Chicago Bears Beat Seahawks, Face Green Bay Packers in Their Biggest Game Ever

The Chicago Bears came into Sunday knowing that if Jay Cutler had time to throw, he could shred the Seattle Seahawks.

While the Bears' offensive line has been taking a beating this year from the experts, it has improved and gelled in the nine weeks they have been playing at the same position together. There are many reasons why the Bears were successful Sunday, and there are many reasons why the Packers could storm into Soldier Field and deny Bears fans the chance at a Super Bowl.

Both teams have to be confident in their chances of going to Dallas. While there have been so many doubts about the Bears, the Packers have been on the radar nationally all year.

So much debate will be this week how the Bears and Packers match up. Everybody will have an opinion on this game, whether it be right or wrong...

Martz Breaks Out Old School Football

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Running back Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears runs the ball as Lofa Tatupu #51 of the Seattle Seahawks attempts to tackle him from behind in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago

Since Mike Martz took over as the offensive coordinator, he has had to be more flexible with what his original philosophies were in the summer. Lovie Smith had to intervene and let Mike Martz know that changes had to be made with losses to Seattle and Washington early in the season.

The running backs and tight ends were the stars of the show against the Seattle Seahawks. Matt Forte was getting runs up the middle and had 25 carries. Instead of rushing upfield with reckless abandon, he was patiently waiting for the holes and openings to bust through.

While he didn't score a rushing touchdown, Chester Taylor and Jay Cutler ran into the end zone for scores. Forte also looked good in pass protection at times, which he has improved on over the season.

When the Bears were running three tight end sets, they were very effective. Without the Bears having a true fullback, the tight ends were utilized with success. Greg Olsen has to get some credit for the blocks he made. The fans have been very critical of Olsen's blocking, and this was the type of game they were looking for out of him.

The balance was there between the run and pass. One thing fans have to remember is you have the option to have more running plays when a team has the lead. The Bears ran the ball a total of 45 times, which is unheard of in a Martz offense.

A new wrinkle that the Bears brought Sunday is the wildcat. With Earl Bennet, Matt Forte, Chester Taylor and others as weapons, this could be a new element in the Bears playbook that we haven't seen as of late.

Using the run opened up those holes and Mike Martz was great on play calling. Play-action works when your keep a defense honest with an effective run game and it showed against the Seahawks. Now the Bears need to gain respect with the run to give the offense better looks in the pass against the Packers.

Cutler Will Be Worshipped if Bears Come Out on Top

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears scores on a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illino

Jay Cutler has taken so much criticism from fans and experts for his decision making skills this season. Against the Seahawks, Cutler had time to react and made better reads against a lower ranked pass defense. Cutler was 15-for-28 and passed for two touchdowns and ran for two. Those early targets to Greg Olsen opened up the offensive options.

Bears fans love when players show true grit, and Jay did what he had to do. He decided multiple times that it was time to run and try to get yards any way possible. He even tried to block in the wildcat and was going head first when he got out of the pocket, which always gets an ovation in Chicago. Those two rushing touchdowns had Bears fans in a frenzy at Soldier Field.

When Cutler plays with a lead, he seems to get a rhythm going; that is what he needs. If a regular joe is constantly bothered while he is trying to work at a job, his production will decrease. Once the running game was established, Jay Cutler uses the play action to open up the field and his confidence builds.

If Jay Cutler excels against the Packers, he will go down in Bears lore as the savior.

What fans should be scared of is the possibility of a crucial game-changing interception. He had five passes that could have been intercepted Sunday and the Packers Dave Campo 3-4 defense is a whole different animal than the Seahawks rushing four lineman.

If Jay can get the lead and use the play-action to his advantage, he could finally earn the respect from the critics and fans.

If Cutler has a great game against Green Bay, the rate of kids named Cutler in Chicago will go up tenfold in the next five years. Or fans will be burning his jersey if he throws a pick six late in the fourth to lose a chance to punch a ticket to Dallas.

Greg Olsen???

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Tight end Greg Olsen #82 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a third quarter touchdown by Jay Cutler #6 with head coach Lovie Smith against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16,

Greg Olsen got the Bears off to a tremendous start. With his touchdown catch on 3rd-and-2, the momentum stayed with the Bears the whole game.

While fans all know that Olsen hasn't been featured in the offense consistency this season, he has improved his run blocking and picking up the blitz in pass protection.

When the Bears ran the closed three-tight end set, Olsen would block initially and then move out to the flats for the ball. Even using Olsen in the fullback position would throw in something extra for defenses to target, which opens up the deep slants to Knox and the edge rushing for Forte.

This is a very good time for Greg Olsen to flourish and be productive in the Bears offense. Olsen has the potential to not be labeled as a "receiving" tight end but a complete player if he helps the offensive line in critical situations.

It wasn't that Olsen caught three passes for 113 yards that made the biggest impact Sunday. The places he was on the field when he was needed to block or be a decoy to open up the passing game made the Bears offense more efficient.

Wrinkles for the Cover-2 to Look Out For

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: Charles Tillman #33 and Israel Idonije #71 of the Chicago Bears celebrate a defensive stop against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on November 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Eagles 31-26. (Photo by Jo

The Bears defense shined against the Seahawks like it should have, but some sets the Seahawks ran would have proven successful if so many receivers hadn't drop passes.

The Cover-2 was playing with more pressure than usual, and Charles Tillman was very physical. Daniel Manning was putting big hits on players and took out John Carlson who was Matt's favorite target against the Saints. Julius Peppers was being held, and Brian Urlacher was playing defensive quarterback with all-pro execution.

The defense stuffs the run very effectively and tries to move all the action towards the middle with pressure at the edges.

There are some chinks in the armor that the defense might want to look at...

When Seattle was running a Shotgun set with two backs, Matt Hasselbeck was picking apart the ready to pounce Cover-2. When receivers were not dropping passes, the quick slants were putting 4-7 yards almost every time. The slot and weakside receivers were slashing and short passes were open.

Aaron Rodgers loves running shotgun sets with multiple backs. It is the bread and butter of the Packers offense besides spreading the field.

If the Bears defense wants to put Rodgers in fits, they have to watch out for the quick slants that can lead to big runs up the field. The Cover-2 philosophy is to keep the ball in front of the defense with pursuit, but if one assignment gets confused, Greg Jennings or Donald Driver will take advantage.

The defense has proven that it can be effective against Aaron Rodgers, unlike many other defenses in the league. These teams know each other and film study will be a big priority this week.

Bears-Packers in NFC Title Game: Epic

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GREEN BAY, WI - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers is congratukated by quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on January 2, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

This is the biggest game the Bears have had.

The Bears/Packers rivalry is what it is, and for these teams to be facing each other for a ticket to the Super Bowl is icing on the cake. This isn't just a playoff game, but a turning point for Chicago Bears football if they prove to be victorious in the NFC Championship.

The media were drooling as soon as the final whistle blew at Soldier Field Sunday.

This is the type of game grandchildren will hear about down the road.

If the Packers are holding the Halas trophy in Soldier Field, there could be a riot. If the Bears hoist the Halas trophy, there will be a a city that won't sleep for days.

This game will break all records for viewership in an NFC Championship...guaranteed.

There will be more trash talking on social media in the Midwest since the inception of the Internet.

The meatballs and cheeseheads will be out in full force.

If you wanted drama, story-lines, nostalgia, rivalry and excitement, this game will bring it tenfold.