NFC Championship (Bears fans)

[BigSlick]

Had a nightmare we lost 9-6, then inside the same nightmare the score changed somehow to 26-20 (also us losing)

 

I really need to stop caring about sports so much if they are invading my dreams

[Banedon]

Um...this is a bit more than a hip pointer....

 

Chris Harris has a torn muscle in his left hip but is expected to try to start Sunday for the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field.

 

Harris is listed as questionable and is expected to receive a pain-killing shot before the game because the injury is extremely painful. Harris cannot make the injury worse by playing with it, so it becomes of question of whether he can manage the pain.

[BigSlick]

Um...this is a bit more than a hip pointer....

 

Chris Harris has a torn muscle in his left hip but is expected to try to start Sunday for the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field.

Um what

 

Please let this not be a repeat of the Super Bowl

[Magnetic Curses]

ugh, i hope he can actually play, because his position is kind of important.

[SpongeWorthy]

http://www.chicagobears.com/multimedia/index.asp?MM_FILE_ID=2280

 

Footage of the 1941 game between Chicago and GB set to bonerific NFL Films music.

[Banedon]

If Harris feels like he can't play at his normal level, he will step aside for rookie third-round draft pick Major Wright.

[Magnetic Curses]

Had a nightmare we lost 9-6, then inside the same nightmare the score changed somehow to 26-20 (also us losing)

 

I really need to stop caring about sports so much if they are invading my dreams

 

in 1991, on the eve of the game, i had a dream that the bears lost to the saints in the wild card game. they won.

[rawaction]

Nerves starting to set in. Feeling better about this week though than I did last week.

 

My keys to the game:

 

1. DL first step. I watched both regular season games vs. GB this weekend. And the thing that stood out to me, is the speed of the defensive lines. The Packers could not handle the Bears when they use their speed. Peppers speed rush outside and even Melton made some plays when stunting and getting 1-on-1s with Bulaga gave Rodgers trouble. If the Bears get off of the ball well, with a sloppy field, GBs OL will be playing catch-up all day to keep them from getting to Rodgers.

 

On the other side, of the 6 sacks the Bears gave up in Week 17, 2 were coverage sacks, 1 was OL just getting beat, but the others were due to the OLBs getting great jumps off the snap. Cutler has to change up the snap count to slow down Matthews and co.

 

2. Fumbles. I think the Bears can come up with a couple. Obviously, the James Jones fumble in the 1st game stands out, but the Bears were also able to get a Driver fumble in Week 17, and Jennings has fumbled a couple times this year. Also, James Starks, though he hasn't fumbled yet in his young career, I noticed he's not big on holding the ball with 2 hands. I think if he tries to fight for extra yards, the opportunity for a strip will be there.

 

3. Forte, Olsen, Bennett......then deep. Forte and Olsen combined for 20 catches in 2 games vs. the Packers. Bennett only caught 3 in the 1 game vs. GB, but Davis had 7 in his spot Week 17. That's 15 catches per game from TE, RB, slot. GB seems to be fine with this as Knox torched them in the 1st game, and when they shut him down, they won holding the Bears to 3 points. So, the underneath guys will likely be available early and often. Cutler has to be patient and be ok with moving the ball this way. Eventually, GB will try to take out the dumpoffs and then I think that's when they can be beaten down the field. It also forces Woodson in coverage, and I think he can be beaten on slow developing routes over 20 yards.

 

4. 5 on 4. The Bears success in the running game has come almost exclusively when they create mismatches by putting more blockers than defenders in the play. Running off tackle to the TE side, along with pulling an offensive lineman that way has led to big runs for Forte. Against a 3-4, I think this is key because you can take out the NT and the backside DE and/or LB. Meaning you have a TE, T, G, C and pulling G manned-up on an OLB, ILB, DE, and SS. Late in the games, AJ Hawk did start to cheat keying on the pulling G, but I think he's generally slow to react and I'll take Forte vs. Hawk everytime at the angle Hawk will be coming.

 

I'm not big on predicting games and scores, but I think this game is going to surprise people and be higher scoring than people think. I wouldn't be surprised to see 6-7 TDs between the offenses.

 

How can protection for Cutler not be one of the keys to this game? Maybe it was implied, but that's easily the biggest key IMO.

 

Yes, it is implied. Just like special teams and pass rush on Rodgers. Those are easy keys.

[rocket]

good luck bears fan friends, i will root for you

 

(aka sorry in advance for the packers win)

[Careless]

Now I'm excited. Not sure why it took this long.

[Soul]

I think the Bears need to play nearly flawless football to win today.

 

All the things the Bears do when they look good: better protection for Cutler, good yardage in the running game, forcing turnovers, no turnovers themselves. Good field position/returns from the special teams units/Hester. All these things must be present for the Bears to take the game.

 

This isn't like other games we've played this year, obviously. The Packers are a team that has sputtered at times during the year because of injuries, and figuring out areas of their game that weren't quite there. Now they've put a lot of those things together at the right time. They're on a hot streak, and there's no reason they won't be at their peak today.

 

It's just really hard to take a team like that out. Think Giants a few years ago when they put it all together just in time for the playoffs.

 

I don't want to sound too negative because yes, the Bears can win this game. But it's going to be very, very difficult to do so. I hope they're ready. The good thing is, this Bears club has a lot of playoff experience on the roster. They know what they're up against, and what it will take to make this happen.

[Formerly Snayke]

Aaron Rodgers sure did look like a douche bag in 2005.

[Magnetic Curses]

Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness,

Bareheaded,

Shoveling,

Wrecking,

Planning,

Building, breaking, rebuilding,

Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,

Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs,

Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle,

Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people, Laughing!

[Guest]

That clip of Cutler in Denver screaming at the official "Your job is to watch me! Do your job!" is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

[imb]

Just saw that Aaron Rodgers stole his TD celebration from a wrestler, what white trash. im now firmly planted on the bears' bandwagon

[chuckywang]

What pregame show are you guys watching?

[Formerly Snayke]

What pregame show are you guys watching?

 

Fox had some NFL Films-type show before the pregame show.

[JockJones]

Some idiot on ESPN's pregame stuff just said that out of the four QB's left, Cutler would be the last he would take to start a franchise. Ya, Mark Sanchez just blows him out of the water. Idiot...

[erik316wttn]

Um...this is a bit more than a hip pointer....

 

Chris Harris has a torn muscle in his left hip but is expected to try to start Sunday for the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field.

 

Harris is listed as questionable and is expected to receive a pain-killing shot before the game because the injury is extremely painful. Harris cannot make the injury worse by playing with it, so it becomes of question of whether he can manage the pain.

 

Well, I guess we know where Rodgers is going to attempt his first deep passes.

[Butterscup1679666578]

There's a Packer thread

[erik316wttn]

There's a Packer thread

 

Yes. I'm aware. I didn't talk trash or do anything questionable.

[Magnetic Curses]

get in it

[erik316wttn]

get in it

 

Yes Mr. Mod.

[Magnetic Curses]

OOH ICE BURN

 

waddle and wheeze your ass back over to the packer thread

[erik316wttn]

OOH ICE BURN

 

waddle and wheeze your ass back over to the packer thread

 

AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

I get it. You're saying I'm fat, right? Classic! =D> =D>

 

I'm going. Enjoy the game, everyone, and may the better team (the Packers) win.