By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Jan 22, 2022 at 10:01 AM Photography: Evan Siegle / Packers.com

Third time's the charm. The Packers hope to make that oft-repeated cliche proves true as Aaron Rodgers and company return to the postseason, ready to finally break through the wall of the NFC championship game and earn their first trip to the Super Bowl since 2011. Redemption won't be easy, however, as the three most recent NFC champs – including the two teams that previously knocked them out – stand in their way in the conference's final four.

It should be a fittingly dramatic conclusion to one of the most dramatic seasons, on and off the field, in Wisconsin sports history. And to help you follow the postseason and be the best Packer backer you can be, here's a guide to the basic information you need to know – from who the Pack's playing to when's the next game and, hopefully, who's next. Go Pack Go!

Who are the Packers playing?

After getting Super Wild Card weekend off thanks to earning a first-round bye as the top seed, the Green Bay postseason revenge tour will finally begin against the San Francisco 49ers. The 10-7 Niners are the lowest remaining seed in the NFC after simultaneously clobbering and narrowly escaping the Dallas Cowboys, 23-17, on Sunday. (It was a weird game.)

Despite almost blowing their first-round win, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners are one of the hottest teams in football. After starting the season a flailing 2-4, San Francisco's gone 9-3 after Sunday's big playoff victory. What most concerns Packer fans, though, is what happened the last time these two teams faced off in the postseason: a 37-20 smackdown in the 2020 NFC championship game, the first of Green Bay's two so-close-yet-so-far disappointments. That being said, the two rivals already faced off once this season, with the Packers this time getting the best of the Niners, 30-28, in San Francisco in week three.

So, one way or another, history's repeating itself this weekend.

Where are the Packers playing?

Thanks to their impressive regular season play, the Packers locked up the top seed in the NFC – and therefore home field advantage throughout the postseason. As a result, this weekend's playoff spat will take place at Lambeau Field – where the weather is expected to be a balmy zero degrees with the wind chill and a chance of snow. You hate to see it. 

For those heading up to witness Rodgers hopefully get his revenge on the Niners first-hand, here's a guide to drinking and dining around Lambeau Field.

When are the Packers playing?

The Packers will kick off on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 7:15 p.m.

Where can I tune in to the Packers?

Saturday night's playoff clash will be broadcast on FOX, so you shouldn't need cable or any complicated streaming hook-up to watch the game – just a cheap TV antenna. That being said, FOX Sports' website and app should also allow viewers to stream the game from your devices as well. 

If you'd rather watch the Packers' punish San Francisco with your fellow fans, there are plenty of options there as well considering just about every bar in Wisconsin is a Packers bar. For a list of some particular Packers favorites in the area, click here – and for a collection of Milwaukee sports bars in general to choose from, try this guide. As for Packers fans far from Wisconsin? Here's a Packers bar in each state so you can find your fandom no matter your current location. 

Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee as more details about particular Packers viewing parties are announced, too. 

What – and who – is potentially next?

If the Packers defeat the Niners on Saturday night (*knocks on all of the wood in the zip code*), Green Bay would face off against the winner of Sunday's matinee game between the Los Angeles Rams and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers – aka the team that bounced the Packers from the playoffs last year. No matter who wins, the NFC championship would take place at Lambeau Field as the Packers are the top seed. 

But first things first, we've got some fool's gold to expose. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.