NFC Championship Game Preview

Well, the NFC Championship match is set up, and it will be the Chicago Bears hosting the Green bay Packers. Cutler versus Rodgers. The two top teams of the NFC North end up being, apparently, the two top teams in the NFC, period. It is a storied rivalry, the oldest and most intense one in the NFL, and one of the most intense in North American sports. Yet, it is only the second time that these two clubs are meeting in a playoff meeting. But this one will be to see who moves on to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

            The Bears really had their way today against Seattle, much like the Pack did yesterday against the Falcons. And now, a seemingly unlikely scenario, as these two storied franchises from the NFC North will face one another, seemingly against all odds. There were points where it seemed both teams were struggling and on the brink of disaster earlier this season. When the Bears started off red hot with a 3-0 record, and then got absolutely dismantled by the Giants, it seemed that New York had exposed some severe weaknesses that other opponents could expose against Chicago, and that the Bears would struggle the rest of the way. And it began to look that way, too, until the Bears finished the season off strong.

            Green Bay, for that matter, was one of the favorites in the preseason, but a season riddled with injuries and some inconsistent play that largely came as a result of their depleted lineup seemed to threaten to obscure the brilliant possibilities of the Packers season, as well. But the Packers hung in there, winning some tough games at key points, including a shut out on the road over the tough New York Jets, and showing some toughness and character in losses on the road against the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots. But the Packers stood at 8-6, and hosted the New York Giants, a game that was, for them, essentially a playoff game. It was win or be done, and the packers won, big time. They then took care of business against the Bears, to boot, in the regular season finale, and finally qualified for the postseason.

            They proved to be sharp, as well, taking it to the always dangerous Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the Wild Card round, and then utterly dismantling the Falcons in Atlanta, despite their supposed dominance in their home stadium, and their earlier victory over the Packers in that same stadium earlier in the year.

            So now, two of the most storied teams in sports meet in one of the oldest and bitterest of rivalries in sports, for all of the marbles in the NFC.

            It should be a really good one.

            For my part, let me just say that I believe that Green Bay, at their best, should prove to be the better team. They are playing on such a level, that it would be hard to go against them right now. They are beginning to seem like the team with the caliber that many people predicted they would play at going into the season. The Bears have had a fantastic season, a division title under their belts, and their first playoff victory since the 2006 season, the last time that they were in the playoffs, when they went all the way to the Super Bowl, before losing to Peyton Manning’s Colts.

            The Bears have their trademark tough defense, yet the Packers defense has been very tough all season. Really, Green Bay has one of the league’s best defenses, and it has more or less risen to the occasion when it needed to this season. They should continue that trend next week, as well, and frustrate Jay Cutler and the Chicago offense in a way that the Seahawks were never able to do (and yes, I’m still wondering how Seattle actually got into the playoffs, let alone hosted a playoff game, with a 7-9 record, when not one, but two teams in the NFC missed it with a 10-6 record).

            Yes, the Bears indeed enjoyed a great season, and this should cap it off well, a playoff victory that gave them home field advantage for the Championship Game, for the second time in five season.

            But I think the Packers are the ones that are having that very memorable, almost seemingly miraculous season, and they should take this one. Packers 21- Bears 17.