Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Prediction: Packers 14 - Bears 10
Actual: Packers 21 - Bears 14
The Green Bay Packers are going to their 5th Super Bowl in their history. They are currently 3-1 in the Super Bowl with wins in Super Bowl I (1966), II (1967), and XXXI (1996). The Packers have a history of great players and a very rich history; there three Super Bowl wins rank tied for fourth most of any team in the league. The team they will be facing is the Pittsburgh Steelers who lead the league in Super Bowl wins with 6. If the Packers can pull off a win in two weeks Aaron Rodgers will have finally fully replaced the legend of Brett Favre.
This game started the same as the past two games for Green Bay this year in the playoffs. The Packers received to open the game and immediately drive 84 yards on 7 plays. Aaron Rodgers opened the game 4-4 on the drive and made it look really easy to score on a one yard bootleg rush. He was hit hard while going in the end zone and it was revealed after the game he bruised his throwing shoulder badly. The Bears defense was able to figure out the Packers for the rest of the quarter by holding them to just 53 yards after the opening drive. While the Bears defense was able to keep their team in it, the offense wasn't able to do anything against the Packers.
The Bears first half stats: 6 drives, 25 plays (4 plays per series), 92 yards, and only 12 1/2 minutes of possession time. Jay Cutler was terrible in the first half, with not many yards or completions and a big interception at the 3 yard line. Aaron Rodgers after the first drive wasn't too hot either. The Packers opened the second quarter with a 5 play, 50 yard touchdown drive ending in a James Stark rush for a touchdown. Rodgers was driving the Packers down the field right before the half and on a short pass to Donald Driver under threw him, the ball bounced off Driver's foot and in to the hands of Lance Briggs for a huge turnover. End of the first half 14-0 Packers, it was looking like the Packers were going to run away with it but the second half was really good.
The Packers came out hot with a 9 play, 77 yard drive. Rodgers got the Packers to the 6 yard line, and then on the 9th play of the drive dropped back, bought some time and fired a pass over the middle that Brian Urlacher was able to jump in front of and take off with what looked like a easy touchdown, Rodgers made probably his best play of the day chasing down Urlacher and making the tackle at the Bears 40 yard line. This is when things got interesting and what most have you have read about all week long so far, Jay Cutler who was hit earlier in the game relatively hard came out of the game for Todd Collins. First off, I have a huge problem with this, this is for the Super Bowl, and you only get one chance. I am appalled at the actions of Cutler to actually allow his coach and company to pull him from the game, especially when from the way he was walking around he did not look to bad to play.
Todd Collins came out and was very ineffective going 0-4 and not leading his team to any points. In comes Caleb Hanie at the end of the third quarter, putting in your third QB before the start of the 4th quarter makes it impossible for the Bears to bring in either Collins or Cutler anymore, not that this was a factor down 14-0 when both QB's had played terrible. Hanie came in and lead the Bears on an 8 play 67 yard touchdown drive and all the sudden we got ourselves a game. Who would have seen this happening?!?!
The Packers offense had been completely shut down all game since the second quarter and that continued as the Packers offense did not score again. The Bears offense went three and out on the first series of the fourth and on the second series got the ball on a punt and started their drive on their own 10 yard line. First play - Matt Forte for 2 yards, Second Play - Hanie to Bennett for 3 yards. Third and 5 from the 15 yard line, 6:04 remaining, Hanie drops back looking for Forte on the slant, intercepted by the biggest guy on the field in BJ Raji, 6-2 337 pounds, who runs it in and then gets his dance on in the end zone to make the game 21-7 and pretty much seal the deal. The Bears were able to score one more time as Hanie connected with Earl Bennett for 35 yards, but it was too little too late. The Packers intercepted Hanie on his last effort with 37 seconds left.
Great finish to a great game. Still bothered by the decision of Cutler, they are saying it’s a MCL sprain but I still think he should have been fighting for his chance to get into the game to prove his toughness. Stay tuned for the AFCCG recap coming your way on Thursday!
Aaron Rodgers and John Kuhn Hold Up the Trophy
B.J. Raji Celebrating his Game Sealing Interception
I started reading your post primarily to find out your opinion on Jay Cutler.I completely agree with you! Watching the game, not knowing what a big deal it would turn into, I thought Cutler's actions (and attitude) were laughable. Now that it's been determined a MCL tear, my feelings don't really change too much. It's about his body language...he honestly looked like he could care less. And, IMHO, he is not the kind of player whose talent makes up for an attitude. When do you make Superbowl predictions?
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading!
ReplyDeleteI will be making my predictions on Thursday, in the meantime I am allowing everyone to vote on what they think will be the outcome of the game on the front page.
I agree that Cutler's actions/attitude are more of a problem then the injury. Most QB's would have been on the sidelines screaming at their coach to put them in, he just walked around like it wasn't a big deal. I still remember in the NFCCG in 2003 Donovan McNabb broke his ribs in the first or second quarter and played in pain for a good amount of time before coming out. He was still killed by the fans for losing, but everyone at least respected him for leaving it all out on the field.