Good thing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded Steve Young 10 years ago. Otherwise, nobody would be talking about the Green Bay Packers or the San Francisco 49ers this week.
The Packers aren’t sure how much their NFC Central Division competition might help them Sunday in San Francisco. It’s not like they get to take an all-star team, or even cheerleaders, to face the 49ers. They do know their 13-3 record was carved from harder rock than the 49ers’ 13-3 mark because the 49ers played in the weaker NFC West.
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But the Packers make it a point not to denigrate the 49ers’ accomplishment. The Packers figure correctly such a distinction is likely to make little difference for three hours in 3Com Park.
As Reggie White said: “You guys are comparing the competition and saying they didn’t play anybody and we did. But the thing is, they won 13 games. Some teams in their division weren’t as good. We would have taken that. The thing is, they’re in the NFC championship game, and for anybody to get there is a great accomplishment.”
It might be the 49ers will be fresher because they didn’t have to chase Barry Sanders all season.
The NFC Central was tougher, but the 49ers played their overall schedule against teams that won 118 games compared with 116 for the Packers. This is because the 49ers played the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) and Denver Broncos (12-4). The Packers played no team that won more than 10 games.
Against common opponents, the Packers and 49ers were 7-1. The Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2; the 49ers lost to the Bucs in Week 1.
If anything, the Packers take comfort in knowing the Bucs are behind them. After beating them for the third time last Sunday, the Packers came away more impressed than ever, almost relieved. While reporters wanted them to start talking about the 49ers earlier this week, the Packers couldn’t get the Bucs off their minds.
“Ask anybody in this locker room, Tampa Bay is no joke,” safety Eugene Robinson said. “They are bona fide legit. They are the truth. If you don’t believe me, those dudes try to hurt you. They play good, solid, hard football. To play as good and hard a game as we played, that’s good.”
Don’t tell the Packers how tough Dana Stubblefield and Bryant Young are when they have just been dismantled by Warren Sapp.
“Stubblefield and Bryant Young are two great players, but Warren Sapp for an individual, he pretty much controlled things for their defense,” Packers center Frank Winters said.
Sapp even provided a pep talk for the Packers at the end of last Sunday’s game. In so many words, he encouraged Brett Favre not to drop the NFC Central banner in San Francisco.
While such sentiment won’t help the Packers, at least they know the 49ers will not surprise them.
“I don’t know if you can have an edge,” Robinson said. “But I’ll tell you one thing: When you play guys who are trying to kick the stuffing out of you every single week, your body gets used to being physical.”
Packers cornerback Tyrone Williams, asked about covering San Francisco’s 6-foot-4-inch wide receivers, Terrell Owens and J.J. Stokes, said: “Games against Minnesota can help us. The Vikings have big receivers, so it won’t be anything totally new for us.”
Cornerback Doug Evans believes the Packers might have to be conscious of tempo.
“One thing you notice about San Francisco is they play very fast, so we have to play very fast,” he said. “We can’t be caught looking at the ballgame.”
Packers coach Mike Holmgren, who makes a point of anticipating each week’s story line and advising his players accordingly, set the tone again by declaring: “There are no easy games.”
The 49ers love the notion they got here by picking on such NFC West nobodies as the Rams, Saints, Falcons and Panthers.
“If you play long enough, you know better than to get caught in the traps of commentary,” Steve Young said. “You understand the difficulty of going out week after week, and you know what you’ve accomplished. You know what you can gain from winning games you’re supposed to win. It matters to go out and win games you’re supposed to win.”
And that’s one reason this NFC championship is so compelling: No one is supposed to win it. Add up all the pluses and minuses, all the schedule differences, and it comes up pretty much even. No one is supposed to win; they’re just supposed to play.