The 49ers vs. Packers in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than that. These teams have been a part of some historic playoff matchups in the past and had an instant classic this season where the Packers won 30-28. The last time these two played in the playoffs, it was a thorough ass-kicking from San Francisco and the Packers still have that bad taste in their mouth. I doubt we see that happen again as the 49ers are underdogs this time around. So, what do the 49ers need to do to pull out a win? We break down our five keys to the game:

Prepare themselves for when the Packers “go empty”

In their week three matchup, the Packers exposed the 49ers’ weak secondary and one effective way was when they went in an “empty formation”. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s when the offense has nobody besides the running back in the backfield with the quarterback. Of course, Rodgers makes most defenses look bad but he particularly took advantage of the 49ers. Their secondary has gotten better, but to offset the strong San Francisco pass rush, Rodgers will be getting the ball out but attacking down the field. Expect Ambry Thomas to be the focal point, so the rookie will have to continue his streak of strong play.

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