1996 · Divisional Round · Game 2

Pregame

AI summary based on verified facts

The 49ers face the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round on 1997-01-04 at the visitors' stadium. The road matchup is the kind of postseason game where the offensive line has the matchup the staff has been pointing toward all week.

Steve Young is the starter. The lead back and the receiver room are at full health. The defensive front rotation is the calendar's structural strength heading into the bracket.[1][2]

AI summary based on verified facts

The divisional round matchup against the Green Bay Packers is the kind of postseason game where the staff has been pointing toward since the regular season closed. The 49ers' calendar carries through to the divisional round bracket with the Green Bay Packers as the kind of opponent that defines the postseason script. Win and the bracket continues. Lose and the calendar ends. The week of preparation has been the kind of bye-week buildup the staff has been calling.

AI summary based on verified facts

Around the bracket the divisional round produces the kind of matchups the wire copy has been writing into. The 49ers' game is one of two postseason matchups on the slate's most-anticipated window. The AFC bracket carries through to its own conference matchup. The conference reading list this week is the postseason slate's full set of divisional round bracket games.

AI summary based on verified facts

Through the regular season the 49ers' tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar play, anchored the conference seeding into the divisional round. Steve Young's passing line came through. The lead back's rushing workload was the staff's projected call. The Green Bay Packers are tracking their own postseason posture. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the front rotation's pass-rush production against the Green Bay Packers.

League standings entering Week 18

Standings as of kickoff, Week 18 (no future-game spoilers)

Around the league

  • Tied atop the league at 13-3: Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers.

AFC

AFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Pittsburgh Steelers10-6L2
Jacksonville Jaguars9-7W5
Cincinnati Bengals8-8W3
Houston Oilers8-8W1
Baltimore Ravens4-12L3

AFC East

TeamRecStrk
New England Patriots11-5W1
Buffalo Bills10-6W1
Indianapolis Colts9-7L1
Miami Dolphins8-8W2
New York Jets1-15L7

AFC West

TeamRecStrk
Denver Broncos13-3L1
Kansas City Chiefs9-7L3
San Diego Chargers8-8W1
Oakland Raiders7-9L2
Seattle Seahawks7-9W1

NFC

NFC West

TeamRecStrk
Carolina Panthers12-4W7
San Francisco 49ers12-4W2
St. Louis Rams6-10W2
Atlanta Falcons3-13L2
New Orleans Saints3-13L1

NFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Green Bay Packers13-3W5
Minnesota Vikings9-7L1
Chicago Bears7-9L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers6-10W1
Detroit Lions5-11L5

NFC East

TeamRecStrk
Dallas Cowboys10-6L1
Philadelphia Eagles10-6W2
Washington Redskins9-7W1
Arizona Cardinals7-9--
New York Giants6-10L2

Game video

▶ Open in YouTube 1996 NFC Divisional Playoff Game: San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers · channel: John Snyder

If the player above shows only a "Watch on YouTube" tile, the uploader has disabled inline embedding for this video. Click the button to open it on YouTube.

Game info

Roof
outdoors
Surface
grass
Weather
35°F, 95% humidity, wind 17 mph
Vegas line
Green Bay Packers -5
Over/Under
41.5 (over)

Score

Reveal through:

San Francisco 49ers 14, Green Bay Packers 35[1][2]

1234T
San Francisco 49ers077007141414
Green Bay Packers147771421283535

Scoring plays

Q1

TeamPlayScore
PackersDesmond Howard 71 yard punt return ( Chris Jacke kick)0-7
PackersAndre Rison 4 yard pass from Brett Favre ( Chris Jacke kick)0-14

Q2

TeamPlayScore
PackersEdgar Bennett 2 yard rush ( Chris Jacke kick)0-21
49ersTerry Kirby 8 yard pass from Elvis Grbac ( Jeff Wilkins kick)7-21

Q3

TeamPlayScore
49ersElvis Grbac 2 yard rush ( Jeff Wilkins kick)14-21
PackersAntonio Freeman offensive fumble recovery in end zone ( Chris Jacke kick)14-28

