Members of the Sporting Green staff make their predictions for Saturday’s 49ers-Packers NFC divisional playoff game.
The 49ers are a West Coast team playing in an ice box. Their quarterback has a sprained shoulder and fractured thumb. They are playing their third straight road game against a team coming off a bye with one of the best QBs in NFL history. And that QB has a fully functional right arm.
Packers 28, 49ers 20
Bruce Jenkins, columnist
I’ve been in Jimmy G’s corner and never left — although he surely tests your patience at times — but the Green Bay assignment seems a bit too challenging. Aaron Rodgers is a superior quarterback, beyond doubt. And it’s in Green Bay.
Packers 28, 49ers 20
Ann Killion, columnist
The 49ers have been battling for more than two months but the odds are stacked against them Saturday, facing the NFC’s top team, on the frigid road, with their starting quarterback hurt and questions about their defensive line. It will be a dogfight, but the saga ends in the deep freeze.
Packers 28, 49ers 24
Ron Kroichick, staff writer
Do not listen to Aaron Rodgers for public-health guidance, but he remains a remarkable quarterback at age 38. And it feels like he and the Packers have one more playoff run in them. Also do not dismiss the importance of receiver Davante Adams (Palo Alto HS), who finished second in the NFL this season with a career-high 123 catches.
Packers 20, 49ers 16
Scott Ostler, columnist
Aaron Rodgers was humiliated by the 49ers two playoffs ago. He remembers, and he holds grudges. The Packers won’t be the gracious hosts that the brain-fogged Cowboys were, and Rodgers’ tinfoil helmet hasn’t prevented him from playing at MVP level. This could get ugly.
Packers 31, 49ers 13
