The San Francisco 49ers will play at iconic Lambeau Field on Monday night. For many of the players on the young squad, it will be their first time playing at the stadium. The 49ers head into their matchup against the Green Bay Packers with a 1-4 record and a primetime opportunity to shock critics.
The 49ers had their October 21 primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams demoted to an afternoon game this week. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers remain focused on Monday night's opportunity.
"We like being on national TV," he said on Saturday. "We like to prove people wrong. We're excited we get to do it this week."
As for Lambeau Field, Shanahan is excited to have his young squad take in the experience.
"I think everyone knows the tradition there," Shanahan said. "So, it's always neat to go there, especially to go to a night game where you get to see everyone getting ready for it all game. Any time you go to a place with a bunch of history.
"I know it's always a little bit colder there. I know I'm glad we're going there now and not December. It's a fun place to play and something that I've had the opportunity to do. Not a lot of our guys on our team have, and I think they'll see it's a pretty special place when they get there."
Shanahan was asked if he had a favorite Lambeau Field memory. He recalled his first visit to the stadium — a 2008 matchup as the offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. It was a game the Texans won 24-21 against a first-year starting quarterback by the name of Aaron Rodgers.
"It was six degrees," Shanahan shared. "I was out in Houston. I tried to go to the box, but they made me stay on the field. I was freezing. It was pretty neat because I think we set a record. I think we had over 500 yards of offense and it was the most in any temperature under 10 degrees. That was a pretty neat win. I think it was Aaron's first year playing where he just replaced Favre. But, it was a fun time."
Shanahan accurately recalls the statistics from the game. His Texans offense put up 549 yards with 408 coming through the air and an impressive 141 on the ground. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 414 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while rookie running back Steve Slaton carried the football 26 times for 120 yards.