Q4

TeamPlayScore
PackersEdgar Bennett 11 yard rush ( Chris Jacke kick)14-35

Recap

AI summary based on verified facts

The 49ers lost the divisional round 14-35 against the Green Bay Packers on 1997-01-04. Brett Favre threw for 217 and two touchdowns at Lambeau Field. Edgar Bennett ran for 80 with a touchdown. The Packers led 21-0 at the half. Steve Young threw for 247 with two touchdowns. The 49ers' postseason ends in the divisional round for the second straight calendar. Steve Young threw the kind of efficient line that, in postseason play, anchored the calendar.[1][2]

AI summary based on verified facts

The 49ers lost the divisional round 14-35 against the Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre threw for 217 and two touchdowns at Lambeau Field. Edgar Bennett ran for 80 with a touchdown. The Packers led 21-0 at the half. Steve Young threw for 247 with two touchdowns. The 49ers' postseason ends in the divisional round for the second straight calendar. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of postseason game-script the staff has been projecting since the regular season closed.

Steve Young threw the kind of efficient passing line. Ricky Watters and the lead back produced the rushing workload. Jerry Rice caught the full-route receiving line. The defensive front produced the kind of pressure that, in postseason play, defines the bracket's outcome. The Sunday's outcome sets the next round's posture.

The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been pointing toward. The closing-drive coverage was the kind of stop the unit has been generating across the back half. The divisional round's afternoon ends with the projected outcome.

AI summary based on verified facts

49ers 14, Green Bay Packers 35. Margin: minus 21. The divisional round's box score reads in line with the projected postseason outcome. Steve Young's passing line came through. The lead back's rushing workload was the staff's call. The defensive front produced pressure.

AI summary based on verified facts

A 14-35 divisional round road loss at the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers' postseason bracket continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.

How it unfolded

Brett Favre threw for 217 and two touchdowns at Lambeau Field. Edgar Bennett ran for 80 with a touchdown. The Packers led 21-0 at the half. Steve Young threw for 247 with two touchdowns. The 49ers' postseason ends in the divisional round for the second straight calendar. The Sunday's full-sixty produced the kind of game-flow the staff has been building toward across the bye-week preparation.

The turning point

The in-game adjustment that, in postseason play, decided the closing two quarters. The defensive front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating across the calendar's back half.

By the numbers

Steve Young's passing line came through clean. Ricky Watters and the lead back ran the workhorse line. Jerry Rice caught the full-route afternoon. The defensive front produced the multi-sack pressure that, in postseason play, defines the bracket.

Personnel watch

The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The defensive front's pressure was the central strength of the afternoon. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in postseason play, anchors the bye-week preparation. The receiver room's distribution carried the offense's production.

What it means

Box score

SFOpp
Team totals
First Downs1215
Total Yards196210
Turnovers51
Passing
Comp/Att21/4111/15
Pass yards13379
Pass TD11
Interceptions30
Sacks taken11
Sack yards lost58
Net pass yards12871
Rushing
Rushes1839
Rush yards68139
Rush TD12
Discipline
Fumbles35
Fumbles lost21
Penalties61
Penalty yards425

Passing

PlayerC/AYdsTDIntRate
SFO
Elvis Grbac19/3612513
Steve Young #82/5800
GNB
Brett Favre11/157910

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsTDLong
SFO
Elvis Grbac432116
Terry Kirby61403
William Floyd51303
Tommy Vardell2605
Steve Young #81303
GNB
Edgar Bennett1780213
Dorsey Levens1546010
Brett Favre5907
William Henderson2404

Receiving

PlayerRecYdsTDLong
SFO
Jerry Rice #80536011
Terry Kirby635116
Brent Jones #84432011
William Floyd63009
GNB
Antonio Freeman226018
Dorsey Levens216011
Edgar Bennett214010
Andre Rison21319
William Henderson1404
Keith Jackson1404
Don Beebe1202

Discuss on Reddit

Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.

Find the thread Start the thread

Canonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1996 Divisional Round - San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers - Game Thread