Packers vs. Bears: 5 Observations from Green Bay's Super Bowl-Securing Win
The injuries mounted, the heartbreaking losses took their toll and the critics piled on.
This time, however, the Green Bay Packers got the last laugh.
During a year in which 16 players went on injured reserve, all six losses were by four points or less and plenty of fans called for the jobs of both the head coach and general manager, the Packers have rightfully earned a trip to Super Bowl XLV by beating the Chicago Bears 21-14 in the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field.
At times on Sunday, it was tough sailing and at times things looked shaky, but that's no problem for this team.
Taking the road less traveled has become commonplace for the Green Bay Packers.
That road continues on to Dallas for the Super Bowl. Here are five observations from the Packers' Super Bowl-securing win.
Quick Start Allows the Packers Room for a Slow End
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The Packers had been a notoriously slow-starting team during the regular season, but during these playoffs, Green Bay has gotten off to fast start after fast start.
That trend continued against the Bears, as the Packers picked up right where they left off in Atlanta by scoring the game's first 14 points.
Touchdown runs from Aaron Rodgers and James Starks gave the Packers a two touchdown lead heading into the second half, marking the third time in three postseason chances that Green Bay has taken a 10-point lead into the break (14-3 vs. Eagles, 28-14 vs. Falcons).
As it happened in Philadelphia, the Packers needed the quick start to hold off another comeback attempt. Green Bay's offense wouldn't score another point in the game, but it didn't matter—B.J. Raji's interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was good enough for the final margin.
By no means was it pretty, but the quick start allowed the Packers to overcome some the mistakes they made later on in the game.
Packers Knock Cutler Out of the Game
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Without any solid knowledge of the situation, it could possibly be unwise to criticize Jay Cutler for sitting out the second half of the NFC Championship game. For all I know, he could have torn his ACL.
However, that's not the way it sounds. Bears coach Lovie Smith said that Cutler "tried to give it a go but was unable to." I'm not sure about you, but that doesn't sound like an ACL injury to me.
To the Packers credit, Green Bay's defense continually applied pressure and hit Cutler in the first half. It was no secret that the Packers needed to do that to be successful against the Bears offense, and they were more than successful in that area throughout most of the game.
Yet it's difficult to stray far from Cutler's injury and how that impacted the game. The Packers harassed second string quarterback Todd Collins into four straight incompletions before being pulled, and even though Caleb Hanie lead the Bears to 14 second-half points, he threw two game-breaking interceptions.
While Cutler has been known to throw a few of those himself, you'd have to figure the Bears would have been much better served with him under center in those final 30 minutes.
Either way, fans in Chicago have to be left a bit puzzled by the on-the-field and off-the-field decisions from Cutler on Sunday.
The Bears scored a grand total of zero points under his direction, and then (from what it sounds like) he couldn't go in the second half of a championship game—a decision that led many current and former players, including Maurice Jones-Drew and Deion Sanders, to seriously question Cutler's heart (or lack thereof).
The Packers Win Despite an Average Performance from Aaron Rodgers
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Aaron Rodgers was being touted all week for finally positioning himself as one of the NFL's "elite" quarterbacks after his performance in Atlanta (31-of-36 for 366 yards and four total touchdowns).
While his star came back a little closer to earth on Sunday, that doesn't mean the Packers can't take something from it.
Rodgers was 17-of-30 for 244 yards and one rushing touchdown, but he also threw two critical interceptions. A different Packers team would have let those mistakes define the game, but this squad instead ensured they were merely an afterthought.
The first interception—a bad pass that bounced off the shoe of Donald Driver and into the arms of Lance Briggs—halted a promising drive at the end of the first half. Any points from that possession could have all but won the game before half.
The second was a throw we don't see from Rodgers much: an interception in the redzone. On a 3rd-and-goal situation in the third quarter, Rodgers threw a short pass right into the waiting arms of Brian Urlacher, and only Rodgers' prayer of a tackle saved the Packers from the nightmare scenario of a Bears' pick-six.
On a team less resilient than the Packers, those throws could have lost them the game. However, the rest of the team—namely the defense—picked up Rodgers after his interceptions.
The defense forced a punt after the Urlacher interception, and Sam Shields repaid the favor by picking off Cutler right before the half.
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Speaking of Sam Shields...
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In my mind, Sam Shields made two of the biggest plays of the game.
The first, the aforementioned interception of Cutler before the half, made sure the Packers went into the locker room with a 14-point lead. Any points from the Bears on that final drive could have been a jumping off point for them going into the half.
However, Shields clearly saved his best performance for last. With Caleb Hanie leading an improbable tying drive against the Packers defense, Shields stepped in front of a fourth down pass to seal the Packers' NFC Championship.
It was the culmination of a long journey for Shields. From switching positions at the University of Miami (receiver to cornerback), to an undrafted long shot for the Packers' opening 53-man roster and, finally, to NFC Championship game savior.
Credit the Packers organization for both the discovery and progression of Shields.
Credit Packers GM Ted Thompson for once again showing his incredible eye in finding otherwise unwanted players, and credit the Packers coaching staff for teaching Shields the ins-and-outs of playing the position in just his third full season of doing so.
Grade A work from everyone involved—including Shields—for his development into the player we saw saving the game for the Packers on Sunday.
The Freezer Shines in the House of The Fridge
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As many heard during the Packers' thrashing of the Falcons eight days ago, nose tackle B.J. Raji likes to refer to himself as "The Freezer."
The nickname was the spawn of coach Mike McCarthy's decision to deploy Raji in the Packers' offensive backfield as a lead blocker, ala William "the Refrigerator" Perry of the 1980s Bears.
The Packers again put him in the backfield on Sunday, but this time as a decoy, as Rodgers scampered into the endzone on a naked quarterback boot.
Void of the opportunity to lead-block a Packers' touchdown, however, Raji took things into his hands on the defensive side of the ball.
With the Packers up 14-7 in the fourth quarter, Hanie tried to dump a short pass off to Matt Forte on a crucial third down for the Bears. Raji, who had dropped back in zone coverage on the play, wisely stepped in front of the pass and waltzed into the endzone for what turned out to be the Packers' game-winning touchdown.
It was a sight for Bears' fans that surely brought up memories of The Fridge dancing in the endzone during the 1985 Super Bowl season. Perry scored four touchdowns during the '85 season, while still being a dominant defensive lineman.
While Raji means no disrespect to Perry and his original moniker, The Freezer wrote the newest chapter in NFL appliance lore on Sunday. His touchdown put the chill to the Bears' 2010 season, and was the icing on the cake for the Packers' NFC Championship.
Looking Ahead
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Of course, by virtue of winning the NFC Championship, the Packers are on their way to Dallas for Super Bowl XLV.
In two weeks time (or February 6), the Packers will play either the New York Jets—whom they beat 9-0 earlier this season—or the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Either matchup has intrigue. The Jets would be a welcomed addition to the Super Bowl party, partly because the Packers have already beaten New York, and also because Rex Ryan and the Jets bravado would be an interesting two-week subplot.
The Steelers would add a historic value to the Super Bowl. Owners of six Lombardi Trophies, Pittsburgh is the winningest franchise in NFL history during the Super Bowl era. The Packers and Steelers also lay claim to two of the most loyal and dedicated fanbases in the NFL.
But who am I kidding? All that matters is that the Packers are in the Super Bowl, right?
This I know: Enjoy the win Titletown. The Packers have brought the Halas Trophy to Green Bay, but now it's time to bring the Lombardi trophy home.
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