Green Bay Packers Meet the Chicago Bears for Second Time in Playoff History

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that these two teams have only met in the playoffs one other time. The first time they met was in 1941 when both teams played in the first NFL playoff game ever. It would be the beginning of many hard-fought games between two division rivals.

The NFC Championship will be the second time these two teams ever meet in the NFL postseason, adding another chapter to a storied rivalry. This may be the most important meeting between the two teams, as the winner will get a ticket to the Super Bowl.

A few weeks ago it seemed as though the Packers were not even going to make the playoffs. They needed a win in the last game of the season against (ironically, enough) the Bears.  Now after one of the most dominating performances of the NFL 2011 post season, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have a shot at playing in the Super Bowl.

The Packers got to this point by defeating Michael Vick and the Eagles, then following that up with a masterful performance in Atlanta. Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards, three touchdowns and ran in for a score to pave the way to the NFC Championship game.

The odds on the Packers were listed as high as 10:1 to win the Super bowl, but that will undoubtedly change when the lines are released by BetMania. The Packers have one more obstacle before playing in a Super bowl, and that is their divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears.

The Bears had an easier path to the NFC Championship game. The Seattle Seahawks upset the defending champion New Orleans and then had the unenviable task of going to the Windy City in an attempt to pull off an upset in bad weather. The Seahawks were no challenge for a well-rested Bears team that dominated on both sides of the ball. Jay Cutler led the offense on long, soul-sucking drives, and the defense did the rest. The Bears are now ready to take the next step to a championship ring.

The Bears odds to win the Super bowl were 8:1, but that number will drop dramatically when BetMania releases the latest odds. Now the Bears will take on the Packers for the second time in a month for the right to represent the NFC in the Super bowl.

This game will have the wide-open offense of the Green bay Packers against the bruising defense of the Chicago Bears. Soldier Field will provide the backdrop, and the game will be played outdoors in the elements like it was meant to be.

This is the most frequently played rivalry in the NFL and the NFC Championship game is destined to be a classic.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at [e-mail].

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