Newly inaugurated Wisconsin governor Scott Walker recently announced a plan to poach jobs from Illinois, citing rising taxes in the vast flatlands to Wisconsin's south as an opportunity to get competitive.
You want competition with Illinois, governor? You don't need to go putting up signs, blowing up Chicago radio and generally pronouncing superiority over a neighbor (though I do support the third wholeheartedly).
We've got an NFC championship matchup on our hands that will make the Wisconsin leader's lack of compassion for Illinoisans look pedestrian by the time Sunday afternoon rolls around.
If you've watched ESPN for more than two minutes this week, you're probably aware of the fact that the Bears and Packers have not met in the playoffs since 1941, the same year as Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, which was a really long time ago.
Speaking of history, since that 1941 post-season matchup, Chicago has five championships (four NFL championships and one Super Bowl) and Green Bay has nine (six NFL championships and three Super Bowls).
But enough boasting about the past—actually, let me also say that Mike Ditka was not a better coach than Vince Lombardi—OK, there. Let's talk this season.
A quick note: I'm going to try my best not to completely trash the Bears here, but if it comes off that way, just know that I don't feel too bad about it.
As is the case in all NFL games, this one could very easily boil down to which quarterback handles the situation better. Unless you have been living under a rock—or maybe within the Windy City limits—it is hard to think Jay Cutler will top Aaron Rodgers. I don't even care if you discount Rodgers' insane numbers from last week on the argument that playing indoors is nothing like Soldier Field in January.
He threw for 813 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception in three consecutive outdoor games prior to last weekend. More importantly, his mental game is razor sharp and he's putting everybody else in the right places virtually every play.
Cutler is no slouch. He slouches, but that's not what I mean. Actually, he played well above my expectations last week in a trap-game against the Seahawks. He is capable of beating Rodgers and the Packers, as he showed in a 20-17 Bears win on Sept. 27. The key will be whether or not he can keep his jersey clean through the game.
Both Green Bay and Chicago feature defensive fronts that are different in fundamental structure but similarly destructive. The respective fan bases have wrangled all year about the pecking order between Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews, but most teams would love to have either.
Each defense has had a marquee performance this year (think Green Bay shutting out the Jets and Chicago blanking Miami). In a division that features four daunting defensive fronts, the Packers and Bears easily stood out above Minnesota and Detroit (Ndamukong Suh notwithstanding) and they're in the playoffs because of it.
The Bears finished the regular season second in the league in rushing defense and fourth in scoring defense. The Packers finished fifth in passing defense and second in scoring defense.
Basically, what I'm getting at is that it is hard to find a clear advantage either way. I would say the closest is Rodgers over Cutler. One valiant attempt I've heard from more than one Bears fan is that Chicago has a rushing game and Green Bay does not. Wrong. Neither team does.
Green Bay compiled 1606 yards (3.8 per carry) and 11 rushing TDs on the year while Chicago had 1616 (3.9) and 10. Some advantage.
There are a few things that really cannot be denied. One is that the Packers' overall statistics, both offensively and defensively, were, in large part, better than Chicago's this year. Another is that the Bears won 11 games in the regular season and the Packers only won 10. Both made the playoffs and both won a game against the other, again making declarations of supremacy difficult.
Luckily, we get a rubber match.
The field quality will be bad, the temperature cold and the stakes somewhere between the stratosphere and the moon.
It's the Packers and Bears and with a Super Bowl berth awaiting the victor.
This ought to be fun.
Who are you taking in this Sunday's NFC championship game? E-mail Parker at pjgabriel@dailycardinal.com.
