49ers 23, Packers 20: Phil Dawson kicked his third field goal, a 33-yarder as time ran out, as visiting San Francisco outlasted Green Bay in an NFC Wild Card matchup at frigid Lambeau Field.

Colin Kaepernick threw for 227 yards with one touchdown and one interception and gained 98 yards on seven rushes, including an 11-yard scramble on third down to set up the winning kick, to lift the 49ers (13-4) to their seventh straight win and a matchup at No. 2 seed Carolina next Sunday. Michael Crabtree had eight catches for 125 yards and Frank Gore rushed for 66 yards and a TD as San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh improved to 4-0 against the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers - in his second game back after missing seven with a broken collarbone - finished 17-of-26 for 177 yards and a touchdown for Green Bay (8-8-1), which lost at San Francisco 34-28 in Week 1 and was eliminated by the 49ers in last season's playoffs. Jordy Nelson had seven catches for 62 yards and a score while rookie Eddie Lacy rushed for 81 yards for the NFC North champions.

Dawson also connected on a pair of short field goals in the first quarter for San Francisco, which will look to avenge a 10-9 home loss to Carolina on Nov. 10. Rodgers' 5-yard touchdown pass to Nelson put the Packers ahead 7-6, but a 42-yard scramble by Kaepernick set up Gore's 10-yard TD run up the middle with 2:48 left in the half before the Packers pulled within 13-10 on Mason Crosby's 34-yard field goal as time expired.

Green Bay fought back by attacking a defense that did not allow a 100-yard rusher all season, running the ball on 9-of-12 plays during an 80-yard drive before fullback John Kuhn plowed into the end zone from the 1 for a 17-13 lead with 12:06 to play. Rodgers kept the drive alive on a fourth-and-2 play at San Francisco's 30, escaping the grasp of Ray McDonald and hitting Randall Cobb for a 26-yard gain.

The 49ers answered with a four-play, 63-yard march culminating with Kaepernick's 28-yard scoring strike down the middle to tight end Vernon Davis to reclaim the lead with 10:31 to play, only to see Rodgers respond by moving Green Bay in position for Crosby's tying 24-yard kick with 5:06 remaining. Kaepernick had three big runs - the 42-yarder on San Francisco's first TD drive, a 24-yarder on third-and-4 before Davis' touchdown and the 11-yarder around left end on the winning drive.

GAME NOTEBOOK: San Francisco had as many first downs (six) as Green Bay had total yards in the first quarter, holding the Packers to three three-and-outs and keeping them from completing a pass in the opening 15 minutes for the first time since the 2004 season. ... Davis was held under 100 yards receiving for only the second time in six playoff games, but he scored his sixth career postseason touchdown. ... Kuhn has scored at least one TD in five straight playoff games, while Nelson's scoring reception was the fourth of his postseason career and first since Super Bowl XLV against Pittsburgh. ... Packers CB Sam Shields and LB Mike Neal were knocked out of the game with knee injuries on San Francisco's opening possession, while 49ers CB Carlos Rogers (hamstring) was inactive.