The Rivalry

The rivalryShare your sports scores and news at (815) 232-0145, e-mail [email protected],

or fax (815) 232-0105For complete local sports coverage, visit www.journalstandard.com/sports

The other game Jets travel to Pittsburgh for AFC title game D5

SECTION

D

sporTs hisTory

33-14 The only other time the

Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have met in the postseason was in 1941. The Bears won 33-14.

looking back

APin this sept. 27, 2010, file photo, chicago bears quarterback Jay cutler (6) eludes a tackle by green bay packers linebacker Frank Zombo (58) during the second half of an nFl football game in chicago. The bears are scheduled to host the packers in the nFc championship on sunday.

READY TO RUMBLE

The names alone resonate throughout the game.

There’s Lambeau Field and Halas Hall. This Sunday, when the Bears and Packers meet for the 182nd time, they will play for the Ha-las Trophy in the NFC championship. From there, the winner goes to the Super Bowl to chase the trophy named for legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi.

“When I think of Green Bay and Chicago, I think of football at its best,” said former Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, now an assistant coach with the Vikings.

“I think that’s what it’s all about. I think the rivalry, the tradition, George Halas, Lombardi, Butkus, I mean all of the names and greatness and Hall of Famers. It’s quite a history there. So it’s going to be very interesting.”

Halas of the Bears and Lambeau of the Packers made it a point not to shake hands after games, their competitiveness raging al-ready in those early years, spawning the spir-ited series that has not diminished over the decades.

One season, as former Packers star run-ning back Paul Hornung tells it, Halas knocked on Green Bay’s locker room door, asking to talk to Lombardi and then telling the Packers’ coach who built a dynasty in the 1960s that the Bears were about to whip his backside, a psychological ploy if there ever was one.

Dick Butkus defined meanness at middle linebacker with his bone-jarring hits and re-

lentless play. Butkus remembers getting ready for the Packers during a practice at Wrigley Field and said Halas was carefully eyeing the apartment buildings that surround the neigh-borhood home of the Chicago Cubs. He was making sure no one from up north was watch-ing his team.

“The old man (Halas) would get a security guy there. We were always worried about spies during Packers week,” Butkus said. “I’m sure Green Bay did the same thing.”

Hornung, the centerpiece of Lombardi’s famed Packers sweep that featured the omi-nous pulling guards Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer, recalls a couple of conversations with Halas during a game at Wrigley Field.

“Coach Halas paid me the biggest compli-ment I ever had,” said Hornung, adding that he initially hoped to join the Bears after win-ning the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame.

Hornung pointed out to Halas that he had strayed too far down the sidelines from the bench and, according the Packers’ star, the coach was almost in the end zone while he was “raising hell” with the referees.

Halas’ response?“He said, ‘Shut up Hornung.”’“I came over and made a block near the

Bears’ bench and he said, “Hornung, you SOB.’ And I went up to him after the game and said, ‘Thank you.’ He said, ‘What for?’ I said, ‘You made me the happiest guy in the world, you called me an SOB.”’

Packers and Bears, NFL’s oldest rivalry, takes center stage in NFC championship

by rick gano / The Associated PressFor 90 years, from a time of leather helmets to these days of instant-replay challenges and excessive-celebration penalties, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have played rough. Through cold and wind and snow and bitter winters, these two bloody-knuckled pioneers of the NFL and their founders, Curly Lambeau and George Halas, have left marks on the game that will never go away. Twenty-one NFL championships between them, dozens of Hall of Famers who line the walls in Canton and a combative history of rugged, emotional matchups. rumble, page D2

The J-S sports staff recalls thier favorite Bears/Packers memories

My favorite moments of the Bear-Packer rivalry are two

games, one won by each.The first was a game Brett

Favre called ‘the coldest game of his career.’

It was played in freezing temperatures with bitter, harsh winds and was 35-7 Bears.

I was at Soldier Field with my dad (a Packer fan) and a packed house of Bears fans.

I don’t know what the temperature was, but I do recall my beers freezing on the walk from the vendor to my seat.

How cold was it? You could see the whitecaps on Lake Michigan frozen. The wind was blowing in our faces from the walk to the car to the stadium and the walk from the stadium back to the car.

The game featured the Packer punter whiffing on two punt attempts because the wind blew the ball away while he was dropping it onto his foot.

During a Brian Urlacher 85-yard interception return, my dad grabbed me and walked to the exit. I think we were out of Solider Field and on the interstate before Urlacher reached the endzone.

The second was Nov. 5, 1989, and it’s known as the Instant Replay game.

I was only eight years old, so my concept of time is probably off, but it seemed like the amount of time to replay whether Don Majkowski’s foot was over the line or not lasted about an hour.

My dad and my cousins (all Bears fans) would always call each other and tease each other after each game.

It seemed like after every replay shown, the phone would ring, or a call would be made, saying whether or not the game-winning pass was in fact legal.

In the end, the pass was called a touchdown and the Packers would beat the Bears for the first time since 1984.

— Scott Holland

Putting stock in superstition

The most memorable Bears game for me involves something I don’t normally put any stock into: superstition. Six days after Walter Payton died the Bears traveled to Laumbeau Field to play the hated Packers. The Bears held on to a slim 14-13 lead late but didn’t have a lot of hope as Ryan Longwell set up for a chip shot field goal. But Bears defensive tackle Bryan Robinson improbably blocked the kick as time expired.

That set off a chorus of people saying Walter had lifted the big man up and helped him block the kick. I’m not a big believer in stuff like that, but it definitely makes for a nice story.

— Jeremy Anders

Rivalry brings back memories

memories, page D2

Sunday, January 23, 2011 D1The Journal-Standardwww.journalstandard.com

D2 Sunday, January 23, 2011 The Journal-Standard www.journalstandard.com

the rivalry

Through all their confrontations over the years, the Bears and Packers — their cities separated by about 200 miles — have met only once previously in the postseason, making Sunday’s game at Soldier Field all the more meaningful.

The 1941 playoff game, contested one week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, saw the Bears earn a 33-14 victory when they limited Green Bay’s great receiver Don Hutson to a single catch.

There are so many memorable games since the series started in 1921. In that ini-tial meeting, the Bears, then known as the Staleys, shut out the Packers 20-0.

Among the others:—In one of the most bizarre endings

ever, Chester Marcol’s field goal attempt was blocked in overtime by the Bears’ Alan Page and somehow the ball bounced right to the Packers’ place-kicker, who grabbed it and ran into the end zone to give the Packers the 12-6 win in 1980.

—In a 1989 game at Lambeau Field, Don Majkowski passed to Sterling Sharpe for a TD with about a half a minute left, but of-ficials ruled the Packers’ quarterback was over the line of scrimmage when he threw. But upon further review, and after a replay, they ruled that Majkowski didn’t cross the line of scrimmage and the Packers ended up with a 14-13 victory. The Bears were so angry they initially marked the score with an asterisk in their media guide, denoting it as the instant-replay game.

—One of the wildest games ever at Sol-dier Field came on Halloween night 1994, with 50 mph winds and driving rain turn-ing the game into a virtual monsoon and making all forms of kicking and most pass-ing nearly impossible. Fittingly, the teams were wearing throwback uniforms and Green Bay’s Brett Favre played like a hap-py kid on a rainy sandlot, hurdling into the end zone after a long TD run and leading Green Bay to a 33-6 victory.

—And how about when the Refrigerator, William Perry, Chicago’s 300-pound plus defensive lineman, was used as a backfield battering ram by coach Mike Ditka? Perry rumbled into the end zone for a TD in a Monday night game to spark a victory over the Packers during the Bears’ run to the Super Bowl after the 1985 season, an an-niversary they are celebrating this season.

That was the era when the bitterness between the teams really escalated, as did a feud between Ditka and Packers coach Forrest Gregg, both former fiery partici-pants as players. As coaches, they got into a

shouting match during an exhibition game at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1984 when both benches were on the same side of the field.

The animosity peaked in a 1986 game when Green Bay defensive lineman Charles Martin slammed Bears quarterback Jim McMahon to the turf after he’d released a pass, injuring McMahon’s shoulder and leading to a suspension for Martin.

“We always wanted to beat Green Bay. That was part our demeanor,” Ditka said. “They went after a couple of our players. We never did that. It’s part of what hap-pened. Why it happened I don’t know. We had the better team at the time.”

Dan Hampton, the Bears’ Hall of Fame defensive end, put it this way: “It was a long time ago. There was a lot of bad blood, and it was fostered by both head coaches. Unashamedly.”

Ditka’s earlier memories of the series as a run-over-the-defender tight end cen-tered on how many great players he com-peted against and some of the tough physi-cal battles with Green Bay’s Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke.

