Friday Cheese Curds: Packers’ opportunity to exorcise playoff demons is almost here

No team has been a bigger postseason bugaboo for Green Bay than the 49ers, but this young Packers squad has a chance to flip the script on Saturday night.

If recent history repeats itself, the Green Bay Packers’ season will be over late Saturday evening. No team has been a more consistent problem for the Packers in the playoffs than the San Francisco 49ers, both over the team’s storied history and specifically over the last 12 years.

The Packers and Niners will plan in an NFL-record 10th playoff game on Saturday, breaking a record that Green Bay just tied with the Cowboys last week. But San Francisco has won five of those matchups, giving the Packers more playoff losses than any other NFL team (the Cowboys have beaten the Packers four times). And four of those five 49ers wins have come since the 2012 season, adding to the recent pain for Packers fans.

But this young Green Bay squad can forget most of that. The bulk of the offense consists of players in their first or second NFL seasons, meaning they were not even in the league when the 49ers last won a playoff matchup in this rivalry, following the 2021 season.

History be damned — this team just made its own history, becoming the first #7 seed to win a playoff game. Maybe a little youthful ignorance is just what the doctor ordered.

Pressure important for Packers vs. Brock Purdy but doesn’t guarantee success | Packers Wire
The Packers got pressure on Dak Prescott sporadically last week, and it feels like they will need to get to Purdy more consistently this weekend to win. But even if they do, the coverage will need to hold up on the back end and they can’t allow Purdy to make big plays with his legs.

Packers CB Jaire Alexander ‘stayed locked in’ to return to action | Packers.com
To that end, it would be great news if Alexander can play on Saturday after he aggravated his ankle injury in last weekend’s game. But it was shocking to Joe Barry that he was able to play at all in Dallas, so maybe he’ll be good enough to go this weekend as well.

Post-Rodgers, Packers’ Matt LaFleur thrives with Jordan Love – ESPN
After hearing comments from Adam Stenavich this week, it feels like Love’s willingness to just run the offense is allowing Matt LaFleur to have better success as a play-caller, particularly in his ability to set up his calls throughout a game.

Taylor Swift’s jacket brings star boost to Kristin Juszczyk, wife of 49ers’ All-Pro fullback – The Athletic ($)
Once again, Swift overshadows Simone Biles, who got a much better-looking vest (in our humble opinion) that Mrs. Juszczyk made from a Jonathan Owens jersey a few weeks earlier. Seriously, check this thing out — and give her a fashion line already.

Cryptocurrency like Beanie Babies, says Coinbase in US regulator’s lawsuit | The Guardian
I’m no expert in crypto, but this doesn’t seem like a productive argument in favor of it.