Theos-Talk Archives (November 1999 Message tl00357)

Under circumstances far different than their usual matchups, the Green Bay
Packers and San Francisco 49ers meet Monday night.

The two former NFC powers get together in a game that usually goes a long way
toward determining home-field advantage for the playoffs. However, injuries
and poor play have left the Niners thinking about next season and the Packers
hanging on by the slimmest of threads.

Last Sunday's 23-7 loss to the St. Louis Rams ensured the end of a 16-year
run of 10-win seasons for San Francisco.

"We've had a long run of good fortune, but it seems like a lot things this
year are hitting us all at once,'' San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci said.
"Nobody said it was easy and it's not easy. But we've got six games left.
You're going to see this football team improve and we're going to find a way
to win some games.''

Against the Rams, Steve Stenstrom threw an interception, and Jeff Garcia, who
came on late in the third quarter, threw two more. They are a combined 1-6 in
seven starts since Steve Young went down with a concussion Sept. 27.

In Green Bay, Brett Favre, bothered all season by an injured throwing hand,
quietly had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 309 yards and a
touchdown as the Packers got back to .500 with a 26-17 win over NFC Central
rival Detroit. Dorsey Levens had 146 total yards and a touchdown, and Ryan
Longwell kicked four field goals for the Packers.

But Favre and the improved offense were only half of the story for Green Bay,
as its defense blanked Detroit in the second half.

"We've just got to keep the pressure on the division leaders,'' Packers coach
Ray Rhodes said. "This has got to be the way we approach every week from here
on in. Both our offense and our defense have to maintain this level of
play.''

With six games left, the NFC Central is wide open, as all five teams in the
division are separated by less than two games in the standings. The defeat
dropped Detroit (6-4) into a three-way tie with Minnesota and Tampa Bay,
while Green Bay is one game back.

The 49ers, however, have little to smile about, something that is both
unheard of and not too easily accepted in San Francisco.

"This is probably the lowest I've ever seen it,'' said Jerry Rice, who
complained recently of feeling left out of the offense. "We're just not
putting any points on the board. It's very frustrating, very tough to
swallow.''

STANDINGS: Packers -- 4th place, NFC Central. 49ers -- 3rd place, NFC West.

PACKERS PROBABLE OFFENSIVE STARTERS: QB Favre (206-of-377, 2,624 yards, 14
TDs, 15 INTs); RB Levens (206 attempts, 729 yards, 4 TDs; 51 receptions, 451
yards, 0 TDs); FB William Henderson (19 receptions, 118 yards, TD); WR
Antonio Freeman (46 receptions, 686 yards, 5 TDs); WR Bill Schroeder
(42-666-2); TE Tyrone Davis (14-157-1); LT Mike Wahle; LG Raleigh MacKenzie;
C Frank Winters; RG Marco Rivera; RT Earl Dotson.

PACKERS PROBABLE DEFENSIVE STARTERS: LDE Vaughn Booker (23-10-3 1/2-0); LDT
Santana Dotson (8-10-1-0); RDT Gilbert Brown (13-17-0-0); RDE Vonnie Holliday
(27-14-3-0); LLB George Koonce (18-15-0-0); MLB Bernardo Harris (34-31-0-0);
RLB Jude Waddy (20-10-1-0), LCB Mike McKenzie (34-10-0-3); SS LeRoy Butler
(27-12-1-1); FS Darren Sharper (38-20-1-3); RCB Tyrone Williams (30-11-0-3).

49ERS PROBABLE OFFENSIVE STARTERS: QB Stenstrom (34-for-63, 332 yards, 0
touchdowns, 3 interceptions); RB Charlie Garner (143 rushes, 744 yards, 1
TD); FB Fred Beasley (25 rushes, 92 yards, TD; 14 receptions, 139 yards); WR
Terrell Owens (36 catches, 468 yards, 3 TDs); WR Rice (39-350-2); TE Greg
Clark (14-129-0); LT Dave Fiore, LG Ray Brown, C Chris Dalman, RG Jeremy
Newberry, RT Derrick Deese.

49ERS PROBABLE DEFENSIVE STARTERS: LDE Junior Bryant (19 tackles, 8 assists,
4 sacks, 0 interceptions); LDT Bryant Young (24-2-5-0); RDT Brentson Buckner
(14-8-1-0); RDE Gabe Wilkins (10-2-0-0); LLB Lee Woodall (33-11- 1/2-0); MLB
Winfred Tubbs (35-11- 1/2-1); RLB Ken Norton, Jr. (41-16-0-0); LCB Ramos
McDonald (8-0-0-0); RCB Monty Montgomery (8-0-0-0); SS Tim McDonald
(32-6-2-1); FS Lance Schulters (36-5-0-6).

LAST MEETING: Jan. 2, at San Francisco, 49ers 30-27. Young threw a
game-winning 25-yard touchdown pass to Owens with eight seconds left, giving
the 49ers a wild-card victory over the Packers.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Packers -- RB Levens had 10 catches for 99 yards against
the Lions. He ranks second in the NFL among RBs with 51 catches and second in
the NFC with 1,180 yards from scrimmage (451 receiving). ... WR Freeman leads
the club in receiving yards (686) and TDs (5). He had 11 catches for 268
yards and four TDs in two games against the 49ers last season. ... The
Packers lead the conference with 20 INTs, including nine by rookies. They had
13 in all of 1998. 49ers -- San Francisco rushed for 134 yards in the 1998
regular-season matchup with Green Bay and 178 in the Wild Card game for 312
total. ... RB Garner ranks fifth in the NFC in total yards from scrimmage
with 1,028 (284 receiving). ... WR Rice has seven career TDs in six
regular-season games against the Packers and is averaging 96.0 receiving
yards per game in those six. ... S Schulters had one INT against the Rams and
is tied for the NFL lead with Miami CB Sam Madison with six INTs. He needs
one to tie Merton Hanks (1994) and Dave Waymer (1990) for most by a 49er in
the 1990s with seven.

HOME/ROAD RECORDS: Packers -- 1-3 on the road. 49ers -- 2-3 at home.

INJURIES: Packers -- OUT: G Joe Andruzzi (knee-injured reserve); T Ross Verba
(knee). QUESTIONABLE: P Louie Aguiar (groin). PROBABLE: DE Booker (chest); QB
Favre (hand); WR Freeman (groin); LB Harris (knee); LB Koonce (shoulder).
49ers -- OUT: LB Joe Wesley (knee); QB Young (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: LB
Charles Haley (knee); S Schulters (ankle). PROBABLE: TE Tony Cline (back); S
McDonald (hip); DE Chike Okeafor (back); LB Tubbs (hip); DT Young (knee).