READY TO REPEAT; WEATHER, 49ERS CAN'T SLOW DOWN PACKERS : GREEN BAY 23, SAN FRANCISCO 10.

Byline: Mike Freeman The New York Times

If the Green Bay Packers' home-field advantage is the crunchy chill of a Wisconsin winter, then San Francisco's is El Nino.

It rained all day Sunday in the Bay Area, and 3Com Park was like a muddy sandbox. The 49ers believed that knowing how to run and cut in pudding would be as much of an advantage as being climatized to minus-10 degrees. At least that's what the 49ers kept telling themselves.

That is theory, this is reality: The Packers are going to Super Bowl XXXII to play the Denver Broncos and defend their title because they are a great team, and they can play anywhere, anytime, in any type of conditions or circumstances. A tropical storm. A blizzard. Your back yard. Anywhere.

Their 23-10 victory over the 49ers in driving rain and on slippery turf was their fourth consecutive victory over San Francisco - the third in postseason.

And while the score may not show it, Green Bay dominated the 49ers behind another pinpoint passing performance by 28-year-old quarterback Brett Favre, a great day of receiving by Antonio Freeman, and dominating defense and special teams that pinned the 49ers deep in their own territory all afternoon. San Francisco's average starting position was inside its 15-yard line.

``I'm very proud of the performance of the football team under very tough conditions,'' said Packers coach Mike Holmgren, whose nine postseason victories ties him with Vince Lombardi. ``I think our defense played an outstanding football game and we kept them off balance. Neither team was going to be real efficient considering the conditions. But our offense was able to get a few things going early.''

Indeed, Favre, angered by media talk of how inaccurate he can be in big games as compared to 49ers quarterback Steve Young, was hot early as Green Bay took a 13-3 halftime lead and never looked back.

They later added a Ryan Longwell field goal and 5-yard touchdown run by Dorsey Levens to take a 23-3 fourth quarter lead. Favre finished 16 of 27 for 222 yards and one touchdown and controlled the offense coolly and confidently. ``I love playing in big games,'' he said, ``and this was a big game.''

Green Bay, which will be heavily favored against the Broncos - a team they last played two years ago and hammered by 35 points - increased its postseason winning percentage to .733, the best in league history.

``The entire season was pressure-packed,'' said Green Bay safety Eugene Robinson. ``There were a lot of questions about us. `Can we do it again? Are they prima donnas? Are they charlatans? They're going to fall off, just wait, just wait.' We had a lot to prove and we stayed cohesive.''

This may have been one of their best performances in years. In addition to Levens gaining 114 yards on 24 carries - the first time the 49ers gave up more than 100 yards to a runner all year - and Freeman having four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, the Packers simply shut down San Francisco's offense.

The 49ers were held without an offensive touchdown in postseason for the first time since the Giants beat them 49-3 on Jan. 4, 1987. Using a variety of schemes, formations and blitz packages, San Francisco was held to just 257 total yards and 33 yards rushing. The 49ers' only points came on a Gary Anderson 28-yard field goal and a 95-yard kickoff return by Chuck Levy when the game was out of hand.

``The main thing we wanted to do was disrupt the rhythm of their offense,'' said defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur.

In the first half of their last two postseason games against San Francisco, the Packers have outscored the 49ers 55-13. The Packers' game plan this year was simple - go deep, deep, deep. It worked.

It seems nothing was going to stop the Packers on this wet and windy afternoon. Nothing short of a hurricane.

LEAN DECADE

San Francisco, tabbed the ``Team of the '80s,'' has struggled in NFC Championship games in the '90s. The 49ers are 1-4 in their last five title games.

Year Result

1997 Green Bay def. San Francisco (x), 23-10

1994 San Francisco (x) def. Dallas, 38-28

1993 Dallas (x) def. San Francisco, 38-21

1992 Dalas def. San Francisco (x), 30-20

1990 N.Y. Giants def. San Francisco (x), 15-13

(x) denotes home team

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) SUPERMEN

Favre, Elway lead their teams to San Diego

Photo Illustration by Cesar Quebral / Daily News

(2--3) Attack the backs

49ers running back Garrison Hearst (20), top, is brought down by Packers linebacker Brian Williams. Right, Green Bay running back Dorsey Levens (25) makes a short gain in the first quarter.

Associated Press

(4) Green Bay's Antonio Freeman celebrates after a first-quarter touchdown pass from quarterback Brett Favre during Sunday's victory in San Francisco.

Knight-Ridder Photo

(5) 49ers coach Steve Mariucci

BOX: LEAN DECADE (see text)