Why ex-49ers, Packers QB Benkert helps GB beat SF

The 49ers last played a significant game this season when? According to former 49ers and Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert, who recently spoke on the “Up & Adams Show,” Kyle Shanahan and co. haven't played a good game in nearly two months. The arithmetic suggests he was referring to the 49ers' Week 13 trip to Lincoln Financial Field.

Benkert swiftly added that the 49ers' lack of a recent tough opponent will hurt them when they visit the Packers on Saturday.

"Matters a lot," Benkert told Adams. “Last night, I looked at who they've played and when the 49ers last won a meaningful game. Or a game that made them sweat? Over a month—probably seven weeks, almost two months.”

Adams defended Green Bay's late-season survival instincts by citing the 49ers' humiliating defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, a comeback win against the Washington Commanders, and two weeks off.

And I'm looking at it: the Packers have probably played playoff games, essentially, for the last five weeks,” Benkert said. Losing every week would have kept them out of the playoffs or booted them out. I think the playoffs reset everything, and the Packers couldn't play better.

“They didn't give up points to the Cowboys until they put their backups in and were playing defensively to avoid injury. In meaningful football, the Packers have played better in recent weeks. I don't know, this game feels odd. The 49ers should win. Their roster is superior. Their situation is improved. Packers, though

The 49ers completed a conference-best 12-5 regular season after playing six weeks straight as the NFC's top playoff seed and won four of six games before their first-round bye.

After a slow 2-5 start, the Packers won their final four games and beat the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday to reach Super Wild Card Weekend. Both teams have different ways to Levi's Stadium this weekend, but Benkert is eager to dispute whether it will offer either squad an edge.

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