49ers Seek To Avoid History Repeating At Green Bay's Lambeau Field
GREEN BAY, Wisc. (CBS Sports / AP) -- The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers are separated by three games, but both are one game out of first place in very different division races.
It's been 20 years since the 49ers won a regular-season game against the Packers heading into Sunday's matchup at Lambeau Field, and Green Bay will try to make it eight straight overall in the series.
Green Bay (7-4) trails first-place Chicago by one game in the NFC North while San Francisco (4-7) is trying to catch West co-leaders St. Louis and Seattle. While the Packers are behind a Bears team that currently is in position for a first-round bye in the playoffs, the 49ers are in a division in which every team has a losing record.
Recent history is on Green Bay's side because it has won 12 of 13 meetings and seven in a row at home since a 24-20 loss at Lambeau on Nov. 4, 1990. The Packers have won seven consecutive meetings since a playoff loss at San Francisco in 1999.
Green Bay won 30-24 at home last season as Aaron Rodgers completed 32 of 45 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns in his first game against the team he grew up rooting for and that bypassed him in favor of top overall pick Alex Smith in the 2005 draft.
Smith hurt his left shoulder earlier this season and has been replaced by Troy Smith, who has led San Francisco to three wins in four starts. A bigger loss for the 49ers came Monday in a 27-6 win at Arizona when leading rusher Frank Gore was lost for the season with a fractured right hip.
Brian Westbrook picked up the slack with 136 yards on 23 carries as the 49ers won for the first time in five road games. Westbrook and rookie Anthony Dixon will help share the load against Green Bay.
"Frank is a big part of what we do - heart, soul, everything he brings is what you want," coach Mike Singletary said. "But thankfully, Brian Westbrook is a mature, experienced leader and we just have to be careful about how we use him and how much exposure we allow him to see.
"I think there will be a good mixture between Brian Westbrook and Dixon. We'll just have to see how we do that."
While the Packers have an offense based on the passing of Rodgers, the lack of a running game continues to be a concern with Ryan Grant out for the season. Brandon Jackson has carried 24 times for 54 yards over the last two games, and Green Bay has not reached 100 yards rushing in five of six games while averaging 3.5 per carry.
The Packers are looking for a little more production from Jackson to take the pressure off Rodgers, who is seeking three straight 300-yard efforts for the first time in his career.
"With the type of offense we have, I'm maybe looking at 10 to 15 carries," Jackson said. "So, who knows? I just have to do the best I can with those attempts."
Rodgers is fifth in the league with 2,945 yards passing after throwing for a season-high 344 last Sunday in a 20-17 loss at Atlanta. He capped a 90-yard drive with a tying 10-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 56 seconds left.
"I have never seen a quarterback, in my time here, play to that level in the passing game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "I'll make that statement clearly here."
The Packers outgained the Falcons 418-294, but a big kickoff return and facemask penalty after Rodgers' touchdown pass helped set up Atlanta's winning field goal. Green Bay had a three-game win streak snapped in which it outscored opponents 85-10.
"You have to keep building off the positives," said McCarthy, who served as 49ers offensive coordinator in 2005 before being hired by Green Bay. "I thought we had an edge to our play here the last three weeks or so and our edge wasn't as sharp as it needed to be in Atlanta."
The 49ers have remained positive during a tumultuous year in which they began 0-5 after expectations of their first winning season and playoff berth since 2002. While a winning season is unlikely, a division title is not.
"We've got a chance to compete this week and all I'm thinking about right now is Green Bay," Singletary said. "It's a great opportunity for us, and we're going to get healthy enough to go up there, and try and win a football game."
