The narrative that is the rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers can be traced back to the days of the Truman administration.
Beginning with their inaugural matchup on November 26, 1950 (resulting in a 25-21 Green Bay triumph) to their most recent get together on Sept. 9, 2012 (a 30-22 road victory for San Francisco), the two iconic franchises have dueled atop the gridiron on 62 occasions.
In turn, during the aforementioned 62-year span, the Packers and Niners, among others, have collected a combined nine Super Bowl titles; triumphed in 949 regular season contests; and served as the respective settings for some of the most celebrated and glorified careers which the sport has bore witness to.
However, in regards to the buzz saw that is postseason play in the NFL, Green Bay and San Francisco’s history encompasses a six-year window, beginning in 1996, in which the two squads met on five occasions, with the most recent version taking place on January 13, 2002 in the wild-card round.
From Desmond Howard’s punt return for a touchdown in the 1997 divisional round en route to the Packers first title since in 29 years to the game-winning catch secured by San Francisco’s Terrell Owens—then a budding star in his third season in the NFL and a shell of what was to become both on and off the field—in the final seconds of their wild-card matchup on January 3, 1999, the postseason affairs between the Packers and 49ers have certainly not been devoid of enduring moments.
Prior to the two squads adding the latest chapter in their storied history on Saturday evening, listed below are a few statistics in respect to the five previous playoff meetings, in which Green Bay holds a 4-1 edge:
11.4: average margin over victory in each of the five contests. Only one game, the aforesaid wild-card matchup in 1999, has been decided by less than 10 point (SF won 30-27).
12: number of regular season wins, on average, for both San Francisco and Green Bay in seasons in which they met in the postseason. Entering Saturday’s matchup, both teams are coming off of 11-win regular seasons.
9: rushing touchdowns accumulated, none of which exceed nine years. By comparison, there have been 12 touchdown that have come via pass plays and two apiece courtesy of special teams and defense.
51.6: average number of penalty yards accrued by the 49ers. The Packers, meanwhile, have averaged 33.8 per game.
4.4: number of combined turnovers between each squad per outing, headlined by seven miscues during their wild-card matchup on January 3, 1999.
72: points scored during the fourth quarter, the most—by 17 points—of any period.
Kick off between the Packers and 49ers is slated for Saturday at 7:00p.m. CST.
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