Green Bay Packs for Super Bowl XLV
- Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:38pm by
Scott Baker
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CHICAGO (AP) — Aaron Rodgers ran for a touchdown and made a saving tackle, B.J. Raji returned an interception for a score and Sam Shields had two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game Sunday.
The victory sends the Packers (13-6) to the Super Bowl in Dallas on Feb. 6 to meet the winner of the New York Jets-Pittsburgh Steelers AFC title game later Sunday.
Raji’s TD return in the final quarter put the Packers up 21-7. Green Bay then withstood a rally led by Chicago third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie. He led two fourth-quarter TD drives, but Chicago‘s last chance to tie the game ended in the final minute when Shields came up with his second interception in Packers’ territory.
Bears starter Jay Cutler hurt his knee and played only one series in the third quarter. Todd Collins replaced him but was ineffective. Chicago ends the season at 12-6.
The sixth-seeded Packers have now won road games in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago.
The Packers won this 182nd meeting of the NFL’s most played rivalry and will be playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy – named for their former coach – in their in fifth Super Bowl.
Rodgers and James Starks had short scoring runs in the opening half as the Packers built a 14-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Rodgers went back to work, connecting with Jordy Nelson for 21 yards and Greg Jennings for 20. After a pass interference call on Chicago’s Tim Jennings, the Packers had a first down at the 8.
But on third-and-6, Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher intercepted a pass by Rodgers and had just the QB to beat for a long TD return. But Rodgers got in Urlacher’s way and grabbed just enough of his legs to pull him down at the Bears 45.
The Bears couldn’t muster much of anything offensively.
Cutler was having a rough afternoon, going 6 for 14 with 80 yards and an interception before Chicago turned the offense to the little-used Collins. It wasn’t immediately apparent when or how Cutler got hurt. Collins lasted two series before he was replaced by third-stringer Hanie.
Rodgers started where he left off last week against Atlanta, throwing passes of 22 and 26 yards to Jennings to open an 84-yard drive on the opening series of the game. He later hit Nelson with a 22-yarder to the Bears 2, then ran in from the 1 on a bootleg after withstanding a hard hit from safety Danieal Manning.
And just like that, the Packers were ahead in the first four minutes.
Taking the ball at the Bears 44 after forcing Brad Maynard to put out of his end zone, the Packers moved in again early in the second.
Rodgers got off a nice dump pass under pressure to Brandon Jackson and the running back made a beauty of a fake to go right past Urlacher and gain 16 yards. Starks then broke off a 12-yard run before Rodgers found Nelson for a 15-yard gain to the 4.
The rookie Starks carried right and weaved his way over the goal line, putting the Packers ahead 14-0 with 11:13 left in the half.
Rodgers was 10 of 15 for 156 yards and an interception in the first half.
The Bears got their offense moving midway through the second quarter but still couldn’t score. Cutler had a 24-yard pass to Johnny Knox and then found Chester Taylor for 12 more, carrying to the Packers 30, their deepest penetration of the game.
But the drive stalled after a completion was wiped out by a holding penalty and two carries by Cutler. Instead of trying a long field goal, the Bears punted again and Maynard’s kick went over the goal line into the end zone.
Rodgers couldn’t find an open receiver on second down and took off for a 25-yard gain to the Bears 45. Chicago’s defense dug in and stopped Starks on a third-and-1, forcing a Packers punt.
Shields forced a Cutler fumble with just under two minutes to go – the Bears’ Matt Forte recovered – but once again Chicago had to punt.
Finally, the bundled up predominantly Bears crowd had something to cheer when Lance Briggs intercepted a pass from Rodgers intended for Donald Driver with 48 seconds to go.
But after a pass to Forte gained 17 yards, Cutler’s long heave for Knox down the sideline was picked off by Shields near the goal line with 32 seconds left.
The Packers and Bears met only one other time in the postseason, a 33-14 win by Chicago in 1941, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
After splitting two regular-season games – the Packers beat the Bears 10-3 in the finale just to get in – the hype for this matchup overflowed all week.
Green Bay got in as the sixth seed and behind the play of Rodgers, went into Philadelphia and Atlanta for impressive victories. Rodgers had 366 yards passing and threw for three TDs in Green Bay’s surprisingly lopsided 48-21 win against the Falcons.
