Can Green Bay continue mastery of San Francisco?

3Com Park, San Francisco, Calif.,
Sunday, Jan. 3

AT A GLANCE: Green Bay has knocked San Francisco out of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. QB Brett Favre and the Packers would like to make it four straight, but QB Steve Young and the 49ers have other ideas.

The 49ers are big on tradition, but their recent streak of futility against the Packers isn’t the sort of tradition they want to uphold.

The Packers have knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and have won five straight against the Niners overall. In fact, San Francisco hasn’t beaten Green Bay since 1990, when Packer QB Brett Favre was still slinging passes for Southern Mississippi. In their last three playoff games against the Packers, the 49ers have been outscored 85-41.

When these teams met in Week Nine, Favre threw three TD passes, two of them to WR Antonio Freeman, as the Packers thumped the Niners 36-22 in Green Bay.

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL:

Favre is capable of dissecting the shaky 49er secondary, but the Packers want to establish their ground game so Favre doesn’t have to shoulder the entire offensive load. Packer RB Dorsey Levens seems to be back at full strength after missing most of the year with ankle and leg injuries and working his way back slowly. Darick Holmes will occasionally spell Levens. The right side of the Packer line is capable of getting a push in the running game. Packer ORG Adam Timmerman and ORT Earl Dotson are above-average run blockers, as is TE Mark Chmura. Packer C Jeff Dellenbach, playing for the injured Frank Winters, isn’t as quick as Winters and isn’t as good at getting through to linebackers when the run-blocking schemes call for it.

The loss of outstanding 49er DT Bryant Young to a broken leg has made it easier to run inside against the 49ers. Niner DT Junior Bryant is quick but undersized, and DT Gabe Wilkins has been inconsistent. Niner OLB’s Ken Norton Jr. and Lee Woodall are quick in pursuit but don’t always hold up at the point of attack. Niner SS Tim McDonald is strong in run support.

The 49ers must subdue Freeman, who destroyed them in Week Nine. The Niners will try to double-team Freeman, but the Packers have been lining him up in the slot and in the backfield in order to draw single coverage. If the 49ers are able to double Freeman, the Packer receivers who draw single coverage must beat it decisively. WR Derrick Mayes has been inconsistent, but dangerous WR Robert Brooks is due back from a hamstring injury.

Niner CB Darnell Walker has been solid, but rookie CB R.W. McQuarters, forced into the lineup because of a back injury to CB Marquez Pope (who is healthy enough to play in the nickel defense), is learning on the job. Niner DE’s Chris Doleman and Roy Barker must pressure Favre to make life easier for the 49er corners.