If you think you know the San Francisco 49ers vs Packers rivalry because you watched a few playoff games in the nineties, you're basically missing half the story. Honestly, this isn't just another game on the schedule. It's a psychological war that has spanned generations, from the mud of Kezar Stadium to the high-tech grass of Levi’s.
People love to talk about the "Catch II" or Aaron Rodgers never beating his childhood team when it mattered. But if we’re being real, the 2024 and 2025 seasons have completely flipped the script.
The narrative used to be simple. The Packers owned the nineties. The 49ers owned the 2010s. Now? We're in this weird, chaotic middle ground where names like Jordan Love and Brock Purdy are writing a chapter that feels a lot more balanced than anyone expected.
The 38-10 Reality Check
On November 24, 2024, the Green Bay Packers didn't just beat the San Francisco 49ers; they embarrassed them. 38-10. It was the largest margin of victory for Green Bay in the entire history of the series.
You’ve got to look at the context, though. San Francisco was a walking hospital ward. No Brock Purdy. No Trent Williams. No Nick Bosa. It was a "short-handed" squad, sure, but the way Josh Jacobs carved them up was surgical. He ran for 106 yards and three scores. It was the first time in 55 regular-season games that a runner hit triple digits against that Niners defense. Think about that. That’s a streak going back to 2021.
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Jordan Love wasn't even asked to do that much, finishing 13 of 23 for 163 yards. He just had to be steady. Brandon Allen, starting for the 49ers, simply couldn't keep pace. Turnover after turnover turned a competitive rivalry game into a Lambeau Field blowout.
Why the Playoff Ghost Still Haunts Green Bay
Even after a 28-point shellacking in the regular season, Packers fans still have that twitch in their eye when January rolls around.
The 49ers hold a 6-4 lead in the postseason. That might not sound like a lot, but San Francisco has won the last five playoff meetings. Every single one. Aaron Rodgers went 0-4 against them in the tournament. It didn't matter if he was the MVP or if the game was at Lambeau; Kyle Shanahan’s scheme seemed to have a "delete" button for the Packers' offense.
- 2012: Colin Kaepernick runs for 181 yards. Total nightmare.
- 2013: A frozen field at Lambeau and a late Phil Dawson kick.
- 2019: Raheem Mostert goes for 220 yards. Green Bay didn't even stand a chance.
- 2021: A blocked punt in the snow. Total heartbreak for the #1 seed.
- 2023: Brock Purdy leads a rain-soaked comeback to win 24-21.
Most people get this wrong: they think the Packers are "bad" in the playoffs. They aren't. They just keep running into a specific style of West Coast physical football that exposes their edges.
The Purdy vs. Love Debate is Getting Spicy
By the start of 2026, the data has finally started to settle. For a while, the "Purdy is a system QB" crowd was loud. Then the "Jordan Love is a one-year wonder" crowd was equally loud.
Look at the 2025 efficiency numbers. Jordan Love finished the regular season with a +0.29 EPA per play, second in the entire league. Brock Purdy was right behind him at +0.26. We are literally watching the two most efficient young quarterbacks in the NFC trade blows.
Love has the bigger arm. He can make those "how did he do that?" throws off his back foot. Purdy has the processing speed. He’s like a grandmaster at speed chess; he knows where the ball is going before the defender even takes his first step.
It’s kinda funny how the 49ers vs Packers rivalry has transitioned from Favre vs. Young to Rodgers vs. Smith/Kaepernick and now to this. Different names, same stakes.
The X-Factors Nobody Mentions
Everyone watches the quarterbacks, but these games are won in the trenches and by the ball-hawks.
Xavier McKinney has become a genuine 49er-killer. In that 2024 matchup, he had a 48-yard interception return and a crucial fourth-down breakup. If you're a Niners fan, he’s the guy you’re circling on the roster.
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On the flip side, Fred Warner remains the gold standard. Even in the 2024 loss, he was one of the few 49ers defenders who looked like he belonged on the field. The Packers' offense is built on deception—crossers, play-action, misdirection. Warner is one of the only linebackers in the league fast enough and smart enough to erase those middle-of-the-field passing lanes.
How to Approach Future Matchups
If you’re looking at the San Francisco 49ers vs Packers matchups through a betting or analytical lens, stop looking at the "all-time series." The Packers lead that 39-34-1, but most of those wins happened before the internet existed.
Pay attention to:
- The Health of Trent Williams: The 49ers' offense is fundamentally different without him. If he's out, the Packers' edge rushers (like Lukas Van Ness) will feast.
- Red Zone Efficiency: In their recent meetings, Green Bay has struggled to finish drives, while San Francisco usually cashes in.
- The "Home Field" Myth: Interestingly, the 49ers have had a ton of success winning at Lambeau, and the Packers have historically played well in the Bay Area during the regular season. The weather isn't the advantage people think it is.
The next time these two meet, don't expect a blowout like 2024. Expect the 2023 Divisional Round version—tight, stressful, and decided by a single mistake in the fourth quarter.
To really stay ahead of the curve on this rivalry, you should track the weekly injury reports specifically for the 49ers' offensive line and the Packers' secondary. These are the two units that dictate the "flow" of this specific matchup. If Green Bay can’t protect the middle of the field against Kittle, or if San Francisco can't protect Purdy's blind side, the game is over before the fourth quarter starts.
Keep an eye on the defensive coordinator shifts too. With Jeff Hafley bringing a more aggressive "vision" defense to Green Bay, the old rules of how Kyle Shanahan attacks the Packers' zone are slowly being rewritten.