by JM Van Horn

Created on: January 18, 2011

The NFC Championship game will the Green Bay Packers as they head to the Windy City and take on the Chicago Bears with the winner earning a trip to Super Bowl XLV.

Will the Packers’ offense be able to fire on all cylinders after a near perfect performance from their quarterback Aaron Rodgers?

Can the Bears’ defense rise to the challenge and shut down a potent offense like they did during the final week of the regular season?

The Packers’ offense and Rodgers were on fire last week when they sliced and diced their way through the normally reliable Falcons’ defense. Rodgers, had his best playoff game, completing 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdown passes, along with one rushing touchdown. The expectations will be high when the Packers travel to Chicago and take on a Bears defense that has had a difficult time with him.

What made Rodgers’ performance even more of a concern for his opponents this week is that he made sure to share the wealth. He completed passes to seven different receivers and managed to have four receivers with 75 + receiving yards.

The key to the Packers earning a trip to Super Bowl XLV will be how well their defense can shut down the passing attack of the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have continued to prove doubters wrong and now find themselves one game away from an improbably Super Bowl appearance. The driving force behind their success has been the play of their defense, particularly their ability to put pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

In the two regular season meeting against the Packers, the Bears’ defense was able to hold the offense to 27 total points but Rodgers still found reasonable success by tossing three touchdown passes and running for another.

The key to the Bears victory and a trip to Super Bowl XLV will be how well the Bears’ offense is able to maintain possession of the ball. Their offense was on fire against the Seahawks and racked up 437 total yards while averaging 5.7 yards per play.

Of the two championship games, this is the harder one to predict based on the up and down seasons these teams have endured. Even so, the contest should be a tight one through the first three quarters. Eventually the Packers will pull away and earn a shot at adding another Super Bowl trophy to their storied history.

Prediction – Green Bay 31     Chicago 24

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