Bears-Packers: Four things to watch on Sunday - Chicago Breaking Sports

Bears-Packers: Four things to watch on Sunday

January 22, 2011 12:36 PM | 2 Comments

Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler after the Week 17 game -- the Packers won 10-3. (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

By Brad Biggs

Put up time

Jay Cutler squares off versus Aaron Rodgers this week, guys who profess to be good friends a week after Rick Reilly wondered if the Bears quarterback had any in the NFL. Cutler and Rodgers are tight off the field and their games on the field are very similar. They both are athletic enough to avoid heat in the pocket and wiggle free to make big plays downfield. Neither is going to be an up-and-coming young gun any longer. They're too old. To make the jump to the league's elite, they need to do what the best do -- win a championship.

Test for Rodgers

As explosive as the Packers are, they scored only 27 in two games against the Bears. There haven't been many better playoff performances than the one Rodgers had against the Falcons in Atlanta, but the Bears present a more formidable challenge, particularly if they can generate a pass rush with their front four. Rodgers has been excellent on third down and the key will be forcing him into third-and-longer. The Packers have found success running on the Cover-2, but the Bears have been better in that area with improved gap discipline. Stopping running back James Starks is the first step to knocking Rodgers off balance.

Ball control key

A rested Matt Forte had 29 touches versus the Seahawks, including the harebrained halfback pass, and the Packers can expect another big dose of him minus the gadget play. The Packers ranked eighth in the league in time of possession despite issues running the ball. The best defense against Rodgers will be long, sustained drives like the offense enjoyed against the Seahawks. Mike Martz called Forte the best back in the league, and while that's an exaggeration, he certainly fits what they're doing well now and the line deserves a good deal of credit.

This one matters

When you pause and think big picture about the ramifications of this game -- Packers and Bears for a chance to go to Super Bowl XLV -- you realize this is one that could be talked about for ages. In the storied history of the rivalry, the teams rarely have intersected in meaningful games for both clubs after Thanksgiving. They have reached the postseason in the same year only four times, a remarkable stat. So it's not farfetched to think the outcome of this game will have a significant impact on the very near futures of the franchises. Lovie Smith could earn himself a contract extension.

via chicagobreakingsports.com