___
Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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bigdaddybrown
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 2:50pmI predict that the Steelers will roll over Packers. I am so tired of the national media’s love fest with Aaron Rodgers. Kinda like the press fell in love with a certain candidate in ‘08. He is a good QB, but c’mon. His best play on Sunday was tripping up Brian Urlacher, who if he had scored on a pick 6, would mean that Caleb Hanie wouldn’t have to throw that fourth down pick because the Bears would have set up for the winning field goal. Rodgers is a very good QB, but he got outplayed in the second half by Hanie. Big Ben’s experience and big play ability in the clutch will be the difference.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 11:41amBoth games kind of sucked to be honest. Both winning teams got extemely lucky early and were outplayed for 3/4 of the game. They were both just hanging on for their lives hoping the clock would run out. Not exactly a clash of titans in the super bowl.
Report Post »In God We Trust
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 11:31amCongrats, to Packers and fans!
Report Post »Bronco II
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 9:54amI don’t watch any of it but I did watch the dog show it was great.I watch it every year.
Report Post »Carol in MA
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 8:59amI’m a BIG Patriots fan…….When I heard Obama was going to the Super Bowl if the Bears won,(sorry Chicago) I was pulling for Green Bay!!!!! …..The Super Bowl is a time to watch Americas game with friends & family, have fun & forget about POLITICS for a day. The last thing I wanted to see is Obama’s face through-out the game!!!!!! GO PACK!!!!
Report Post »packers1
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 8:42amGo Pack! Yes Baby!
Report Post »WAR PIGS CRAWLING
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 5:02amMomma said, “If you can’t say anything nice about [the Packers], don’t say anything at all”….so here it goes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Report Post »freeus
Posted on January 24, 2011 at 12:00amLove you Packers, good luck. Too bad Brett.
Report Post »ohru12
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 10:00pmEvery time Obumer gets behind someone or something, they lose. I Bears should have publically rebuked Obumers endorsement.
Report Post »5410amh
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 9:55pmI hope the stealers make it to super bowl 45.
Report Post »Katayno
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:35pmIf the Bears would have won, the lame stream media would have somehow given the credit to Obama.
Report Post »kilo62a
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:19pmThank God. We’ll get to watch a football game, not wall to wall Obama if Chicago had won.
Report Post »bwesty
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:10pmgo pack…rodgers!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m an ex-wisconsonite but a lifetime packers fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Report Post »GMAN455
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:09pmWonder if the Bamster is going to order a beating for all the Bears players like saddam hussein did to his soccer players
Report Post »orcainohio
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:02pmThe Bears laid down to protest the new income tax increases, and the cuts in services.
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:01pmCan you picture Barry ranting and raving that the Bears lost LMAO….Hows those Union players working out for ya Barry? GO PACKERS.
Report Post »Volsense
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:00pmDa Bears finishing with a 3rd string QB leading to a Pick 6 by the fattest man on the field didn’t help. but the Pack deserved the win. This looks like a great Super Bowl coming up. no matter who wins the AFC.
Report Post »GMAN455
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:59pmSecret Service boys are glad No Da-BEARS No Da-Bamster at the superbowl
Report Post »Punky
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:53pmWooo Hoooo!!!!! Go pack!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:52pmToo bad Cutler had to sulk on the sideline, Go Steelers. Come on Obama, please pick the Packers, oh, and too bad you won’t be at the superbowl, maybe you can get some work done.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:51pmif I was the Chicago Bears coach I would blame this loss on Palin .
Report Post »Carl1
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:49pmGO Green Bay!!!!
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:45pmThat was an awesome game. Looking for my tickets right now. Love the Packers. I think the Steelers Jets game should be a good one too. Waiting to see who we play in Super Bowl 45!
http://www.donsmithshow.com – Go Pack Go!
Report Post »TexasCommonSense
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:52pmYeah it was. The best part of it is Obama won’t be coming to Arlington for the Super Bowl!
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:57pmI’m sure Rush is happy.
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 6:59pmGood point Texas. I forgot about that. Lol.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:07pmOh, sorry, made a mistake, Rush is a Stealers fan.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:14pmDoes anyone doubt that Hanie will be a starter for the Bears next year? Awesome passes, for the most part. Good reads, great accuracy.
Report Post »cheezwizshabaz
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:16pmYES!!! Go Pack!
Report Post »fivebyfive
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:44pmObama wants to REDISTRBUTE the win to the Bears
Report Post »If he can force me to buy insurance he can do anything
82dAirborne
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 7:57pmNot so fast folks!!!!: The Obamas’ promised to change our history…….. The Bears may yet be declared the winner. As a matter of fact there may not be a need for a Super Bowl. Just an Executive Order.
Report Post »WAR PIGS CRAWLING
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 8:38pm@82…Good one.
Report Post »Cobra Blue
Posted on January 23, 2011 at 9:28pmThank you Green Bay Pac for eliminating the Bears…now Obama will not be attending the Super Bowl. That way everyone can enjoy the game without all the attention being focused on the Sissy in Chief.
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