|
GREEN BAY - The San Francisco 49ers have gotten the best of the Green Bay Packers in three meetings since the start of the 2012, including a postseason victory in last seasons playoffs. Kyle Williams Jersey . Enter the great equalizer: winter at Lambeau Field. Winter is coming for the wild-carding Niners, who visit the NFC North champion Packers on Sunday afternoon. You can watch all the action on CTV beginning at 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. These two clubs have seen plenty of each other over the past two seasons. San Francisco snapped an eight-game slide in Green Bay with a 30-22 win in Week 1 of last season, though the temperature was hardly a factor given the game took place on Sept. 9. "You just have to block it out," said 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick of adjusting to the cold weather. Kaepernick took over as the starter for San Francisco midway through the 2012 campaign and helped his club get the better of the visiting Packers in last seasons divisional contest en route to a Super Bowl appearance and loss to the Baltimore Ravens. San Francisco opened its 12-4 campaign with a 34-28 victory over Green Bay, with Kaepernick outgunning Aaron Rodgers in a game that featured 879 yards of total net offense. After torching the Packers with his legs during the playoffs, Kaepernick did it with his arm back in Week 1 with 412 passing yards and three touchdowns to zero interceptions. In his Niners debut after coming over from a Ravens team that beat San Francisco in last seasons Super Bowl, Anquan Boldin had 13 receptions for 208 yards with a touchdown. Rodgers threw for 333 yards with three touchdowns, getting picked off once. Rodgers ended this season with a 104.9 passer rating, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to surpass a 100 rating in five straight seasons. A broken collarbone sidelined him for seven straight weeks but he returned to lead Green Bay to a season-ending victory over the Chicago Bears to secure the Packers third straight division title. Rodgers shook off some early rust to march Green Bay 87 yards for a game- winning drive, converting three times on fourth down. That included a 48-yard touchdown throw to Randall Cobb on 4th-and-8 with 38 seconds to play. "I looked outside to make sure we had a big play there," Rodgers said. "From the throw I missed Andrew Quarless on earlier in the drive, I knew I had to get a little bit on it to make sure I didnt way underthrow him. When that ball came down and he got into the end zone it was just pandemonium." The former MVP finished the game 25-for-39 for 318 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Packers, who won three of their last four games to finish the season 8-7-1. Cobb, who had been out since fracturing his right tibia on Oct. 13 against Baltimore, caught both touchdown passes by Rodgers, while Jordy Nelson had 10 grabs for 161 yards. Despite having an inferior record to the Niners, the Packers will play host this weekend and are making no apologies for doing so. "Everybodys record right now is the same. Were in the tournament. Theres 12 teams with a chance to the win championship," said Rodgers. "Thats how were looking at it. We won our division to give us the right to host a home playoff game and were going to try and make the most of it." San Francisco, in the playoffs for a third straight season, has won the NFC West in the previous two campaigns before getting unseated by the 13-3 Seattle Seahawks. The Niners had a chance to win the division in Week 17 and did its part by besting Arizona 23-20, but the Seahawks bested the Rams to lock up first place. "Players, coaches dont control who you play, where you play, when you play. The thing you control is how you play," San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh said. Boldin made nine catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against his former Cardinals team and Kaepernick threw for 310 yards with a pair of scores. San Francisco, though, needed Phil Dawsons 40-yard field goal as time expired to win its sixth straight game. Including the playoffs, the Packers have won 13 of their last 17 versus the Niners and San Francisco is 11-23 all-time in Green Bay. Anthony Sherman Jersey .Y. -- Ralph Wilson fulfilled his vow in keeping the Bills in Buffalo during his lifetime.Anthony Sherman Youth Jersey . "I cant say much, we agreed not to say much, but talks are ongoing and Andrei wants to stay in Montreal," agent and former NHL player Sergei Berezin told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com on Friday. "Well see where it goes. Hes played 13 seasons with Montreal. CHICAGO -- Jason Grilli is off to a rough start for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Clint Hurdle thinks he knows the best way to get the key reliever back on track. Hurdle announced Friday that Mark Melancon would close games for the Pirates in place of Grilli, who has blown four save opportunities this year after converting 33 of 35 chances last season. "Theres no safety net for a closer. There never is," Hurdle said before the opener of a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs. "So he wont have to deal with that for a while, which I think will help." Grilli allowed a tying homer to Devin Mesoraco in the ninth inning of Thursdays 4-3 victory over Cincinnati. The veteran right-hander, who made the All-Star team last year for the firsst time, has yielded at least one run in three of his past four outings, and his four homers allowed this season matches his total from all of last year. A.J. Jenkins Jersey. The 37-year-old Grilli is 0-2 with 11 saves and a 4.34 ERA in 20 games this year. He was sidelined for a month after straining his left oblique in late April. For now, Hurdle said he will use Grilli when the Pirates are trailing. "Hes all about doing whats best for the club and getting better," Hurdle said. "Well definitely need him as the season plays out." Melancon is 1-2 with 10 saves in 13 chances and a 1.89 ERA in 35 games this year. He has not allowed a run in eight games and 7 1-3 innings in June. Hurdle said he also could use Tony Watson in a save opportunity. Cheap Jerseys ' ' ' |