“It is what it is. As good as it gets. You’re talking a small town like Green Bay and Chicago. I think our rivalry was never based on dislike, it was based on respect. I really did. I did not hate anybody,” Ditka said.

Butkus said he also held no grudges against the Packers, who were in champi-onship form during his early days.

“It’s always a challenge just to see how well you could do against championship teams. Not playing for a championship is no reason not to play hard,” he said.

And no complaining about the field con-ditions, either, no matter how difficult they might be.

“You could drop a ground ball on the pitcher’s mound and it would go all the way to the end zone,” Butkus said of win-ter days at Wrigley Field, where the Bears played before leaving after the 1970 sea-son. “You didn’t hear anybody complain-ing. You get what you get. That’s why you are a professional. You play in all kinds of weather. Even if it was a corner high school field, it was no big deal.”

Bart Starr, the Packers’ Hall of Fame quarterback who led Green Bay to wins in the first two Super Bowls when the NFL’s reputation was riding on a victory over the upstart AFL, remembers games at very cozy Wrigley Field, where the Bears played their first 51 years before moving to Soldier Field for the 1971 season.

“That south end zone at Wrigley Field, that was a hazard. Oh yeah,” Starr recalled. “It was a unique competition. The fero-ciousness of it at times was part of the tra-dition. Games were just very intense and at a high level.”

If Butkus and Ditka and Nitschke were among the toughest players of all time, so was Packers Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor.

“You had to defend yourself and meet the challenge,” Taylor said. “Sometimes it was chilly, sometimes snowy. Whatever the conditions.”

Longtime-Green Bay safety LeRoy But-ler came to Green Bay in 1990 from the sunshine of Florida State. It didn’t take him long to find out that playing the Bears was a bigger deal than he could ever have imagined, both to fans and participants.

Suffering from the flu during a “Bears week” early in his career, Butler said he was approached by then coach Mike Hol-mgren, who delivered an impassioned get-well speech to his talented defensive back.

“Put on 10 pounds, they’re going to run the ball. This is the black-and-blue divi-sion,” Butler said he was told. “I said, ‘OK.’ He said, ‘You don’t understand. This is the most physical game you are ever going to play in. Get well, because we don’t lose to the Bears.”

————AP National Writer Nancy Armour

and AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this story.

Rumblecontinued from D1

APThis Nov. 27, 1967, file photo shows Dick Butkus (51) of the Chicago Bears shaking hands with Jim Grabowski of the Green Bay Packers after their game in Chicago. Butkus and Grabowski were teammates at the University of Illinois. This Sunday, when the Bears and Packers meet for the 182nd time, they will play for the Halas Trophy in the NFC Championship.

APThis Jan. 23, 1947, file photo shows Chicago Bears owner George Halas, left, and Green Bay Packers coach Curley Lambeau , at a meeting in Chicago.

ChiCAgo ZoologiCAl SoCietyGrizzly bears, Axhi, left, and Jim crush a cheesehead hat sporting the Green Bay Packers’ logo at Brookfield Zoo in Broofield, Ill, Friday, Jan. 21.

Bear down

Jay Cutler comes off as kind of a jerk. His facial expressions and body

language don’t endear him-self to anybody either.

He had 26 interceptions a year ago, a total so mind-numbingly high his 16 interceptions this season caused a sigh of relief among Bear fans.

None of that could matter at around 5:30 p.m. this evening.

If Cutler has a good — or even merely competent — performance against the Packers in the NFC Championship Game that helps the Bears to a Super Bowl appearance he’ll be beloved in Chicago.

Cutler has so much potential — it’s what makes him so frustrating. He has the talent to be one of the best in the game. Instead he’s just been pretty good — and awful at times.

The Bears fan base was set abuzz when the Bears surprisingly traded for Cutler. He disappointed in his first season as the Bears went 7-9 and he threw interception after interception — with his worst performances coming in prime time.

There will be no bigger stage than Soldier Field this afternoon. I don’t have to lecture anyone reading this about the importance and magnitude of this game so I’ll spare you that. What I surprisingly haven’t seen much of in the media is how important this game is for Cutler.

Cutler hasn’t laid very many eggs this season, but if he throws up a four interception day and is the biggest reason why the Bears have to watch the hated Packers celebrate a Super Bowl berth at Soldier Field he might not recover in fans’ eyes.

It will be another example of Cutler not coming up big when it matters most, failing when the lights are the brightest — and to add insult to injury — doing it against the Packers.

But if Cutler has a good or even great day he can fill a gaping hole in Bears lore. When it comes to quarterbacks, Jim McMahon

is well-liked for his role in helping the ‘85 Bears to Super Bowl XX. Sid Luckman is widely recognized as the best Bears quarterback of all time.

Besides that? Many fans have passing

affection for players like Erik Kramer or Jim Miller who had some good times in Chicago but were hardly elite quarterbacks.

It would be easy for Cutler and his rocket arm to vault to the top of the list. I don’t even think he needs to be brilliant to make it happen. If he just manages the game well (read no interceptions or maybe one fluky one that isn’t really his fault) throws for a couple touchdowns and leads the Bears to the Super Bowl he instantly becomes a legend.

Cutler will either put himself on the road to becoming just another in a long line of bad Bears quarterbacks if he gives the game away.

But if he wins it for the Bears he’ll find himself on a much shorter list and be the toast of Chicago.

Quick ThanksI don’t normally throw

things at the end of this column, but a quick thanks goes out to Forreston’s Colton Scott and Tanner Bronkema. During the snowstorm on Monday I went to Forreston High School to cover a girls basketball game that The J-S was not informed was postponed. I ended up getting myself stuck in the snow, and as I was beginning to dig my way out, those two saw me as they were driving along, got out and gave me a push. It was something they didn’t have to do and a very nice gesture that I appreciate.

Jeremy Anders is a sports reporter for The Journal-Standard. He can be reached at [email protected]

Cutler makes his legacy today

CommeNTAry

Jeremy ANDerS

Hester builds his legacy

While there’s a debate as to whether Devin Hester or Gale Sayers is the most explosive returner in Bears history — personally, I’ll take the guy with the return TD record — I think my favorite moment not already taken would be Week 1 of the 2006 season, where Hester’s NFL legacy began.

Chicago was already ahead 19-0 against the Green Bay Packers before the fourth quarter, when Hester took back 84-yard punt return to “the crib” as the kids say.

The offense was solid in that game and the defense continued right where it

left off as one of the best in the league. But there was something about Hester’s touchdown that just felt special the moment it happened.

My initial thought was, if Chicago’s defense can run well enough, Rex Grossman doesn’t screw it up on passing plays, the defense plays at a high level and special teams can produce some good field position, the Bears will be a team to be reckoned with.

Hester finished the season with three punt returns and two kick returns for touchdowns.

As you know, Chicago went 13-3 and went to the Super Bowl, where Hester had a kickoff return for a TD. There’s no doubt Hester’s role that season was a big reason why the Bears were playing in February.

— Joey Baskerville

memoRiescontinued from D1


the rivalry

By JIM LITKESports Columnist

The NFL’s first ejection for fighting came in a Bears-Packers game.

No surprise there.That was 87 years ago,

just three years after they first met, back when just about everyone played “caveman football.” So while the league’s oldest rivalry may no longer be its nastiest — that title belongs to Ravens-Steelers now — next Sunday’s NFC championship should remind us that this one still might be the least evolved.

In the intervening years, a parade of skilled offensive players named Payton, Sayers and Ditka on the Chicago side, Starr, Hornung and Favre in Green Bay, lasted long enough to make their mark on the series. But a succession of coaches, beginning with franchise founders George Halas and Curly Lambeau, never forgot their Midwestern towns were buffeted by some of the worst that winter had to offer. So they rarely got caught without monsters named Butkus and Urlacher, Nitschke and Matthews on the other side of the ball, ensuring the games never got too pretty.

The Bears and Packers have played 181 times, with Chicago holding a 92-83-6 edge. Between them, they’ve won 21 NFL titles and sent four dozen players to the Hall of Fame. Incredibly, they met only once before in the postseason, in cozy Wrigley Field in December 1941, a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

“I’m still learning some of the stories and I’m already five years in,” cornerback Danieal Manning said after Chicago clubbed Seattle 35-24 to seal the home game against Green Bay.

Manning was one of the few players even willing to acknowledge that he’d invested some time learning the lore. Not so Julius Peppers, the Pro Bowl end who was lured to Chicago this offseason with a $91 million deal to shore up the Bears’ defense.

“At the end of the day, it’s not going to come down to how many Hall of Famers, or whatever, played in the past,” Peppers said. “It’s going to be about the guys in this locker room and the one across the way.”

No kidding. Players used to go out of their way to deliver messages in the series, but they no longer fight over livelihoods; they all make plenty of money win or lose, playoff bonus or not. They also swap congratulatory text messages, training tips and even restaurant and nightclub reviews. The nastiness rarely spills over into public anymore.

