|
| |
| ||
|
| ||
|
Butler: Don't write obit yet Packers, 49ers eye wild-card route to Super Bowl
Posted: Friday January 01, 1999 01:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- LeRoy Butler doesn't buy the notion that the Green Bay Packers have slipped in the NFL hierarchy, and for that matter, he says the same can be said about the San Francisco 49ers. Either the Packers, the 49ers or both have been involved in six of the past seven NFC title games and three of the past four Super Bowls. But unlike past years, when they charged into the playoffs as division champions, Green Bay (11-5) meets San Francisco (12-4) Sunday in a wild-card game after being overtaken by Minnesota (15-1) and Atlanta (14-2) as the conference's top seeds. "We've been in championship games all the time," said Butler, the Packers' safety and a 49ers' nemesis. "Whoever wins this game is going to sneak up on Minnesota or Atlanta and probably beat them because they're thinking just what some others are thinking, that these teams have slipped. But no way." The Vikings displaced the Packers as NFC Central champions and the Falcons beat out the 49ers in the NFC West, but Butler is not ready to concede the balance of power has dramatically changed. "The other teams, they haven't accomplished anything for anybody to get so rah-rah about them going to the Super Bowl," Butler said. "These two teams are the ones who have been there and done that and know what it takes to get there." 49ers quarterback Steve Young said the path to the Super Bowl may be different this time but it can be done, as recent history shows. "To get to the Super Bowl, you have to face certain teams along the way," Young said. "For both teams, this is a little unusual for us to be in this spot. But we can just take the lead from last year's Denver Broncos and come from this spot to win the Super Bowl." The Packers and 49ers are playing each other in the postseason for the fourth straight year, though this is the first time as wild cards. Both teams overcame troubles during the season to reach the playoffs. Green Bay was hit by a wave of injuries, particularly on offense. Antonio Freeman, Dorsey Levens, Robert Brooks, Mark Chmura, Vonnie Holliday and Craig Newsome were among the injured Packers who missed time, though they are expected to be ready for Sunday's game. Brett Favre, a three-time MVP, had a subpar season, throwing 23 interceptions, his highest total since 1993, when he had 24. But he still finished with a league-high 4,212 yards passing and 31 touchdowns. "I don't know if we're a scary team, but I don't think anyone's going to take us lightly," Favre said. San Francisco weathered the loss of its best defensive player, tackle Bryant Young, who broke his right leg Nov. 30, as well as the distractions of a front-office exodus that saw Carmen Policy resign as team president and Dwight Clark quit as general manager to join Policy in assembling the new Cleveland Browns. A power vacuum continues to exist in the 49ers front office because of the nebulous state of ownership, with Eddie DeBartolo awaiting NFL clearance to resume control of the team. And both clubs have had to confront rumors about the future of their coaches, including speculation that Green Bay's Mike Holmgren, a former San Francisco offensive coordinator, and the 49ers' Steve Mariucci, whose NFL apprenticeship included four years as Packers' quarterback coach, could ultimately trade places. Holmgren and Mariucci have tried to keep a lid on the rumors by saying little about them this week, but they remain a prominent backdrop to the game. San Francisco will be trying to reverse a history of failure against the Packers. The 49ers have lost their last five games against Green Bay, including season-ending defeats in the playoffs the past three years. Green Bay is the winningest playoff team in NFL history, going 22-9 and could become the first NFC representative to advance to the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons. The Packers beat the 49ers 36-22 earlier this season and retain the psychological edge with their run of success against San Francisco. They have a history of producing big plays when they need them against the 49ers. "We have a healthy Levens, we got Brett Favre, Freeman. We're going to get Brooks back and Chmura," general manager Ron Wolf said. "Now, go ahead and play us."
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
