49er-Packer tilt could turn into an aerial circus
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Nov. 1
AT A GLANCE: The 49ers and Packers collide in a battle
of NFC titans. The Packers have dominated this series in recent years, but QB Steve Young
has the high-scoring Niners on a roll.
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With the Vikings still undefeated,
Sunday’s game between the 49ers and Packers technically cannot be billed as a clash
of the NFC’s two best teams. But, as the singer Meatloaf once observed, two out of
three ain’t bad.
For those who need to attach some sort of superlative to the
49er-Packer matchup, let’s just call it a clash of the NFC’s two best
quarterbacks. With 49er QB Steve Young and Packer QB Brett Favre on hand, the air traffic
around Lambeau Field this Sunday figures to be heavy.
The 49ers (6-1) are fresh from a 28-10 spanking of the Rams in St.
Louis. Since losing to the Bills in Week Five, San Francisco has won three straight.
The Packers (5-2) snapped a two-game losing streak last week with a
28-10 home win over the Ravens.
The 49er-Packer series has been one-sided in recent years. The Packers
have beaten the Niners in four straight games and have knocked San Francisco out of the
playoffs in each of the last three seasons. The most competitive of those four games was a
Monday-night contest in 1996, when Chris Jacke’s 53-yard field goal in overtime gave
the Packers a 23-20 victory. It was the only one of those four losses to Green Bay in
which the 49ers covered the spread.
WHEN THE 49ERS HAVE THE BALL:
Young has been phenomenal this season, throwing three TD
passes in six of the Niners’ seven games and throwing for more than 300 yards six
times. Young now has 20 TD passes and 2,249 passing yards for the season.
Packer defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur has often used press
coverage to combat the 49er passing attack, with his cornerbacks jamming the 49er
receivers at the line of scrimmage. But the Packer corners haven’t been especially
sharp this season, which could bode well for 49er WR’s Jerry Rice, J.J. Stokes and
Terrell Owens.
The 49er offensive line, an area of concern heading into the season,
has held up well thus far but will be tested by a solid Packer defensive line. Undersized
ORT Derrick Deese may need double-team help against Packer DLE Reggie White, who leads the
Packers in sacks with eight. On the other side of the line, 49er OLT Jamie Brown, who has
shown steady improvement after a shaky debut, faces rookie DRE Vonnie Holliday, who has
been everything the Packers hoped he’d be. |
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The matchups
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San Francisco 49ers
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Green Bay Packers
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QB's
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RB's
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REC
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OL
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DL
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LB's
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DB's
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ST
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Coaches
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Profile
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| Lambeau Field |
| Green Bay, Wis. |
| Date: Sunday, November 1, 1998 |
| 3:15 p.m. Central Time |
| Type Of Turf: Natural |
| Meeting Of The Year: Only |
| Season Record: |
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San Francisco |
6-1-0 |
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Green Bay |
5-2-0 |
| Season Record Vs. Spread: |
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San Francisco |
3-4-0 |
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Green Bay |
4-2-1 |
| Home/Road Record: |
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San Francisco (R) |
3-1-0 |
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Green Bay (H) |
3-1-0 |
| Home/Road Record Vs. Spread: |
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San Francisco (R) |
3-1-0 |
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Green Bay (H) |
3-1-0 |
| Record On Natural Turf: |
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San Francisco |
4-0-0 |
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Green Bay |
4-1-0 |
| Record On Natural Turf Vs. Spread: |
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San Francisco |
1-3-0 |
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Green Bay |
3-1-1 |
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The 49ers must be wary of Packer SS LeRoy Butler,
who has been anxious to do more blitzing.
Niner RB Garrison Hearst faces a Packer run defense that
has been smothering foes this season. Niner C Chris Dalman and massive OG’s Kevin
Gogan and Ray Brown must neutralize huge Packer DT Gilbert Brown if the 49ers are to have
any success running between the tackles.
WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL:
Favre is capable of shredding a defense almost
single-handedly. But Favre has thrown 11 interceptions in his last four games, and he
can’t afford to have another multiple-interception game against the opportunistic
49ers.
Favre faces a 49er secondary that has been erratic. CB Marquez Pope,
sidelined by back problems for much of the season, has returned to the starting lineup,
allowing the 49ers to bench oft-toasted Antonio Langham. Pope and diminutive CB Darnell
Walker could have problems against Packer WR’s Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks, who
combined for 12 catches and two touchdowns last week against the Ravens.