Yet scratch any middle-aged Bears fan — even this week, when they should

be celebrating — and what you’ll hear is a decades-old complaint about how Walter Payton once got run over by the Green Bay defense even though he was 15 yards out of bounds. Or how quarterback Jim McMahon was body-slammed to the turf by Charles Martin a good three seconds after the whistle, separating his shoulder and costing the Bears — “at least three” — more Super Bowls.

Then drive the 184 miles north from Soldier Field to Lambeau Field and you’ll think you’ve arrived at an alternate universe. All the stories about overzealous chases and late hits sound familiar, but this time the villains are always dressed in orange and blue.

Chicago coach Lovie Smith grew up in Texas, so none of those grudges seem quite so personal. But he went out of his way to keep faith with the fans. He made a point of targeting Green Bay almost from the day he arrived seven years ago. Earlier this month, with both a playoff spot and first-round bye already locked up, but a chance to knock the Packers out of the postseason, Smith played his starters until the bitter end of a 10-3 loss to Green Bay.

After the Packers beat Atlanta to book their spot in next Sunday’s game, cornerback Charles Woodson said it didn’t matter whether the Bears intended to knock out Green Bay.

“I just look at it that it was a rivalry game. They wanted to beat the Packers and we wanted to beat the Bears,” he said. “I don’t know if they wanted to get us out of there so they didn’t have to play us or not.”

Smith was just as careful.“You want to beat whoever

you are playing, of course, and you know our rivalry with them,” he said after the Seattle win. “You want to beat the Packers whenever you get an opportunity. Then, it was just about us playing to improve as a football team, that as much as anything.”

Right.After all, it’s not like the

Bears were pouring it on at the end against Seattle to get ready for the Packers — or anything like that.

“I think once the game got out of hand, scorewise, I felt like they were just doing stuff to do stuff,” Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “Just trying to get all their coverages, all their blitzes on film for their next opponent. I didn’t think it made any sense, really, to do what they were doing.”

Wouldn’t be the first time one or the other team in this rivalry did something that hardly made sense.

———Jim Litke is a national

sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at [email protected]

‘Caveman football’ for the new century

By DON BABWINThe Associated Press

CHICAGO — The Green Bay Packers are headed to town for the NFC championship game and Chicago Bears fans are starting to become, well, a bit unbearable.

Turn on the radio in Chicago and you’ll hear no shortage of jokes about Packers fans, many of which have something to do with low intelligence. There’s been plenty of laughs over a Green Bay newspaper headline that read “On To Chicaco.” Many more center on the dietary habits of fans north of the “Cheddar Curtain,” like this one:

What do you call a 400-pound Packer fan? Anorexic.

All of this sniping, fun or otherwise, makes sense since the NFL’s oldest rivalry has had 92 years to simmer. Vince Lombardi, Don Hutson, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Bronko Nagurski, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka and Walter Payton — all of those names and more add to the rich history, but so does the relationship between the loyal fans in the two states.

John Cochara has been hearing from his so-called friends who decided he was celebrating a Packers win over the Bears a little too much in 1995 and duct-taped him to a stop sign.

“They’re saying, ‘You better watch out, there are a lot of stop signs out there,”’ said Cochara, whose punishment outside a bar just south of the Wisconsin-Illinois state line included a sign over his head that read “Packer Fan.”

The Super Bowl Shuffle video by the 1985-86 Bears is getting tens of thousands of fresh clicks on YouTube. At least one Chicago TV station got texts imploring them to ask Packers fans to swear off cheese or, at least cheeseheads, cheese ties and, honestly, cheese bras. A sign outside the Crystal Lake Rib House not far from the Wisconsin line warns that prices for Packers fans are twice the menu listing.

“They say, ‘We really don’t have to pay double, do we?”’ said owner Dave Faccone, who insists it’s a joke. Still, some Bears fans have chimed in.

“I got a text saying, ‘You big troublemaker, charging them

double. It should be triple,”’ he said.

On the other side of the state line, Packers fan Frank Emmert Jr. of Superior, Wis., reminisced this week about the time he survived a small plane crash in 1995 thanks to the foam cheesehead he put over his face seconds before impact.

“The FAA credited it, not me,” said Emmert, 52.

Mike Pyle, who played center for the Bears for nine years, including the 1963 championship season, recalled how his coach and owner of the Bears, George Halas, brought a message over to Packers coach Vince Lombardi before a game.

“He went to the locker room door at Lambeau and said, ‘We’re going to whip your (expletive),”’ said Pyle, 71.

Yet, with all that bad blood all those years, you’d have to go back to the week after the attack on Pearl Harbor to find the last time the Bears and Packers met in a playoff game. (The Bears won on their way to the championship).

This time around, the winner of Sunday’s showdown goes to the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium.

“There have been some highly hyped games that went splat, but this, they’re playing for the Halas Trophy, to go to Dallas to win the Lombardi

Trophy,” said Marc Silverman, the co-host of a radio show on ESPN 1000, Waddle and Silvy, with former Bears receiver Tom Waddle.

Not that the Super Bowl seems to matter much: Packers fans said beating the Bears at Soldier Field would be a wonderful cake, with a Super Bowl victory serving as the frosting.

“There would be nothing sweeter than to watch the Packers take that George Halas trophy at Soldier Field,” said John O’Neill, whose outfit at Packers games is a green bishop’s costume and mitre, with Lombardi’s face on it. He’s appropriately known as St. Vince.

It’s the same story in the birthplace of the Bears: Decatur, Ill.

“I can’t think of a bigger Bears game,” said 76-year-old Charley May, whose family and the team have been intertwined since his dad, Walter “Red” May, took Halas up on an offer to play for the Decatur Staleys. Halas later moved the team to Chicago and changed its name.

“For guys who have followed the Bears all their life and truly hate the Packers, yeah, this is their Super Bowl,” said Mark Foster, 54, who plans to erect a 5-foot inflatable Bears helmet outside his home in Lansing, south of Chicago.

“We can lose 50 to nothing in the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh or the Jets, but if we beat the Packers, who cares?”

Scott Wiese understands what Foster is talking about.

“The only thing I can compare it to is if the Cubs played the Cardinals in Game 7 for the pennant,” said Wiese, 30, who grew up in the Decatur area and now lives in St. Louis. “It’s the biggest game for me as a Bears fan my whole life, and that includes the Super Bowl.”

Don’t expect Wiese to do something crazy. Again.

It was Wiese who, before the Super Bowl in February 2007, vowed in writing to change his name to Peyton Manning if the Indianapolis Colts beat his Bears — which they did. He went to court to keep his promise, but the judge tossed out his request.

As for the 44-year-old Cochara, he’s not about to stop rooting for the Packers. But, he said, the bar where he was taped up after he played “We are the Champions” following that Packers win has never been the same.

“Packers fans are scared about what happened,” he said.

———Associated Press Writer

Carrie Antlfinger contributed to this report from Milwaukee.

Fans say it’s the biggest game ever

The rivalry continues

APIn this photo taken in 1995 and provided by KC’s Cabin, John Cochara of Twin Lakes, Ill., is seen duct-taped to a stop sign in Spring Grove, Ill., for a little too much celebrating after the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game. Cochara, now 44, says he’s not about to stop rooting for the Packers. But, he said, the bar where he was duct taped after he played “We are the Champions” following the Packers win has never been the same. The Bears host the Packer Jan. 23 in the NFC Championship.

APIn this photo taken Jan. 18, John Cochara of Twin Lakes, Ill., poses by a stop sign outside a bar in Spring Grove, Ill., near the Illinois/Wisconsin border where 15 years earlier he was duct-taped to the sign after the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game.

CommenTAry

COMEDY NIGHTCOMEDY NIGHT

Hurry! Tickets are going fast!!! Friday, January 28, 8-10 pm

Saturday, January 29, 8-10 pm

1802 Crossroads Lane, Freeport IL

Featuring Jeremy Nunes and starring Mikey Mason!

Remember: You can catch the

LAST 2 GAMES of the football season on our new flat screens!

SOLD OUTCall 815.233.6292 now to reserve your table

for the Friday night show.

SOLD OUT

Hurry! Tickets are going fast!!!

Jeremy Nunes Mikey Mason!

LAST 2 GAMES


nfc championship

Matchups for the NFC championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field:

When the Packers have the ball

Until the playoffs began, the Packers were a pass first, second, third and all the time team. QB Aaron Rodgers (12) did not have a go-to running back all season after Ryan Grant was hurt. Rodgers even was the second-leading rusher during a 10-6 season.

But in Philadelphia for the wild-card round, rookie RB James Starks (44) emerged with 123 yards rushing, and he had 66 tough yards against Atlanta. The Bears must be aware that Green Bay will try to run, although Rodgers not only is the Packers’ main weapon, he’s been the top quarterback in the playoffs.

