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This game is the fourth time in the last six years in which a team with at least 11 wins was forced to play its first playoff game on the road against a team with four fewer wins.
In 2011, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished 12-4 but lost their division based on a tie-breaker and were forced to play Tim Tebow and the 8-8 Broncos in Denver. A year earlier, the New Orleans Saints went 11-5 but had to travel to Seattle to play the 7-9 Seahawks in the first round. Finally, in 2008, the 12-4 Indianapolis Colts played on the road against the 8-8 San Diego Chargers.
To make matters worse, in all three games, the team with the far superior regular season record lost a close game on the road, including two in overtime.
The 49ers are not the only team to get screwed this year. The 11-5 New Orleans Saints must play in Philadelphia against the Eagles who went 10-6 in the weak NFC East division. Overall, 14 of the 28 opening round playoff games in the last seven seasons has seen a team playing on the road against a team with a worse record.
Then there are the Arizona Cardinals this season who have two more wins than the Packers and aren't in the playoffs at all.
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