Niner Noise
FanSided

Ranking the 49ers’ 5 most exciting games on 2019 NFL schedule

By Peter Panacy

Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Richard Sherman #25 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – OCTOBER 04: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field after defeating the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Week 12 vs. Green Bay Packers

A year ago, quarterback C.J. Beathard arguably had the best game of his pro career, nearly leading the 49ers to a prime-time Monday Night Football matchup, only to lose 33-30 on a couple of masterful late-game drives by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Co.

If all goes according to plan, Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center instead of Beathard, and the Niners’ chances at home against Rodgers and Green Bay should be slightly improved.

But there’s far more to this contest than just being a grudge match for what happened last season.

For starters, the Packers and 49ers do have a nice little rivalry dating back to the 1990s, which shifted direction a bit during the earlier part of this decade to San Francisco’s favor, notably when quarterback Colin Kaepernick and then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense ended Green Bay’s playoff runs two years in a row.

Now, there’s another layer on the storyline. The Niners were a small centerpiece of a Bleacher Report story on Rodgers, the Packers and their former head coach, Mike McCarthy, which illustrated a lot of the issues both on the field and within the locker room.

That story will certainly come to focus, notably bringing up the 2005 NFL Draft, and will be hard to ignore when Rodgers heads to the Bay Area once again this season.