A pass rush is a must for the Bears, which means DLs Julius Peppers (90) and Israel Idonije (71) have to be factors early and often. LBs Brian Urlacher (54) and Lance Briggs (55) had strong years and need to get after Rodgers.

Greg Jennings (85), Donald Driver (80), James Jones (89) and Jordy Nelson (87) are a formidable receiving corps, but Rodgers will find anyone in a Packers uniform. He also has scrambling skills and will take off when a play breaks down, making something out of nothing. Again, Urlacher and Briggs will be the keys to short-circuiting Rodgers’ runs.

Green Bay’s offensive line has improved throughout the season, with RG Josh Sitton (71) the standout. He’ll see lots of DTs Tommie Harris (91) and Anthony Adams (95).

The Bears need to be aggressive in coverage with CBs Charles Tillman (33), Tim Jennings (28) and D.J. Moore (30) certain to be busy. Chicago’s best secondary player is safety Chris Harris. If Harris is able to roam despite a hip injury, he could be a difference maker.

When the Bears have the ball

Chicago was 4-3 going into its off week, and the offense got something of an overhaul. Coordinator Mike Martz and coach Lovie Smith reined in QB Jay Cutler (6), cutting down his erratic play; revamped the offensive line, where C Olin Kreutz (57) is the leader; and became more dependent on RB Matt Forte (22).

Forte responded with 1,069 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Cutler also responded and the Bears won seven of nine to win the NFC North ahead of Green Bay.

Cutler, who like Rodgers is mobile — he had two TDs rushing and two passing against Seattle last week, tying a record set in 1954 and ‘55 by Otto Graham — has advantage over his quarterback buddy (they text each other frequently, although presumably not this week). Greg Olsen (82) is an elite tight end, even if he doesn’t get much notice. Olsen was unstoppable against the Seahawks.

The Packers can be run on and that’s what Chicago

wants to do from the outset. If Green Bay gets stingy on the ground, WRs Johnny Knox (13), Earl Bennett (80) and Devin Hester (23) need to win matchups with top-notch CBs Charles Woodson (21) and Tramon Williams (38), whose 70-yard interception return helped do in Atlanta last Saturday. That’s a very tough chore for Chicago.

One key could be backup RB Chester Taylor (29), who along with Forte can be dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield. Checkdowns could provide a lifeblood for the Bears, except that sensational LB Clay Matthews (52) is certain to be nearby. Matthews is the Pack’s difference maker on D.

Special TeamsThe edge here belongs

to Chicago. Atlanta’s Eric Weems returned a kickoff for a TD against the Packers last week, and Chicago has a superb punt returner in the record-setting Hester. He ran back three punts for scores and could see action on kickoffs, too. Danieal Manning (38) normally is used on kickoffs.

Chicago also covers well, Green Bay not so much.

Robbie Gould (9) made 25 of 30 field goals and has range. The tricky winds at Soldier Field won’t bother him, but they also shouldn’t be a factor for Green Bay’s Mason Crosby (2), who hit 22 of 28 tries. Both have made plenty of clutch kicks.

Both punters, veteran Brad Maynard (4) for Chicago and first-year player Tim Masthay (8) for Green Bay, are efficient if not spectacular. Maynard certainly has the edge in experience.

CoachingSmith and the Packers’

Mike McCarthy each should get support in Coach of the Year balloting.

Not much was expected from the Bears this season, even after they started 3-0. But their play in the final two months of the schedule was impressive as they showed they can win with offense or defense, complemented by strong special teams.

Martz, in particular, deserves some credit for taming his own gambling instincts and, in turn, taming those of Cutler. The improvement on the offensive line also stems from the coaching.

Rod Marinelli might get ridiculed for overseeing the only 0-16 team in NFL history while he was the Lions’ head coach, but he’s a fine defensive coordinator who got the most out of Peppers, not always an easy assignment.

McCarthy and his staff have dealt with an unfair number of injuries — 15 on injured reserve including six key defensive players, Grant and TE Jermichael Finley — yet found the kind of depth that carries teams deep into the playoffs. Green Bay has peaked in the last month, with Rodgers playing the best football of his career.

Dom Capers’ defense is fast, smart and aggressive, led by second-year LB Matthews, veteran Woodson and NT B.J. Raji (90).

Packers vs. Bears

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have devised and tested the ideal so-lution to stopping dangerous punt returners such as the Chi-cago Bears’ Devin Hester.

And it worked perfectly in their playoff rout of Atlanta: Just don’t punt.

Thanks to a dominant perfor-mance by the Packers’ offense, punter Tim Masthay wasn’t called into action against the Falcons in the divisional playoffs. That doesn’t seem likely to happen again in Sunday’s NFC champion-ship game in Chicago, especially against a tough Bears defense.

That means the Packers’ spe-cial teams will once again have their hands full with Hester, the NFL’s career leader in com-bined punt and kick returns for touchdowns with 14.

From one punt returner to another, Green Bay’s Tramon Williams is impressed.

“Natural ability,” Williams said. “From watching film, ev-erything he does is great. He has the vision and the ability, every-thing ... Coach said he’s the best ever, so I feel the same way.”

Indeed, Packers coach Mike McCarthy called Hester the “best player on their football team” before playing the Bears in the regular season finale — a significant statement, given the fact that defensive end Julius Peppers and linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs an-chor the Bears’ defense.

The Packers allowed Hes-ter to break free for a 62-yard touchdown on a punt return during the teams’ first meeting, a 20-17 Bears victory in Chica-go on Sept. 27.

But the Packers did a much better job bottling Hester up in the teams’ second meeting of the season, allowing Hester only two punt returns for 35 yards in a 10-3 Packers victory in the regular season finale at Lambeau Field that allowed the Packers to clinch a playoff spot.

McCarthy said the Packers’ improved effort was a combina-tion of good ball placement by Masthay — who has improved after a shaky start to the season — and good coverage by the Packers’ special teams.

“Our special teams played extremely well in that football game,” McCarthy said. “And that will be a big part of going into Sol-dier Field and being successful.”

But one blown assignment or sloppy arm tackle on Sunday, and Hester could make a mo-mentum-changing return.

“He’s right at the top of the list, I would say,” linebacker A.J. Hawk said. “For sure. He can do everything. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he’s tough to stop.”

Hawk says Hester is at his most dangerous when he’s not dancing around.

“When he gets the ball, he might make a few moves, make the first guy miss,” Hawk said. “He gets vertical quick. When a guy does that — as you’ve seen against us, he got one ear-lier this year on us — they can crease you pretty quick and he can get in the end zone fast.”

And the Packers have some coverage concerns on special teams after allowing a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Atlanta’s Eric Weems.

“Frankly, the kickoff return was a combination of ball place-ment and coverage,” McCarthy said. “And that’s the reason why you practice those things and you have different types of calls. And so that’s something I’m sure Chicago will be taking a close look at. We’ve been playing very well on special teams but can’t let it happen this week.”

The Bears have one of the best special teams units in foot-ball, coached by Dave Toub.

In addition to Hester’s abil-ity to return punts, Hester and Danieal Manning are dangerous on kickoff returns, while punter Brad Maynard showed Sunday that he can control field posi-tion — playing perfectly into the hands of a Bears defense that tries to make opposing offenses drive the length of the field, hop-ing to force them into a negative play or turnover along the way.

Don’t punt to Hester

Special TeamS

CHICAGO (AP) — Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler are two young quarterbacks on the rise, blessed with slingshot arms and nimble feet. Both can handle postseason pres-sure, earning their first ca-reer playoff victories in recent weeks.

They’re friendly off the field, exchanging congratulatory text messages when their re-spective teams won last week-end to set up what might be the juiciest conference cham-pionship game ever.

And both men have a chance to cement a place among the NFL’s top quarterbacks when the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears revive their his-toric rivalry in Sunday’s NFC championship game at Soldier Field.

For fans, it’s a passionate fight for ultimate bragging rights. For players, the game will likely be decided by the two quarterbacks’ ability to make big plays and keep drives alive against two top defenses.

“Once you get to these games, it is a quarterback’s game,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “When they have open receivers, hitting them. Standing in the pocket, tak-ing a couple hits if you have to, just being that leader that the team sees is out front making plays.”

But any similarity between Cutler and Rodgers ends when it comes to public perception.

Rodgers is the guy who gracefully scrambled out of Brett Favre’s shadow.

Cutler is Favre 2.0, minus much of the homespun coun-try charm.

Rodgers remained poised and quietly confident after Fa-vre was traded in 2008 — even after Rodgers was booed by some of his own fans. Since then, Rodgers has won over just about everyone with his stellar play and likable per-sonality.

