Over the past quarter century of the NFL playoffs, there hasn’t been a more prolific or more complicated rivalry than the 49ers and Packers.
Actually, “rivalry” is probably too harsh a word to describe their NFL-high seven meetings in the postseason since 1995. Owing to many coaching-level relationships over the years, 49ers-Packers meetings have always been much more benign than belligerent.
Even the 49ers’ overwhelming 37-8 victory over the embarrassed Packers in Week 12 was devoid of the usual acting out by the losing team over damaged egos.
While hatred still permeates true NFL rivalries such as the Steelers-Browns and Giants-Eagles, bad blood between the Packers and 49ers may be limited to Aaron Rodgers, a diehard 49ers fan growing up in Chico, vowing San Francisco would one day regret passing on him in the 2005 NFL draft.