After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely.

The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes today by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.

“I think we’re motivated to keep winning more than anything,” Packers center Josh Myers said. “Obviously, they have knocked us out quite a bit. There’s that extra motivation behind it, but at this point, we’re just trying to churn out wins.”

The 49ers will be playing this game without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who injured his right shoulder in the Seahawks game. Although an MRI showed no structural damage, Purdy’s shoulder didn’t improve as the week wore on.

Brandon Allen will start in Purdy’s place.

Green Bay is third in the NFC North and two games behind the Detroit Lions, but the Packers appear on track to at least earn a wild-card playoff berth. History suggests their path to a potential Super Bowl would get much clearer if the 49ers aren’t standing in their way.

The 49ers trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter before rallying to beat the Packers 24-21 in the divisional playoffs last year on Christian McCaffrey’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left. Now, it’s the 49ers who are struggling to protect late leads, as they’ve blown fourth-quarter advantages in three games against divisional opponents.

“You could look at, ‘Hey, we’re three possessions away from being 8-2,’ but you can’t really live like that,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “Those are the mistakes that we’ve made to be 5-5. It’s not exactly where we want to be. It is frustrating. The nice thing is we have seven games left to go out there and play Niners football and take advantage of those opportunities.”

Green Bay’s recent history of playoff frustration against the 49ers also includes a 13-10 loss at Lambeau Field in the 2021 divisional playoffs and a 37-20 road defeat in the 2019 NFC championship game.

Even the Packers players who weren’t around for last season’s playoff loss realize what this game means.

“I think one of the first meetings that I was in here, we had a conversation about the Niners beating us,” said Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers this season. “So I understand how important it is, and we all do.”

One key to the game: Both teams must figure out how to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.

The 49ers are scoring touchdowns on just 48.8% of their drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line to rank 27th in the NFL. The Packers are slightly worse in that regard, scoring touchdowns on 48.7% of their red-zone possessions to rank 28th.

In their 20-19 victory at Chicago last Sunday, Green Bay drove to the Bears 5 without scoring on two separate series.

Purdy isn’t the only notable player who won’t be participating in Sunday’s game.

San Francisco won’t have four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa available after he hurt his left hip and oblique against the Seahawks. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) also have been ruled out.

Kittle expects to play for the 49ers on Sunday after missing the Seahawks game with a hamstring injury. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t eased McCaffrey back into the lineup in his return after missing the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has played 91% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps the past two weeks.

Jordan Mason, who rushed for 685 yards during McCaffrey’s absence, has just five snaps on offense the last two games. Shanahan said he’d like to get Mason more opportunities, but it’s hard to take McCaffrey off the field.

Broncos at Raiders

Bo Nix has quickly established himself in Denver and is giving Washington’s Jayden Daniels a run for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Broncos are in the playoff race thanks to Nix’s emergence and a strong defense. The Raiders are heading the other way with six straight losses, no franchise QB and only the hope that new minority owner Tom Brady can restore a once-proud franchise that’s become a perennial loser.

Vikings at Bears

Two teams who were expected to have opposite seasons meet up for the first of their two matchups over the final seven games. The Vikings have exceeded expectations and already surpassed their predicted wins total for the season. The Bears were considered a playoff contender coming in but four straight losses have reduced their margin for error. Caleb Williams hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass during the losing streak, but also has no picks in that span. The Vikings are 7-3 against the spread this season. The Bears are 8-1 ATS in their past nine home games.

Lions at Colts

The high-powered Lions are steamrolling teams without letting up. They want the NFC’s No. 1 seed and Jared Goff has led the offense to 52 points twice in the past four games. QB Anthony Richardson is coming off his best game in his return to the starting lineup for the Colts. His mobility presents a challenge for Detroit, which is still trying to fill a major void on the defensive line without injured star Aidan Hutchinson.

Patriots at Dolphins

Miami faces the only team it beat without Tua Tagovailoa this season. Tagovailoa’s return from a four-game absence following another concussion has sparked the Dolphins. They have to keep winning to climb into the playoff race. Drake Maye and the Patriots aren’t going anywhere but the rookie quarterback keeps improving.

Buccaneers at Giants

Back from a bye, the Buccaneers aim to snap a four-game losing streak after a brutal stretch against tough opponents. Tampa Bay remains the only team to beat Detroit and the last team to beat Philadelphia. The Bucs could have some help with the possible return of star wide receiver Mike Evans. The Giants are turning to Tommy DeVito after benching Daniel Jones. They’re looking toward the draft and the hope of landing a franchise QB.

Cowboys at Commanders

The Cowboys are better off tanking the rest of the season to improve draft positioning. They’ve been outscored 68-16 in two games without Dak Prescott. The Commanders have lost two in a row and Jayden Daniels now has competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Dallas is 5-1 against the spread in its past six games vs. Washington. The Commanders are 2-7 straight up in the past nine against NFC East opponents. But this is a different Commanders team.

Chiefs at Panthers

The Chiefs are coming off their first loss. They weren’t going undefeated and the goal is a Super Bowl three-peat. Patrick Mahomes hopes one loss sparks more urgency. The Panthers are an ideal bounce-back opponent, though they’ve won two in a row. A bye slowed down their momentum. Carolina isn’t ready to pull off an upset of this magnitude.

Titans at Texans

C.J. Stroud and the Texans won the battle of Texas and now look to take another step toward repeating as AFC South champions. Joe Mixon should have room to run against Tennessee. The Titans have the league’s No. 2 defense but are 12th against the run.

Cardinals at Seahawks

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are back from a bye and leading the NFC West by one game ahead of the Niners, Seahawks and Rams. Arizona’s defense has improved, tight end Trey McBride has turned into a star to give Murray another option and the team is riding a four-game winning streak. The Seahawks should be feeling a little disrespect as home underdogs after an impressive win at San Francisco.

Eagles at Rams

While Saquon Barkley has joined Jalen Hurts to give Philadelphia’s offense another dynamic option, a stout defense has helped the Eagles win six straight games. They need to keep winning to keep up with Detroit in the race for the No. 1 seed. The Rams have won four of five to make a push for a playoff berth. Matthew Stafford and the rest of Los Angeles’ offense have a tough challenge against the league’s top-ranked defense. Rams coach Sean McVay is 0-3 at home against Philadelphia.