Rivalry for Packers-49ers dates back 25 years

Brett Favre vs. Steve Young. Aaron Rodgers dueling with Colin Kaepernick.

The catch by Terrell Owens, electrifying returns from Desmond Howard and breathtaking runs byKaepernick.

Few franchises have been as intertwined over the last quarter-century as theGreen Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers, with coaches getting groomed in one spot and ending up in the other, seven previous playoff meetings, and a regrettable draft decision that sent Rodgers packing for Green Bay instead of staying close to home and reviving the 49ers.

The teams that have combined for nine Super Bowl titles will meet with a spot in the championship game on the line once again when the 49ers (14-3) host the Packers (14-3) in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

No matchup has occurred as frequently in the past 25 years, with the eighth meeting this week putting Green Bay-San Francisco three games ahead of any other rivalry. In fact, the only teams to playmore than eight times in the postseason in the Super Bowl era are the Rams and Cowboys, who met for the ninth time last January.

ThePackershavewonfour of those previous sevenmeetings, going 4-1 with Favre at quarterback and losing both meetings with Rodgers as starter in the 2012-13 seasons when he was outdueled by Kaepernick.

It all started back in 1992 when Mike Holmgren left a job as offensive coordinator in San Francisco to take over the Packers. The man who tutored Young in both college and the pros set out to groomthe untested Favre, who was acquired in a trade fromAtlanta that same year.

With Favre andHolmgren at the helm, along with free agent acquisition Reggie White, the Packers set out to challenge the Cowboys and 49ers for dominance in the NFC. After getting knocked out of the 1993 and ‘94 playoffs by Dallas, Green Bay got its shot against San Francisco the following year and jumped all over the Niners.

Adam Walker fumbled on San Francisco’s first play from scrimmage and Craig Newsome returned it for a TD and Favre followed with two quick touchdown passes as the Packers rolled to a 2717 win that established them as true contenders — even though they lost the following week against Dallas.

The teams met again the following year when Howard returnedapunt 71 yards for a TD after San Francisco’s opening possession. Youngwas knocked out later in the first quarter with an injury and the Packers won 35-14 on the way to a Super Bowl title.

ThePackersdominanceof the series led to George Seifert resigning as coach and former Packers assistant Steve Mariucci taking over.

Green Bay won the first playoff matchup against Mariucci the following year as the frustration mounted in San Francisco.

The breakthrough came the following year thanks to one of the most memorable plays of the series in San Francisco’s only playoff win over Favre. On Jan. 3, 1999, Owens lost a fumble and dropped a potential TD pass early before delivering late.