NFC First-Round Playoffs / Preview

Green Bay (11-5) at San Francisco (12-4) / 1 p.m., Channel 11

* HEAD TO HEAD: The Packers have won the last five meetings between the teams, including three in a row in the playoffs and a 36-22 victory at Lambeau Field on Nov. 1 in which they outscored the 49ers, 17-0, in the fourth quarter. Brett Favre passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns, two of 80 and 62 yards to Antonio Freeman, and the Packers sacked Steve Young nine times in the most recent meeting.

* SCOUTING THE PACKERS: The return of Dorsey Levens gives the Packers another option they didn’t have in the last meeting, when Travis Jervey rushed for a career-high 95 yards to keep the pressure off Favre. While eliminating the 49ers from the playoffs each of the last three seasons, the Packers had only one turnover. The 49ers had 11. And the Packers outgained the 49ers on the ground by an average of 106 yards to 62. Meanwhile, Favre completed 68.6% of his passes and passed for four touchdowns, with no interceptions. Favre this season passed for a league-high 4,212 yards. Defensive end Reggie White sacked Young three times in the November meeting.

* SCOUTING THE 49ERS: Charles Haley, who hasn’t played since 1996, was signed Saturday and will be used as a situational pass rusher. After a light practice, Haley was drenched in sweat and breathing hard. Asked if he was ready to play, he said: “We’ll find out [today], won’t we?” Haley was signed because of the 49ers’ mounting injuries on the defensive line, the most significant being the broken leg suffered by tackle Bryant Young five weeks ago. Steve Young set club records with 4,170 yards passing and a league-high 36 touchdown passes. Garrison Hearst leads the league’s No. 1 running game, but is questionable because of a mild right hamstring pull. In two seasons, Coach Steve Mariucci has lost only one game at home--last season’s NFC championship game to Green Bay.

* NOW YOU KNOW: The Packers are trying to become the first NFC team to reach the Super Bowl three seasons in a row.

* THEY SAID IT: 49er quarterback Young, who is 0-8 against the Packers: “In the NFL, you’re always facing an obstacle. We’re an organization that has a tremendous amount of pride, and when somebody has beaten you a number of times in a row it becomes a thing that you want even more so to overcome.”

* THE LINE: 49ers by 3

Logs

GREEN BAY

38 Detroit 19

23 Tampa Bay 15

13 At Cincinnati 6

37 At Carolina 30

24 Minnesota 37

20 At Detroit 27

28 Baltimore 10

36 San Francisco 22

20 At Pittsburgh 27

37 At N.Y. Giants 3

14 At Minnesota 28

24 Philadelphia 16

22 At Tampa Bay 24

26 Chicago 20

30 Tennessee 22

16 At Chicago 13

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SAN FRANCISCO

36 N.Y. Jets (OT) 30

45 At Washington 10

31 Atlanta 20

21 At Buffalo 26

31 At New Orleans 0

34 Indianapolis 31

28 At St. Louis 10

22 At Green Bay 36

25 Carolina 23

19 At Atlanta 31

31 New Orleans 20

31 N.Y. Giants 7

31 At Carolina (OT) 28

35 Detroit 13

21 At New England 24

38 St. Louis 19