Packers Stun Bears En Route to Super Bowl
While the “Midwest Super Bowl,” was not the game everyone anticipated per say, it was a game full of interesting sub-plots. Arguably the most intriguing of them all was how the Packers allowed the Bears to stick around at the end.
Despite holding the Bears to only one touchdown in their previous 30 drives, the Packers let Chicago with “Hanie Fever” score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Albeit the Bears were playing with the momentum and desperation that a team is expected to have when their season is on the line.
I wouldn’t blame the defense though as it was the Packers unimpressive offense which should shoulder most of the blame for causing the defense to go out on the field over-and-over again. Take away the two early touchdown drives and the offense was hardly better than the quarterback-less Bears offense (356 total yards to the Bears’ 301 yards).
And that is why the NFC Championship was decided by three unheralded players who have been playing solid football all season long.
It all starts and coincidentally ended with the rookie CB Sam Shields who came up with two huge interceptions in the win over the Bears. The first pick was of the acrobatic variety and halted an early attempt by Jay Cutler and the Bears to get back in the game. The second pick was the game-clincher and most likely the biggest moment of the young-player’s life.
Shields also recorded a sack to become the first rookie since 1982 to have a sack and interception in a postseason game.
It would be just wrong for me not to mention B.J. “The Freezer” Raji who rumbled in for an 18-yard return after intercepting a Caleb Hanie pass in the fourth quarter. If you haven’t seen a 340 pound man drop back in coverage, read the pass and proceed for the pick-six, please watch the highlights.
Lastly, but certainly not least is rookie Tim Masthay who has to be the MVP of this game. Masthay punted eight times, averaging a booming 41.8 yards to keep the Bears on their side of the field for pretty much the entirety of the game. There were numerous times that the Bears were dangerously close to being hit with a safety. Without Masthay’s clutch punts, I’m not sure this game would have played out the same way.
Regardless of who came through for the winning team, it was evident the Packers were the better team and that is why they will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They will play either the New York Jets or Pittsburgh Steelers on February 6th at the big and beautiful Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, TX.
Once again, check back to The Sports Bank for more coverage of the Green Bay Packers as we get closer to Super Bowl XLV.
What did you think of the Packers defeat of the Bears? Who was your MVP of the NFC Championship? Let me know by commenting below!
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