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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Tim McDonald doesn't need anyone to tell him about the San Francisco 49ers' discouraging run against the Green Bay Packers. He knows it by heart -- five games, five losses, three of them season-ending defeats in the playoffs.

	Niners safety Tim McDonald says the Packers are "a big monkey" that the 49ers must get off their backs.

"It's a big monkey on our back, and we've got to shake it," said McDonald. "Until you beat Green Bay, you really haven't done a whole lot. It's definitely a hurdle that we've got to overcome."

San Francisco (12-4) gets another shot at snapping the streak Sunday, when the Packers (11-5) come to Candlestick Point for an NFC wild-card game, the fourth consecutive postseason meeting between the teams. Last January, the Packers beat San Francisco 23-10 in the NFC title game.

"For years, it was Dallas. Now it's Green Bay," Steve Young said, recalling how the 49ers lost three straight to the Cowboys before they swept both meetings in 1994, including the NFC Championship Game, en route to their fifth Super Bowl win.

"When your goal is the Super Bowl, you bump up against the best organizations in football, and we have," Young said. "They've been a thorn in our side for three years now."

The teams met most recently in a Nov. 1 game at Lambeau Field. San Francisco came back from a 16-0 deficit to lead 22-19 in the third quarter only to be outscored 17-0 in the final period and drop a 36-22 decision.

In all five of the losses, the 49ers have fallen behind. They have been outscored 54-6 in the first quarter of those games.

"That's the spot they want to put you in, and that's what we've got to avoid, because then they clearly put their ears back and they can create a lot of havoc," said Young, who was sacked a career-high nine times in the last meeting with the Packers.

Still, coach Steve Mariucci said he saw some encouraging signs in the last game, and that leads him to believe the 49ers are closing the gap.

"I thought we got into a rhythm once we settled down in that game in Lambeau earlier this season," Mariucci said. "We put some nice drives together and ran the ball, and Steve was efficient.

"We've got to hang on to the football, that's been a key in those games, and we have to play a complete game. We've not done that very often this year. We've put two and three quarters together of tremendous football. I think if we play four quarters of football, we can beat anybody."

Garrison Hearst gained 99 yards on 17 carries despite not carrying the ball once in the fourth quarter. It was the best showing by a 49ers running back over the last five games against Green Bay. In the previous four meetings, San Francisco running backs averaged only 2.3 yards per carry on 61 attempts.

"When we didn't run the ball effectively in the NFC Championship, that allowed them to tee off on Steve." Mariucci said. "They have very good pass rushers. If we can continue to mix and match, Reggie White and Santana Dotson will have to play the run and pass, screens and draws, and they may not get to Steve as easily."

A key to San Francisco's hope for a balanced attack will be the health of Hearst, who is listed as questionable with a mild pull of his right hamstring. He's not expected to practice until Thursday.

Terry Kirby, who played the last three quarters Sunday against the St. Louis Rams in Hearst's place, will take more practice snaps in his absence.

"I'm ready, but I think Garrison is going to be fine," Kirby said. "We want to go in with all our horses, and we want them all healthy."