Skip to main content

NFC Championship game preview: Packers @ Bears

Green Bay Packers (12-6) @ Chicago Bears (12-5) - Line: Packers (-3 1/2)

No team has been hotter of late than the Green Bay Packers. Their run really started in Foxboro Massachusetts in December, a game that Aaron Rodgers didn't play in because of a concussion. In that contest against the Patriots, the Packers beat up the Pats for most of the evening, even holding a couple of leads in the game. Trailing 31-27 late in the fourth, back-up Matt Flynn engineered a drive deep into the Pats territory, before New England turned around the Packers in the waning seconds at the 10 yard line.

Even though it was a lose it was impressive.

Since that time the Pack has been rolling. Aaron Rodgers returned the next week and toruched the Giants for four touchdowns in a 45-17 victory. Then he threw a touchdown in a 10-3 victory over the Bears just to get to the postseason. More on that game in a minute.

A victory over a beaten up Michael Vick and the Eagles, and a dominating 48-21 victory over the Falcons and Packers are rolling into the Windy City. The Packers are a clear favorite to win this game, if not the Super Bowl.

As for the Bears, they played their hearts out in that regular season finale against Green Bay. They didn't want the Packers in the playoffs, with the thought they could see them in the playoffs.

Well now those divisional rivals will reunite in Chicago, tomorrow.

The Bears know Rodgers and the Packers well. The Bears held Rodgers to 229 yards passing, a touchdown and interception, and even sacked him twice in that Green Bay 10-3 win.

Expect Chicago to use a lot of blitzes on Rodgers, led mostly by Julius Peppers and Isreal Idonije to pressure Rodgers into mistakes. It won't be easy because he has been on fire for so long.

Then there is the Bears offense. Jay Cutler for as good as he is, is always prone to a big interception, and no defensive player has been on fire as much as Packers corner Tarmon Williams who has three interceptions in the last two weeks. If the Packers get enough pressure on Cutler, he will likely make a huge mistake, and Williams is likely to be there to accomidate.

Thus, the Bears offensive line, which has been much maligned at times, has to have the game of their life to protect Cutler and help the Bears move on.

One match-up to watch is Cutler to tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen has been Cutler's favorite target of late, and they will try to get Olsen the football when it allows Sunday.

Prediction: It is hard to go against the Bears considering they are home, and I am sure they will play with a chip on their shoulder since they are underdogs in their own building. A Bears victory would not be surprising, but right now considering how hot the Packers have been, even a field goal kind of game could go their way. PACKERS 23, BEARS 17.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...
8 comments
Read more

Francisco Lindor Remains Red Hot as Mets Top Phillies

 Francisco Lindor remains the hottest player in Queens right now.  The Mets shortstop blasted two more home runs, including a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning, Monday night to help propel the Mets to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia.   Lindor who typically struggles in the month of April is putting together a heck of a month. Monday's two hit effort was the 10th game in the last 11 where Lindor has recorded a hit. In fact in the month of April alone this year, Lindor was hitting at .311 coming into Monday's action.  On the year, Lindor is batting .284 with five homers and 13 RBI.  Lindor's efforts proved to be prophetic, as the Phillies Alec Bohm crushed a three-run bomb off Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth to cut the Mets lead to a single run. Fortunately for New York, Diaz was able to shut the door with strikeouts of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.  New York (16-7) has now won five in a row.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Mets Keep Rolling into Phillies Series

 The New York Mets are feeling pretty good about things right now!  The Amazin's swept a four game series from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, winning 7-4 Sunday afternoon. It was the first time since 1986 that the Amazin's had swept such a series from St. Louis. We all know what happened later that season.    Well, not to get too far ahead of ourselves, because the 2025 version now faces a very stiff challenge. The Mets will face their arch rivals the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday with only two games separating the two teams in the NL East.  The Mets took out Philly in the NLDS last October, so this figures to be a heck of showdown. The Mets begin a month long stretch against teams that are likely postseason contenders like the Phillies, D-Backs, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers.  If the Mets (15-7) are this good, we will know for sure in a month.
Post a Comment
Read more