The Packer offensive line faces the unenviable task of protecting Favre
from a 49er pass rush that has collected 31 sacks this season, including eight last week
against the Rams. Packer ORT Earl Dotson, a steady performer, will battle 49er DLE Roy
Barker, who had four sacks last week and now has seven on the season. In a less favorable
matchup for the Packers, second-year OLT Ross Verba, who received a tongue-lashing from
head coach Mike Holmgren last week, faces savvy 49er DRE Chris Doleman. Packer C Frank
Winters and ORG Adam Timmerman must control 49er DLT Bryant Young, a disruptive force.
RB Travis Jervey and the Packer running game, which has sputtered for
much of the season, face a staunch 49er run defense led by veteran OLB Ken Norton Jr.
Game preview and depth charts were compiled as of Oct. 25 |
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49er Depth Chart
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| OFFENSE |
| WR |
83 STOKES, 88 Harris |
| OLT |
72 J. BROWN, 74 Fiore |
| OLG |
65 R. BROWN, 69 Ostrowski* |
| C |
67 DALMAN, 64 Gordon |
| ORG |
66 GOGAN, 77 Hanshaw |
| ORT |
63 DEESE, 60 Ruhman* |
| TE |
82 SMITH, 85 Clark, 86 Fann |
| WR |
80 RICE, 81 Owens, 89 Uwaezuoke |
| QB |
8 S. YOUNG, 11 Detmer, 14 Druckenmiller |
| RB |
20 HEARST, 32 Levy, 41 Kirby |
| FB |
44 EDWARDS, 40 Beasley* |
DEFENSE |
| DLE |
92 BARKER, 94 Richie |
| DLT |
97 B. YOUNG, 99 Buckner |
| DRT |
90 BRYANT, 78 Bonham |
| DRE |
56 DOLEMAN, 96 Posey, 98 Wilkins |
| LLB |
54 WOODALL, 53 Williams |
| MLB |
55 TUBBS, 59 Givens |
| RLB |
51 NORTON, 50 Peterson |
| LCB |
38 WALKER, 43 Langham |
| RCB |
23 POPE, 21 McQuarters* |
| SS |
46 MCDONALD, 30 Schulters*, 28 Buckley |
| FS |
36 HANKS, 31 Bronson, 22 Blevins |
| SPECIALISTS |
| P |
4 ROBY |
| PK |
7 RICHEY* |
| H |
11 DETMER, 14 Druckenmiller |
| PR |
21 MCQUARTERS*, 89 Uwaezuoke |
| KR |
32 LEVY, 21 McQuarters*, 89 Uwaezuoke |
| KC |
57 KIRK, 85 Clark |
| * Rookie |
Back to Handicapper's Corner |
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Packer Depth Chart
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OFFENSE |
| WR |
86 FREEMAN, 85 Bradford*, 80 Mayes |
| OLT |
78 VERBA, 76 Willig |
| OLG |
62 RIVERA, 70 Andruzzi |
| C |
52 WINTERS, 67 Dellenbach, 58 Flanagan |
| ORG |
63 TIMMERMAN, 67 Dellenbach, 68 Wahle* |
| ORT |
72 E. DOTSON, 76 Willig |
| TE |
89 CHMURA, 83 Thomason, 81 T. Davis |
| WR |
87 BROOKS, 84 Schroeder, 88 Preston |
| QB |
4 FAVRE, 12 Mirer, 18 Pederson |
| RB |
32 JERVEY, 29 R. Harris, 25 Levens |
| FB |
33 HENDERSON, 22 Holmes |
DEFENSE |
| DLE |
92 WHITE, 91 J. Brown*, 96 Booker |
| T |
71 S. DOTSON, 96 Booker, 98 Lyon* |
| NT |
93 G. BROWN, 94 Kuberski, 98 Lyon* |
| DRE |
96 HOLLIDAY*, 95 McKenzie, 91 J. Brown* |
| LLB |
53 KOONCE, 56 Hollinquest |
| MLB |
55 B. HARRIS, 56 Hollinquest |
| ROLB |
51 B. WILLIAMS, 54 Waddy* |
| LCB |
21 NEWSOME, 34 McGarrahan* |
| RCB |
37 T. WILLIAMS, 46 Bolden |
| SS |
36 BUTLER, 39 Prior, 34 McGarrahan* |
| FS |
42 SHARPER, 40 Terrell, 20 Cooks* |
| SPECIALISTS |
| P |
7 LANDETA |
| PK |
8 LONGWELL |
| H |
39 PRIOR, 84 Schroeder, 12 Mirer |
| PR |
88 PRESTON, 84 Schroeder, 39 Prior |
| KR |
88 PRESTON, 84 Schroeder, 32 Jervey |
| KC |
60 R. DAVIS, 67 Dellenbach, 94 Kuberski |
| * Rookie |
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