On The Road To The Super Bowl Packers Handle Foul Weather, 49ers, Too

Substitute the rain for the sleet and snow of Wisconsin.

Replace the frozen tundra with the soggy turf.

Make it El Nino instead of Old Man Winter.

And you still get the brutal truth: Whether they’re at home on Lambeau Field or playing at 3Com Park, the Green Bay Packers are still the best in the NFC. They proved it Sunday with a waterlogged 23-10 victory over San Francisco in the conference title game.

The defending Super Bowl champion Packers will get a chance to make it two in a row when they meet AFC winner Denver in Super Bowl XXXII on Jan. 25 in San Diego.

The Packers (15-3) beat the 49ers for the fourth straight time, including playoff games the last three years.

Green Bay scored on Brett Favre’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman, Dorsey Levens’ five-yard run and three field goals by Ryan Longwell, and relied on their defense to do the rest. Levens ran for 114 yards - the first time the 49ers allowed a 100-yard game this season.

Gary Anderson kicked a 28-yard field goal late in the second quarter and Chuck Levy scored on a 95-yard kickoff return with 2:52 left as the 49ers let the home-field advantage go to waste. They finished 14-4 in their first season under coach Steve Mariucci.

The Packers set the tone with their first possession and - except for a brief period late in the second quarter - they controlled the game and the tempo the rest of the first half.

Yet they didn’t deliver the knockout blow, leaving the 49ers down 13-3 but certainly not out with a full half to play.

Except for safety Eugene Robinson’s interception and 58-yard return to set up Favre’s scoring pass to Freeman, the first half would have been a virtual dead heat, although the Packers seemed to be sharper.

Favre and his receivers were sharp early and got help from Rod Woodson’s 24-yard pass interference penalty, moving from their 23 to the San Francisco 1 on their first possession.

They couldn’t finish the job, however, and had to settle for Longwell’s 19-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 2:48 to play in the first quarter.

Robinson’s interception of Steve Young’s pass intended for tight end Brent Jones gave the Packers the big break of the first half.

Although Robinson eventually stumbled and was brought down at the Niners’ 28, Favre hit Freeman slanting in from the left side and Freeman did the rest.

He juked one defender, bounced off safety Merton Hanks and outran the rest of the defense for a 10-0 lead 3:30 into the second quarter.

Instead of putting the 49ers away, however, the Packers staggered the rest of the half.

They moved from their 13 to the San Francisco 11, but right tackle Earl Dotson moved - a five-yard penalty. Then Favre, pressured hard, passed incomplete.

Then Favre, pressured again, tried to throw the ball away and was called for intentional grounding.

Longwell missed a 47-yard field goal try and the drive was wasted.

A 48-yard pass from Young to Terrell Owens set up Anderson’s field goal with 58 seconds left in the half, but the Packers got the three points back with the help of a 40-yard pass from Favre to Freeman.

Packers 23, 49ers 10

Green Bay 3 10 0 10 - 23

San Francisco 0 3 0 7 - 10

GB-FG Longwell 19 GB-Freeman 27 pass from Favre (Longwell kick) SF-FG Anderson 28 GB-FG Longwell 43 GB-FG Longwell 25 GB-Levens 5 run (Longwell kick) SF-Levy 95 kickoff return (Anderson kick) A-68,987.

GB SF

First downs 19 15

Rushes-yards 32-106 18-33

Passing 219 224

Punt Returns 2-27 3-2

Kickoff Returns 2-37 4-134

Interceptions Ret. 1-58 0-0

Comp-Att-Int 16-27-0 23-38-1

Sacked-Yards Lost 1-3 4-26

Punts 5-36.6 6-33.8

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 4-1

Penalties-Yards 9-62 6-64

Time of Possession 31:40 28:20 Individual statistics

RUSHING-Green Bay, Levens 27-114, Henderson 3-2, Favre 2-(minus 10). San Francisco, Kirby 6-21, Hearst 8-12, S.Young 2-1, Floyd 2-(minus 1).

PASSING-Green Bay, Favre 16-27-0-222. San Francisco, S.Young, 23-38-1-250.

RECEIVING-Green Bay, Freeman 4-107, Levens 4-27, Brooks 3-36, Chmura 2-18, Davis 1-17, Mayes 1-10, Henderson 1-7. San Francisco, Owens 6-100, Stokes 6-87, Kirby 4-7, Hearst 3-14, Uwauzoke 2-14, Clark 1-16, Jones 1-12.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-Green Bay, Longwell 47 (WR).