Smith vs. Rodgers: Sound familiar? It should

<p>GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers are again the compelling storyline. And just like in the 2005 draft, only one can win.</p><p>But when Smith's 49ers and Rodgers' Green Bay Packers meet today at Lambeau Field, there is an issue of much greater significance than a duel involving two players who will never be on the field during the game at the same time.</p><p>The 49ers selected Smith with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft after carefully considering Rodgers, who played collegiately at Cal.</p><p>Rodgers eventually slid all the way to No. 24, where the Packers selected him.</p><p>“I understand that we will forever be connected because of that,” Smith said. “But I don't at all feel like I am competing with him in that sense. I am competing with him to win the game.”</p><p>After all, there's a playoff race going on and the 49ers are playing catch-up to the Packers, Arizona Cardinals and three other teams in the NFC.</p><p>At 4-5, the 49ers have little margin for error in the playoff race, and they know it.</p><p>“The next seven weeks we have our backs against the wall,” 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin said. “It all starts with this one. Both of us are in the hunt for a wild-card. We're not in the driver's seat, but if we win out we have a good chance.”</p><p>The 49ers have already lost to one team ahead of them in the wild-card picture and can't afford another loss to a team they're scrambling to catch.</p><p>Coach Mike Singletary has repeatedly spoken about his belief that the 49ers will be a playoff team. He has even made promises that the 2009 49ers will be “special.” But with a loss today, the 49ers run the risk of being downright ordinary.</p><p>“You know what? As far as the importance of the game, I think this game is just as important as the first game we played at the beginning of the season,” Singletary said. “Every game is important to me. Every game has playoff implications.”</p><p>While Singletary has not shied away from publicly talking about the playoffs, he said it is a subject that he does not broach with his team.</p><p>“It does us no good to talk about playoff implications, or whatever, if we don't take care of this week,” Singletary said. “Everybody is talking about the playoffs and all the other stuff, but if we don't take care of business. It doesn't do us any good if we're not continuing to get better, to talk about the playoffs.”</p><p>While the goal since the offseason has been a playoff appearance, the 49ers might need help to get there — unless, of course, they put together their first eight-game win streak since 1997.</p><p>The 49ers have not qualified for the playoffs since 2002. The club has two possible paths to get there this season.</p><p>The 49ers would have to unseat the Cardinals to win the NFC West. Or, they could gain one of two wild-card entries behind front-running division leaders Arizona, New Orleans, Minnesota and Dallas.</p><p>“There are some teams right now that are winning, but it doesn't mean they're getting better,” Singletary said. “And when it gets hot, those teams, for whatever reason, are not going to perform their best. I'm going to stay focused on ‘Are we getting better?' That's the most important thing to me.”</p><p>Here are the teams the 49ers are battling for playoff spots:</p><p>Arizona (6-3): The Cardinals lead the 49ers by two games in the NFC West. The 49ers won the first meeting between the teams in Arizona, and they meet again Dec. 14 at Candlestick. The Cardinals play at St. Louis today. Their final six games are at Tennessee, home against Minnesota, road games against the 49ers and Detroit, and home against St. Louis and Green Bay.</p><p>Green Bay (5-4): After today's important game, the Packers play at Detroit, home against Baltimore, road games at Chicago and Pittsburgh, home against Seattle, and at Arizona.</p><p>Atlanta (5-4): The Falcons also have a victory over the 49ers, a resounding 45-10 victory at Candlestick Park. They play at the New York Giants today, followed by home games against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and New Orleans before traveling to face the New York Jets and Tampa Bay, sandwiched between a home game against Buffalo.</p><p>N.Y. Giants (5-4): The play at home against Atlanta today, then at Denver before returning home for games against Dallas and Philadelphia. They finish at Washington, home against Carolina and at Minnesota.</p><p>Philadelphia (5-4): If the 49ers keep their playoff expectations going long enough, they could face a critical road game against the Eagles on Dec. 20. The Eagles are at Chicago today. Then, they face Washington at home, Atlanta and the Giants on the road. After the 49ers and Denver visit, then the Eagles finish at Dallas.</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@press</p><p>democrat.com.</p>