If anybody in Wisconsin is still pining for Favre in green and gold, they’re doing so very quietly.

“He’s playing his best foot-ball of his career at this point, and that’s what you want, especially this time of year,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Rodgers. “He’s definite-ly a big-time quarterback. He’s everything we hoped he’d be.”

Cutler remains a talented work in progress.

His throwing mechanics sometimes break down, and he relies on arm strength and a gambling mentality that some-times leads to head-scratching interceptions.

“I think you’re always grow-ing,” Cutler said. “You’re always trying to get better. You’re al-ways learning new stuff. Obvi-ously I had to learn a little bit

quicker with the new offense and Mike (Martz). You’re al-ways seeing different defenses and always critiquing yourself and if you’re not, you’re not go-ing to get any better.”

But Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk says Cutler has a “huge” arm and seems to have his teammates behind him.

“I think they love having a guy like Jay Cutler, because he brings a lot of energy and big-play capability to the field,” Hawk said. “And I think he’s done a really good job all year of kind of capitalizing on the defense’s mistakes that are made against him and what he can do. He seems like he just has great command of the of-fense, great command of the game. That’s what you want out of a quarterback.”

Given Cutler’s risky tenden-cies, and his at-times aloof de-meanor off the field, he hasn’t completely won over some Bears fans. That could change Sunday.

“I think everyone in the locker room knows the magni-tude of this game, knows what we’re going up against,” Cutler said. “But at the same time we’re going to enjoy it, we’re going to be loose, we’re going to play our game and we can’t worry about what is going to happen afterward if we win, we lose. We just have to go out there and play.”

Rodgers said Sunday’s game “takes the rivalry to the next level,” creating the kind of at-mosphere he’s dreamed about playing in since he was a kid.

“It’s great that there’s so much history, the longest-run-ning rivalry in the National Football League,” Rodgers said. “To have one of us, the winner of this game, go to the Super Bowl is pretty special.”

Sure, the quarterbacks won’t determine Sunday’s game by themselves.

Sloppy field conditions at

Soldier Field could disrupt the Packers’ wide receivers, hinder the quickness of Bears defen-sive end Julius Peppers — or both. Clay Matthews and the Packers’ blitz schemes could prove to be too much for a still-shaky Bears offensive line, or Chicago’s resurgent running game with Matt Forte could keep Green Bay’s defense off balance.

The Bears could capitalize on what appears to be a sig-nificant edge on special teams, beginning with returner Devin Hester.

But quarterbacks come first, even in a historic rivalry built on toughness, and Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said the Packers will be in for a long afternoon if they don’t get pass rush pressure.

“Hopefully, we can get to Cutler and make him make some quick decisions back there,” Williams said. “When you watch film, if you let the guy sit back there he can be a nightmare. If you get pres-sure on pretty much anybody you’ll make them make quick decisions and you can make plays.”

Rodgers, meanwhile, was fairly productive in two games against Chicago this year — the Bears won in Chicago in Sep-tember, and the Packers beat the Bears in their regular-sea-son finale to make the playoffs — but the Bears generally do a pretty good job containing the Packers’ offense.

Rodgers said he’s looking forward to facing the Bears, especially linebacker Brian Urlacher.

“I don’t know how he feels about me. He said he voted for me for the Pro Bowl — I don’t know if he’s lying or not,” Rod-gers joked. “A lot of respect on this side for the way that he plays, the way he’s played this season. But (he’s) somebody I really enjoy playing against.”

Packers vs. Bears, what else could be better want?

The game

APIn this Sept. 27, 2010, photo, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears fans wait for an NFL football game between the teams in Chicago. The teams are scheduled to play for the third time this season when he Bears host the Packers on Sunday for the NFC championship.

The maTChuP

Sun. • 3 p.m. EST • FOX11-5 • (1-0)10-6 • (2-0)

Regular-season • postseason statsOFFENSE

DEFENSE

Total yards (avg.): 289.4

Postseason: 276.0

PostseasonPostseason

Postseason: 273.0

Postseason: 375.0

Passing Rushing

SCORING (PPG)Points for Pts. allowed

Yards allowed (avg.): 314.3



Passing Rushing

Passing

Points for Pts. allowed

Rushing

<AP> NFC CHAMPIONSHIP 011811: Graphic compares regular-season and postseason stats for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears; 2c x 3 7/8 inches; 96.3 mm x 98 mm; with related stories; ED; ETA 4 p.m. </AP>

Editor’s Note: It is mandatory to include allsources that accompany this graphic whenrepurposing or editing it for publication

N F C C H A M P I O N S H I P G A M E

APSOURCE: National Football League

at

Sun. • 3 p.m. EST • FOX11-5 • (1-0)10-6 • (2-0)


DEFENSE


Postseason: 276.0

PostseasonPostseason

Postseason: 273.0

Postseason: 375.0

Passing Rushing





Passing Rushing

Passing


Rushing

N F C C H A M P I O N S H I P G A M E


at

Postseason: 437.0

Passing Rushing

188.4 101.0

261.0 176.0

224.2 90.1

242.0 34.0

20.9 17.9

35.0 24.0

257.8 100.4

258.5 117.0

194.2 114.9

210.0 63.0

34.5 18.5

24.2 15.0

Postseason: 437.0

Passing Rushing

188.4 101.0

261.0 176.0

224.2 90.1

242.0 34.0

20.9 17.9

35.0 24.0

257.8 100.4

258.5 117.0

194.2 114.9

210.0 63.0

34.5 18.5

24.2 15.0

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is predicting that his hometown Chicago Bears will defeat their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, 20-17 in Sunday’s NFC championship game.

But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Obama won’t hold a grudge against the state of Wisconsin should the Packers pull off a win. Gibbs says Obama will travel to Manitowoc, Wis., on Wednesday, regardless of the outcome.

Obama set off speculation this week that he would attend the Super Bowl if the Bears make it in. After being asked about his plans for the big game, Obama said with a laugh: “Oh, if the Bears are in the Super Bowl, we’re going.”

Gibbs tried to back away from that, saying that as a superstitious fan, it was too soon to be making Super Bowl plans.

Obama predicts win for Bears over Packers

preSidenT


AFC ChAmpionship

PITTSBURGH (AP) — If there’s a bigger-than-life coach, it has to be Rex Ryan. His out-sized personality and outland-ish comments — maybe not so absurd given what Ryan’s New York Jets have achieved — draw notice no matter the situation.

If there’s a bigger-than-most quarterback, literally and figu-ratively, it has to be Ben Roeth-lisberger. Not only because he’s 6-foot-5, 241 pounds, larger than some linebackers and stronger than nearly everyone else at his position, but because his credentials on the field and troubles away from it have been, well, so noticeable.

Ryan’s loud and proud Jets (13-5) face off with Roethlis-berger’s fearless Steelers (13-4) on Sunday for the AFC cham-pionship. Even though both teams are blessed with play-makers galore, the centerpieces will be the bombastic coach and the controversial quarterback.

Better have a huge spotlight.“You thought last week was

emotional and all that,” says Ryan, referring to a 28-21 vic-tory at New England that im-proved his postseason record as Jets coach to 4-1 and lifted his team into its second straight AFC title game. “Just wait until this week.”

This week, after his team beat Peyton Manning and the Colts, then Tom Brady and the Patriots, it’s all about Roethlis-berger. This AFC championship game is Roethlisberger’s fourth in seven seasons, and he owns two Super Bowl rings.

But he’s never had a year like the last one, making as many headlines away from the game as he usually does with his play-making skills.

Roethlisberger was accused in March of the sexual assault of a 20-year-old college stu-dent, but a prosecutor in Geor-gia declined to bring charges. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Roethlisberger for four games to start the 2010 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The Steelers organization, among the most respected in sports, was incensed by Roeth-lisberger’s behavior. Pittsbur-ghers were torn about support-ing him, noting that Manning and Brady never betrayed their fans’ trust in such a way.

What did Roethlisberger do? Apparently, he grew up.

And he kept winning.“The great thing is that was

so long ago I forgot all about it,” he says. “Right now it is not about living in the past for me. It’s about here and now and this game.”

Ah, the game. Guess what the game could come down to: Ryan’s defensive mastery against Roethlisberger’s offen-sive creativity.

Both of them know it, too.“Literally everything, from

their coverages to their blitzes to rushing two guys and get-ting sacks,” Roethlisberger says of the challenge the Jets present. “They can go into Indianapolis and beat Peyton Manning and go to New Eng-land and beat Tom Brady, who are the best two quarterbacks in the game in my opinion. I don’t know how I have a chance.”

Don’t buy it. He’ll have plenty of opportunities. The Steelers are 4-point favorites to avenge their 22-17 loss to the Jets at Heinz Field on Dec. 19, when Roethlisberger drove Pitts-burgh deep into New York’s red zone before throwing two in-completions at the end. Before that win, the Jets were 0-6 in the Steel City. Pittsburgh didn’t have star safety Troy Polamalu or tight end Heath Miller for that one; both will play Sun-day.

