2011 NFC Championship: Revisiting Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears Matchups

The Green Bay Packers (12-6) and the Chicago Bears (12-5) had their scheduled double dose of each other in the regular season, but for the first time since 1941, the two storied rivals will face off in the postseason.

Sunday's NFC Championship game will mark only the second time in the NFL's longest running rivalry that the two will play in the postseason, meaning there's very little historical playoff evidence to turn to.

Lucky for us, there is 120 minutes of gametime from this season to assist in breaking down how this matchup might turn out. The Bears took the first game, 20-17, and the Packers clinched a playoff berth and ensured a series split with a 10-3 win.

Let's revisit both games—Week 3 and 17—to identify two things the Packers need to repeat, and two things Green Bay needs to fix in order to book their trip to Super Bowl XLV.

Need to repeat

Pressuring Jay Cutler

To be honest, there isn't a top secret formula to stopping the Bears' offense.

It's actually quite the contrary. The Packers, and most of the NFL, knows exactly how to do it.

Putting consistent pressure on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has shown to be the sure-fire way to effectively stop Chicago on offense.

In the two matchups this season, the Packers did a good job of just that. Green Bay registered nine sacks and 14 quarterback hits in two games against the Bears, and Chicago averaged just 11.5 points.

Those numbers need to continue in the NFC Championship game for Green Bay to beat Chicago. The Bears are more than capable of an explosive offense if Cutler is given ample time to throw, and slowing down the Packers' pass rush might be the only way to expose a vulnerability in their defense.

Regardless of any improvements the Bears have made in pass protection over the course of the season, however, the Packers have a sizable advantage against Chicago's offensive line.

Green Bay needs to continue to exploit that glaring advantage between these two teams if they want to continue on their trip to the Super Bowl.

Keeping Pressure off of Aaron Rodgers

The Bears spent nearly $100 million on Julius Peppers this offseason to terrorize opposing quarterbacks, but thankfully for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers hasn't fell victim to him yet.

Peppers had but just one quarterback hit in two games against Green Bay this season.

The Packers also did a solid job against the rest of the Bears' pass rushers. In the two games, Chicago had only two sacks and six quarterback hits on Rodgers.

While we saw Rodgers pull off Houdini act after Houdini act against the Falcons, the Packers would be wise to make sure he's not required to be as good a magician as he was on Saturday night.

It's just a guess, but the likes of Peppers, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris will be considerably harder for Rodgers to evade this time around.

That makes the Packers' protection of Rodgers imperative on Sunday. If he can stay clean for the majority of the game, there is no reason to think he can't pick up exactly where he left off last week.

And we all remember "where he left off", right? Piloting an aerial assault on the city of Atlanta to the tune of 366 yards and four total touchdowns?

OK, just making sure.

Never underestimate a hot quarterback in the playoffs. If the Packers can protect him against the Bears, the red-hot Rodgers will have the chance to pick apart the Bears' coverage.

Need to fix

Running the ball

On paper, there's a reason the Packers have struggled rushing against the Bears this season. Chicago's defense ranks second in the NFL against the run (90.1 yards/game), and Green Bay is 24th in rushing offense (100.5).

However, the Packers' two rushing totals—63 yards in Week 3, 60 in Week 17—might not be enough to get by the Bears this time around.

Luckily for the Packers, the running game has slowly made steps in becoming a viable option in the offense.

James Starks has helped turn around the run game, and his physical, fall-forward running style will be important against the Bears. Starks has rushed for 189 yards in his first two playoff games, but that confidence might have started in the Packers' last regular season game.

Back in Week 17, he carried the ball five times for 20 yards (four yards/carry). The numbers don't jump off the page, but with the right amount of touches, Starks gives a reason for optimism from the running game.

While I'd advice caution in assuming Starks will run wild against the Bears, he needs to provide the Packers a semblance of balance to keep a very good Chicago defense from focusing solely on the Rodgers and the passing game.

Turnovers

One thing in Atlanta was very clear: the Packers were the only team on the field that could stop their offense.

A Greg Jennings fumble and a missed field goal were the only two offensive outcomes that didn't result in points on Saturday night.

No punts. No three-and-outs. It was that kind of night for the Packers' offense.

While I'd never expect that kind of performance against the Bears, it still highlights an area where the Packers need to do better against Chicago:

Turnovers.

The Packers have turned the ball over four times (two interceptions, two fumbles) against the Bears this season, and they've contributed in both the loss and the close win.

In the first game, James Jones' fumble with under two minutes to go set up the Bears' winning field goal.

Donald Drivers' fumble in the second meeting took early points off the board, and Rodgers' interception nearly gave the Bears a 10-0 cushion that would have turned that game completely around.

For the Packers, those kind of mistakes can't happen on Sunday. The Bears' defense is predicated on creating and waiting for the offense to make a mistake, and the Packers could put up a lot of points if they are careful with the football.

Conclusion

The Packers and Bears have played in two playoff-type games this season—the first when both teams were 2-0, and the second where the Packers needed a win to get into the playoffs.

Obviously, Sunday will mark the third, and by far the most important meeting between these two this season.

Both teams can also take a bit of confidence from their matchups early this year. The Bears beat the Packers already at Solider Field, and Green Bay beat Chicago when they absolutely had to.

The Packers, on the other hand, can make things a lot easier on themselves by harassing Cutler and protecting Rodgers like they have this season. They'd be all but guaranteed a trip to the Super Bowl if they can run the ball well and eliminate costly turnovers.

I'm also sure plenty of Packers' supporters will expect this game to go as smoothly as the game Saturday night in Atlanta.

It surely won't be that easy on Sunday, but the Packers can learn a lot from their previous experiences with the Bears this season.

In the end, it might just decide whether the storied franchise from Green Bay, or that other storied franchise to the south, goes to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.