Bear Down Bears Win
Bears will end Packers season this week
In the greatest rivalry in all of sports, yes it is Beantown. Green Bay travels to Chicago this Sunday in a do or die match up. You can bet this game will go down in history as one of the best between these two storied franchises. The Sports Minion believes Lovie Smith and his Chicago Bears will win this battle and continue on to Dallas. Let’s match it up…
GREEN BAY (-3.5) @ CHICAGO, 3:00 PM ET, FOX
Green Bay: Top Players: QB Aaron Rodgers (3,922 yds, 28 TDs), WR *Greg Jennings (76 rec. 1,265 yds, 12TD), T *Chad Clifton, LB *Clay Matthews (60 tackles, 13.5 sacks), CB *Charles Woodson (92 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT), S *Nick Collins (70 tackles, 4 INT) *denotes 2010 ProBowl Selection
Rodgers has thrown for 6 TDS and 0 INT in two postseason games against tough NFC opponents. His lowest QB rating for one game is a remarkable 122.5. Last week, he threw for 366 yards against an Atlanta defense, that ranked 22nd against the pass, leading Green Bay to a 27-point win over the NFC #1 seed. Lacking a solid running game, Jennings has stepped up his game, going over the 100-yd mark for the 6th time this season, last week. Matthews and Woodson lead a solid Green Bay defense, ranked 5th against the pass. Collins notched his third straight Pro-Bowl.
Chicago: Top Players: QB Jay Cutler (3,274 yds, 23 TDs), RB Matt Forte (1,610 YScm, 9 RRTD), LB *Lance Briggs (89 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT), LB *Brian Urlacher (125 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 INT), DE *Julius Peppers (54 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 INT), *Devin Hester WR/PR (1,496 APYd, 7 TDs)
All-pro linebacker tandem, Urlacher and Briggs lead a stellar Bear defense, ranked 2nd against the run. Peppers and Israel Idonije had 8 sacks each during the 2010 season, giving them a strong front line. The Bears easily dismantaled Seattle last week, holding them to three points, up until the 4th quarter. Cutler accounted for 4 TDs (2 rush 2 pass), and Seattle’s leading rusher was held to 13 yards. Hester heads into his third Pro Bowl, and is a game changer.
2010 Head to Head: 1-1 (9/27/10 Chicago 20-17; 1/2/11 Green Bay 10-3)
Position Matchups:
Quarterback: Rodgers, GB vs. Cutler, CHI
Advantage: Green Bay
Runningback: James Starks & Brandon Jackson, GB vs. Forte & Chester Taylor, CHI
Advantage: Chicago
Wide Receiver: Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson vs. Johnny Knox, Hester, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis
Advantage: Green Bay
Tight End: Andrew Quarless, GB vs. Greg Olsen, CHI
Advantage: Chicago
Offensive Line: Clifton and Co., GB vs. Olin Kreutz and Co., CHI
Advantage: Green Bay
Defensive Line: B.J. Raji & Ryan Pickett, GB vs. Peppers and Idonije, CHI
Advantage: Chicago
Linebackers: Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Desmond Bishop, GB vs. Urlacher, Briggs, and Pino Tinoisamoa, CHI
Advantage: Chicago
Secondary: Woodson, Collins, GB vs. Charles Tillman, Danieal Manning, CHI
Advantage: Packers
Special Teams: Mason Crosby (K), Tramon Williams (PR), Sam Shields (KR), GB vs. Robbie Gould (K), Hester (PR/KR), Manning (KR), CHI
Advantage: Chicago
Final Tally: Chicago 5 Green Bay 4
Prediction: Bears win 24-20, causing Ditka to smile.
The Sports Minion 