The Steelers also won’t flinch in the pressure cooker that is the last step to the Super Bowl. For Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Hines Ward, James Harrison, James Farrior and many oth-ers, this isn’t new territory. It’s where they expect to be.

“It doesn’t change. The goal every year is to win the cham-pionship and this year is no different even if we have two under our belt,” Farrior says. “We have guys around here

who have never played in a playoff game, or championship game, and we want them to experience that feeling of win-ning.

“No doubt about it, once you have been across that line and won a championship, you al-ways want that same feeling, always striving to get that ring back.”

Ryan has no rings. The only Jets who do are receiver San-tonio Holmes, who caught the winning pass from Roeth-lisberger in 2009 that lifted the Steelers past Arizona and earned him Super Bowl MVP honors; backup QB Mark Brunell, who held a similar role with New Orleans last year; and right tackle Damien Woody, now on injured re-serve.

Otherwise, the Jets haven’t played for the biggest prize since Joe Namath guaranteed it a mere 42 years ago.

That might be intimidating

for some. Not this bunch.“The fact we’re playing

against the Pittsburgh Steelers with about as rich of history as there is in this league, as far as having Super Bowl success, playing them at Pittsburgh, we know it’s going to be a huge challenge for us,” Ryan says. “There’s no doubt.

“But this is, we’ve called it be-fore, a triple chin strap game, a straight-ahead, no-dodging game. Both teams are built the same.”

Not quite. The Steelers tend to rely on the draft; other than Farrior, Harrison and Ryan Clark, most of their main con-tributors were draft picks. The Jets do have many key draftees, from DE Shaun Ellis, who had a monster game in New Eng-land, to star cornerback Dar-relle Revis to 2009 No. 1 Mark Sanchez, who already has four road playoff wins — twice as many total postseason victo-ries as Namath had. A triumph Sunday will set an NFL record for away victories by a quarter-back.

But the Jets play the free-agent game and make trades, especially this year in bring-ing in Holmes, CB Antonio Cromartie — no, he has not badmouthed Roethlisberger or anyone else this week after cursing out Brady before the New England game — LB Ja-son Taylor and RB LaDainian Tomlinson. Their idea — Ryan’s idea — is, simply, it’s time to collect some hardware.

“All I want to do is find a way to win, by one point, whatever,” Ryan says. “We want to be a part of that. I want that green and white confetti coming down. We want to hold the trophy, the Lamar Hunt Trophy.

“We want the hat, we want the T-shirts. That’s our mission. That’s what we want to accom-plish.”

In a big way, of course.

Rex and Ben big focal points

Matchups for the AFC championship game

between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field:

When the Jets have the ballDon’t be fooled by the Jets’

claims they need to pound the ball on the ground to win. For one thing, nobody pounds the Steelers, who allowed the fewest yards rushing, a mere 1,004, this season. For another, the Jets have thrown the ball well recently, particularly in last week’s shocker at New England. QB Mark Sanchez (6) has completed 60.7 percent of his passes, had three TDs against the Patriots, and his 91.6 rating is nothing to ignore.

He also has dynamic receivers in former Steelers star Santonio Holmes (10), the MVP of Pittsburgh’s February 2009 Super Bowl triumph, and Braylon Edwards (17), and reliable ones in Jerricho Cotchery (89) and TE Dustin Keller (81).

New York’s offensive line is a strength even without injured RT Damien Woody (Achilles’ tendon). Nick Mangold (74) is a Pro Bowl center and RG Brandon Moore (65) probably deserved to go to Hawaii.

Still, the defense New York faces is far more fierce and formidable than what it saw in Indianapolis or New England the last two weeks. Neither the Colts nor the Patriots have playmakers like S Troy Polamalu (43), who could wind up anywhere on the field at any time, and LBs James Harrison (92) and LaMarr Woodley (56). The Jets must get solid performances from tackles D’Brickashaw Ferguson (60) and Wayne Hunter (78), plus dependable blitz pickups from RBs Shonn Greene (23) and LaDainian Tomlinson (21), along with steady veteran FB Tony Richardson (49).

Tomlinson has had a rebirth in New York. He and Greene have combined for 271 yards rushing in the two postseason games. If they get anywhere near their playoff averages Sunday, it bodes well for the Jets.

Regardless, Sanchez must remain consistent and throw in some big plays such as the TD pass to Holmes last week or the one to Edwards that set up the winning field goal in Indy. Keller should expect to be rocked by Polamalu and S Ryan Clark every time he touches the ball, but Pittsburgh’s cornerbacks are beatable.

When the Steelers have the ball

Don’t be fooled by the Steelers’ claims they need to pound the ball on the ground to win, either. The running game might be a bit more critical for them, and Rashard Mendenhall (34) can be a beast; he rushed for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns during the season, but managed only 46 yards against Baltimore.

Pittsburgh’s offensive line, banged up all year, will be tested by a resurgent Jets defense that pressured Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Rookie C Maurkice Pouncey (53) has more than held his own, but QB Ben Roethlisberger (7) doesn’t always get the same support from the rest of his blockers. Of course, few quarterbacks

can manufacture something out of chaos the way Roethlisberger does — and has done in winning two Super Bowls. He masterfully led the comeback from a 14-point deficit against Baltimore last week.

Although Hines Ward (86) is the key receiver in big spots, Mike Wallace (17) figures to get the Revis Treatment. Shutdown CB Darrelle Revis (24) will be a huge challenge for Wallace, Ward, Emmanuel Sanders (88) and Antonio Brown (84), one of the heroes of the win over the Ravens. Just like Manning and Brady, Roethlisberger probably will go after CB Antonio Cromartie (31), and look over the middle for TE Heath Miller (83). New York doesn’t cover tight ends over the middle particularly well.

Even if the Jets get penetration similar to what they got against the Patriots from Shaun Ellis (92) and Calvin Pace (97), that doesn’t mean Roethlisberger will be stymied. His ability to take hits, avoid the rush and thrown on the run make him dangerous everywhere.

Special TeamsA strength of the Jets under

coordinator Mike Westhoff, with Brad Smith (16) the main threat. Smith ranked second in the league with 1,432 yards on kick returns, a 28.6 average, and two touchdowns. The Steelers very well remember the 97-yarder Smith had to open New York’s 22-17 victory at Pittsburgh on Dec. 19. The Steelers counter mostly with Brown on returns. Brown had one kickoff runback for a score during the season. Both teams are solid on kickoff coverages in particular.

Pittsburgh changed placekickers in midseason from Jeff Reed to Shaun Suisham (6) and it worked out nicely. The turf at Heinz field can be problematic, but Suisham went 14 for 15 on field goals. New York’s Nick Folk (2) isn’t quite so reliable, even missing a 30-yarder at Foxborough. He did hit the 32-yarder that lifted the Jets past the Colts.

Steve Weatherford (9) gets good hang time and can punt directionally. Having kicked in the Meadowlands all year should prepare him for tricky winds, the kind that Steelers P Jeremy Kapinos (13) knows well.

CoachingAll the kidding aside about

their personalities being so dissimilar, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and Jets head man Rex Ryan have much in common.

Both are superb defensive coaches, albeit with different styles. Tomlin, who won a championship in 2008, is blessed with the likes of Harrison and Polamalu — and coordinator Dick LeBeau, possibly the best the NFL has seen. They get the most out of everyone on D.

Tomlin is a terrific evaluator of talent and a strong motivator.

Ryan might be bombastic, but he gets results, in great part by letting assistants such as Westhoff and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have freedom. His roster fits the personality Ryan wants for his team: brash, rugged, clutch.

Jets vs. Steelers

Sun. • 6:30 p.m. EST • CBS11-5 • (2-0) 12-4 • (1-0)


DEFENSE


Postseason: 342.0

Postseason Postseason

Postseason: 126.0

Postseason: 263.0

Passing Rushing





Passing Rushing

Passing


Rushing

<AP> AFC CHAMPIONSHIP 011811: Graphic compares regular-season and postseason stats for the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers; 2c x 3 7/8 inches; 96.3 mm x 98 mm; with related stories; ED; ETA 4 p.m. </AP>

Editor’s Note: It is mandatory to include allsources that accompany this graphic whenrepurposing or editing it for publication

A F C C H A M P I O N S H I P G A M E


at

Sun. • 6:30 p.m. EST • CBS11-5 • (2-0) 12-4 • (1-0)


DEFENSE


Postseason: 342.0

Postseason Postseason

Postseason: 126.0

Postseason: 263.0

Passing Rushing





Passing Rushing

Passing


Rushing

A F C C H A M P I O N S H I P G A M E


at

Postseason: 333.5

Passing Rushing

202.6 148.4

189.0 144.5

200.6 90.9

239.0 103.0

22.9 19.0

22.5 18.5

225.1 120.2

192.0 71.0

214.1 62.8

91.0 35.0

31.0 24.0

23.4 14.5

Postseason: 333.5

Passing Rushing

202.6 148.4

189.0 144.5

200.6 90.9

239.0 103.0

22.9 19.0

22.5 18.5

225.1 120.2

192.0 71.0

214.1 62.8

91.0 35.0

31.0 24.0

23.4 14.5

NEED!

