1997 NFC Championship Game
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| Date | January 11, 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | 3Com Park San Francisco, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Dick Hantak | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 68,987 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator) | |||||||||||||||||||||
The 1997 National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game was an American football game played between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers on January 11, 1998, at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California. Both the Packers and 49ers finished the season with identical 13–3 records, each winning their respective divisions. The 49ers got the first seed in the playoffs due to tie-breakers: the 49ers had a better conference record than the Packers (11–1 versus 10–2, respectively). Both teams received first round byes during the Wild Card round. The Packers faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round, winning 21–7 and advancing to their third straight NFC Championship Game. The 49ers beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round by a score of 38–22. With their higher seeding, the 49ers hosted the Packers in the NFC Championship game.
The Packers took a 13–3 lead into halftime behind two field goals and a Brett Favre touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman. Ryan Longwell kicked another field goal in the fourth quarter before Dorsey Levens scored a touchdown with under four minutes left in the game. Even though the 49ers returned the ensuing kick off for a touchdown, the Packers were able to hold on for a 23-10 victory. The victory was the third straight year that the Packers beat the 49ers in the playoffs. The game continued the growing 49ers–Packers rivalry of the 1990s. The Packers advanced to Super Bowl XXXII, their second straight, where they lost 31–24 to the Denver Broncos. The two teams met again the next season in the playoffs, with the 49ers winning in dramatic fashion in what became known as The Catch II game.