: W 38-32
at Detroit: L 26-15
Tampa Bay: W 21-16
at Chicago: W 24-23
at New England: W 28-10
Detroit: W 20-10
St. Louis: W 17-7
at Indianapolis: L 41-38
Dallas: W 45-17
at Minnesota: W 27-11
at Tampa Bay: W 17-6
at Carolina: W 31-10
Buffalo: W 31-21
Postseason
Tampa Bay: W 21-7
49ERS’ SEASON
(14-3)
at Tampa Bay: L 13-6
at St. Louis: W 15-12
New Orleans: W 33-7
Atlanta : W 34-7
at Carolina: W 34-21
St. Louis: W 30-10
at Atlanta: W 35-28
at New Orleans: W 23-0
Dallas: W 17-10
at Philadelphia: W 24-12
Carolina: W 27-19
San Diego: W 17-10
at Kansas City: L 44-9
Minnesota: W 28-17
Denver: W 34-17
at Seattle: L 38-9
Postseason
Minnesota: W 38-22
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