27 S. State Ave, Freeport815-232-2171

We

HAVE whatyou

The maTChupS

APpittsburgh fans celebrate during an NFL divisional football game against the Baltimore Ravens in pittsburgh on Jan. 15.

Dixon • Freeport • Geneseo • Mendota • Princeton724 Youngs Lane, Freeport, IL 61032

815-233-1216

Holland & Sons, Inc.

Pre SeasonService Specials*

Free Pick Up and Deliveryin January & February

1/2 Price Pick Upand Delivery in March

*Expires April 8, 2011

Pre SeasonService Specials*

CALLFOR

SPECIALRATES


By Dan ParrPro Football Weekly

He’s watched as closely as any Bears player,on and off the field, but QB Jay Cutler is nota media darling. It has been well known for awhile that he’s not interested in becoming one,either, although he said Sunday that he’s try-ing to be more friendly during the questionand answer sessions.Cutler looks disinterested at times, will of-

fer a few, short words in response to a ques-tion that he finds particularly bothersome ortrivial, doesn’t smile much and rarely seemsto be enjoying his interactions with reportersevery Wednesday at Halas Hall.That approach doesn’t sit well with some

people.In the days leading up to the Bears’ playoff

battle against Seattle, his personality, or at leastthe one he shows in public—his friends on theteam suggest that there is a different side ofCutler — was skewered by a national writer.He has notwon any popularity contests since

getting traded to Chicago before the 2009 sea-son, evenwith a fan base that was ready to em-brace him from the start. The obsession withanalyzing his demeanor is probably not goingaway, but with his play on the field, Cutler ismaking all that talk a side story in the back-ground of a more meaningful tale.In his first career playoff game Sunday, he

threw for two touchdowns and rushed for twomore, and the Bears won, setting up one of themost anticipated games in franchise historyagainst the Packers at Solider Field in theNFCchampionship.There was an errant throw or two, including

one that was nearly picked off by Seahawks SJordan Babineaux at the Bears’ goal line.Cutler’s game wasn’t flawless, but TE GregOlsen, who caught the first of his TD passes,was impressed.“I don’t know if you’re going to get any bet-

ter performance out of a quarterback in theplayoffs,” Olsen said of Cutler’s showingagainst the Seahawks. “I don’t know what hethrew for in yards. Who cares? Two runs (fortouchdowns), two throwing touchdowns, noturnovers. Hewasmaking those decisions andmoving us up and down the field. I don’t knowwhatmore he could of done from that positionin any game, but let alone a huge playoff game.You can’t give enough credit to what he did.”But what if Cutler does do something even

better against GreenBay?Whatwill people sayif Cutler does not make costly errors, outdu-els Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and leads theBears to awin in one of the biggest games theyhave ever played in, sending Chicago to its sec-ond Super Bowl in four years?He’ll go from being the maligned quarter-

back that didn’t play up to his potential to oneon the verge of breaking through to joinsome elite company in the Super Bowl, andcritics of his persona will seemmuch less rel-evant.

ON SALENOW!Available atnewsstandsand at yourPFWStore.com

NOWON SALE: Pro Football Weekly Insider Apps for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone. Visit ProFootballWeekly.com/mobileapps for details!

GAME CENTER

QUOTE OF NOTE

S Chris Harris had to leave theBears’win over the Seahawkswith a hip injury, but he vowedto return against the Packersand word is the team expectshim to play. “My leg would haveto be cut off for me to miss thisgame,”Harris said.

Greg Olsenwas involved intrade rumors during the offsea-son after offensive coordinatorMike Martz, who had used tightends primarily as blockers in thepast, was hired. It was presumedthat Martz wouldn't havemuchuse for Olsen, since blocking wasnot his strength.After watchingOlsen’s numbers dip near ca-reer-low levels during the regularseason, there’s been some talkthat trading Olsen, who has oneyear left on his contract, to ateamwith a system that wouldallow him to showcase hisstrengths as a receiver would bethe best thing for him.

If Olsen agrees with that senti-ment, he’s not showing it. Olsensaid last week that he believesthat playing for Martz and doingmore blocking has been a goodthing. His receiving skills wereon full display in the Bears’ play-off win over the Seahawks, how-ever. Olsen had the first100-yard receiving game of hiscareer, making three catches for113 yards and a TD.

Olsen, however, finished withonly two catches and 13 yardsmore than his career lows inthose categories during the reg-ular season.

“It’s definitely different as far as inthe past, but I really think, and Iwholeheartedly believe this, thatit’s been a good thing,”Olsen said.“It’s openedmy eyes that you canhave an impact on the gameother than catching touchdowns.

“In the past it was always, ‘Whatcan our tight ends do in thepassing game?’We did stuff inthe run game, don’t get mewrong, but this year we have alot more responsibility in blitzprotection on third downs. ...You can have a big impact onthe game without the ball.

“The (TE) position hasmadesome plays and been a factor inthe passing game,but I feel likethe position has helped in otherways that sometimes can go un-noticed. I think overall, personallyand as a position, I think (the tightends have) all grown a lot thispast year as all-around players.”

ONLINE NOW

Slick new videoPrepare for the playoffs and NFLdraft by watching our daily videos.ProFootballWeekly.com

WAY WE HEAR IT

WHISPERS

Packers at BearsSunday, Jan. 23, 2 p.m. CST, Fox

OverviewIn their first playoff matchup sinceseven days after the attack on PearlHarbor more than 69 years ago,bombs once again could fill the air ifthese arch NFC North rivals’ of-fenses are as productive as theywere in the divisional playoff round(879 total yards combined). InWeekThree in Chicago, the Bears cameback from an early 10-0 deficit tosneak past the Packers 20-17 onRobbie Gould’s game-winning 19-yard field goal. A team-record 18Packers penalties had a lot to dowith the outcome. Green Bay turnedthe tables in the regular-season fi-nale, clinching a playoff spot.

Matchup to watchLook for Packers CB CharlesWood-son to probably get heavily involveddefending Bears TE Greg Olsen, whohad a TD catch in the first meetingback inWeek Three and was a majorforce to be reckoned with last week,with a 58-yard TD catch on theBears’ third offensive play of thegame getting the ball rolling.

By the numbers

11 Packers QBAaron Rodgers hasa touchdown-interception ratio

of 11-1 in his last four games.

Schedule and resultsPointspread refers to Chicago

DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORESept. 12 Detroit (-6.5) 19-14Sept. 19 At Dallas (+7) 27-20Sept. 27 Green Bay (+3) 20-17Oct. 3 At N.Y. Giants (+3.5) 3-17Oct. 10 At Carolina (+3) 23-6Oct. 17 Seattle (-6) 20-23Oct. 24 Washington (-3) 14-17Oct. 31 BYENov. 7 At Buffalo (-3) 22-19Nov. 14 Minnesota (+1) 27-13Nov. 18 At Miami (+2) 16-0Nov. 28 Philadelphia (+3) 31-26Dec. 5 At Detroit (-5) 24-20Dec. 12 New England (+3) 7-36Dec. 20 At Minnesota (-5.5) 40-14Dec. 26 NewYork Jets (-3) 38-34Jan. 2 At Green Bay (+11.5) 3-10POSTSEASONJan. 16 Seattle (-10) 35-24

“I’m just glad tobe a part of thehistory it’s goingto be, becausewe’re going towin. It’s going tobe a huge game.”

—Bears TE Kellen Davis, guarantee-ing a victory over the Packers in aninterview on Chicago radio stationWSCR-AM.

Get the latest football news updates at ProFootballWeekly.com

IMAGE CONTROL

The Bears’ JayCutler ran for twoTDs and threw fortwo other scoresagainst Seattle.

Cutler’s playdoes the talking

Bears QB responds on the field

Get the latest football news updates at ProFootballWeekly.com

CHICAGO

BEARS

Join the Handicapping Inner Circle and let our NFL experts help you pick the winners. Find out more at www.ProFootballWeekly.com.HEY, HANDICAPPERS

MATTQUIN

NAN/PFW


the rivalry

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — As far as Green Bay wide receiver Greg Jennings is concerned, the most challenging thing about the Chicago Bears’ home-field advantage might be the field itself.

Jennings isn’t a fan of the grass at Soldier Field, and wasn’t afraid to say so going into Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Bears.

“It’s rough,” Jennings said Monday. “It’s probably one of the worst — probably the worst — in the league.”

Jennings noticed Seattle receivers slipping as chunks of the field came up during the Seahawks’ playoff loss in the snow at Chicago, and said the Packers will have to pay close attention to their footing.

“You have to go out before the game, pregame, and kind of get a feel of what you’re working with, what you’re dealing with, get your footing, because that’s going to play a huge, huge role in the game,” Jennings said. “But you can’t allow that to affect the way you play.”

NFL officials are expected to monitor the situation and work with the stadium’s field manager during the week, taking action if necessary — although it’s not clear what could be done to improve conditions on short notice, as the field recently was re-sodded.

Even Bears players have expressed displeasure with the often-sloppy surface, including quarterback Jay Cutler and linebacker Brian Urlacher.

“It’s the middle of January in Chicago,” Bears tight end Greg Olsen said. “We’ve had a lot of snow, cold, whatnot. You don’t have to be a scientist to know grass doesn’t grow in these conditions. So they’ve tried to maintain it the best you can. Obviously, yesterday it snowed pretty much throughout the game. That makes it wet. ... By the end of the game, it’s sloppy and chopped up. It is what it is.”

And Soldier Field didn’t provide a pronounced advantage for the home team this season. Chicago was 5-3 at home during the regular season — including a blowout loss to New England in snowy conditions — and 6-2 on the road.

“It’s not like anyone is going to have an advantage,” linebacker A.J. Hawk said.

The Packers obviously are used to playing outdoors in poor conditions as well, but Lambeau Field has a hybrid natural/synthetic turf blend that has held up well in bad weather.

Packers cornerback Tramon Williams said he isn’t worried.

“Chicago’s field has always been like that,” Williams said. “So it’s nothing different. It’s something that we’re prepared for. And you’ve just got to have the right cleats or whatever. It shouldn’t really be a problem.”

Jennings: Bears’ field ‘probably’ NFL’s worst

DeWyze gets halftime gig at NFC championship

CHICAGO (AP) — “American Idol” winner Lee DeWyze will be performing at Sunday’s NFC championship game between Chicago and Green Bay. Just not the national anthem.

On Monday, DeWyze tweeted “National Anthem at home, yes. Go Bears.” DeWyze, who grew up in suburban Mount Prospect 25 miles away from Soldier Field, won last season’s “American Idol” contest and a week later sang the national anthem at Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Los Angeles.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday the league had recently booked DeWyze to perform the national anthem at the NFC championship game, regardless of location. He said “to accommodate the Bears and their fans,” DeWyze will instead perform at halftime and Jim Cornelison will perform the national anthem.

The classically trained Cornelison has drawn rave reviews after becoming a regular singing the anthem at home during Chicago Blachawks games.

Bears’ Harris vows to play against Green Bay

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris practiced on a limited basis for the first time this week after suffering a hip pointer in a playoff win over Seattle on Sunday.

Harris, listed as questionable, says he’s “definitely playing” in this week’s NFC championship game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and is feeling “a lot” better.

He was injured in the first half against the Seahawks, forcing the Bears to go with rookie Major Wright and Josh Bullocks. Harris tied cornerback Charles Tillman for the team lead with five interceptions in his first season back with Chicago after spending the previous three in Carolina.

Jets’ Ellis sits out, Steelers’ McFadden returns

PITTSBURGH (AP) — New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis sat out practice Friday with a knee ailment, but coach Rex Ryan said he’ll play in the AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ellis was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report after having two sacks and playing a terrific all-around game in New York’s 28-21 win at New England last Sunday.

Wide receiver-kick returner Brad Smith (groin), safety James Ihedigbo (right knee/ankle) and defensive back Drew Coleman (knee) were limited and also listed as questionable.

“They’re playing, OK?” Ryan said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Steelers starting cornerback Bryant McFadden practiced for the first time this week after sustaining an abdominal injury during a playoff victory against Baltimore last Saturday.

McFadden said he will see how he feels Saturday before a decision is made about playing when the Steelers (13-4) host the New York Jets (13-5).

Nickel back William Gay would start if McFadden can’t play.

Safety Troy Polamalu (Achilles’ tendon) also returned to practice, as expected, and will play Sunday. Special teamers Will Allen (knee) and Arnez Battle (illness) practiced for the first time this week as well.

DE Aaron Smith has been limited in practice all week, and it is considered extremely unlikely he will play Sunday. Smith has not played since Oct. 24, when he tore a triceps muscle in a win at Miami.

rostersNFC ChampioNship RosteRs

ChiCago BeaRsHead Coach: Lovie Smith

No. player pos ht Wt 4 Brad Maynard P 6-1 188 6 Jay Cutler QB 6-3 233 9 Robbie Gould K 6-0 18510 Todd Collins QB 6-4 22312 Caleb Hanie QB 6-2 22513 Johnny Knox WR 6-0 18019 Devin Aromashodu WR 6-2 20120 Craig Steltz S 6-1 21021 Corey Graham CB 6-0 19822 Matt Forte RB 6-2 21823 Devin Hester WR 5-11 19025 Garrett Wolfe RB 5-7 18626 Tim Jennings CB 5-8 18527 Major Wright S 5-11 20629 Chester Taylor RB 5-11 21330 D.J. Moore CB 5-9 18331 Joshua Moore CB 5-11 18432 Kahlil Bell RB 5-11 21233 Charles Tillman CB 6-1 19835 Zackary Bowman CB 6-1 19336 Josh Bullocks S 6-0 20738 Danieal Manning S 5-11 20246 Chris Harris S 6-0 20752 Brian Iwuh LB 6-0 23553 Nick Roach LB 6-1 23454 Brian Urlacher LB 6-4 25855 Lance Briggs LB 6-1 24257 Olin Kreutz C 6-2 29258 Rod Wilson LB 6-2 23059 Pisa Tinoisamoa LB 6-1 23060 Lance Louis G 6-3 30563 Roberto Garza G 6-2 31065 Patrick Mannelly C 6-5 26567 Herman Johnson G 6-7 36068 Frank Omiyale T 6-4 31569 Henry Melton DE 6-3 26570 Edwin Williams C 6-3 31371 Israel Idonije DT 6-6 27073 J’Marcus Webb T 6-7 31074 Chris Williams T 6-6 31575 Matt Toeaina DT 6-2 30878 Kevin Shaffer T 6-5 31880 Earl Bennett WR 6-0 20481 Rashied Davis WR 5-9 18782 Greg Olsen TE 6-5 25586 Brandon Manumaleuna TE 6-2 29587 Kellen Davis TE 6-7 26288 Desmond Clark TE 6-3 24990 Julius Peppers DE 6-7 28391 Tommie Harris DT 6-3 29595 Anthony Adams DT 6-0 31098 Corey Wootton DE 6-6 27099 Marcus Harrison DT 6-3 312

gReeN Bay paCkeRsHead Coach: Mike McCarthy

No. player pos ht Wt 2 Mason Crosby K 6-1 207 6 Graham Harrell QB 6-2 215 8 Tim Masthay P 6-1 20010 Matt Flynn QB 6-2 22512 Aaron Rodgers QB 6-2 22516 Brett Swain WR 6-0 20020 Atari Bigby S 5-11 21321 Charles Woodson CB 6-1 20222 Pat Lee CB 6-0 19623 Dimitri Nance RB 5-10 21824 Jarrett Bush CB 6-0 20026 Charlie Peprah S 5-11 20328 Brandon Underwood CB 6-1 19130 John Kuhn RB 6-0 25032 Brandon Jackson RB 5-10 21635 Korey Hall RB 6-0 23636 Nick Collins S 5-11 20737 Sam Shields CB 5-11 18438 Tramon Williams CB 5-11 19140 Josh Gordy CB 5-11 19044 James Starks RB 6-2 21845 Quinn Johnson RB 6-1 26349 Rob Francois LB 6-2 25550 A.J. Hawk LB 6-1 24752 Clay Matthews LB 6-3 25553 Diyral Briggs LB 6-4 23055 Desmond Bishop LB 6-2 23857 Matt Wilhelm LB 6-4 24558 Frank Zombo LB 6-3 25461 Brett Goode C 6-1 25562 Evan Dietrich-Smith G 6-2 30863 Scott Wells C 6-2 30067 Nick McDonald G 6-4 31670 T.J. Lang T 6-4 31871 Josh Sitton G 6-3 31872 Jason Spitz G 6-3 30573 Daryn Colledge G 6-4 30875 Bryan Bulaga T 6-5 31476 Chad Clifton T 6-5 32077 Cullen Jenkins DE 6-2 30579 Ryan Pickett DE 6-2 34080 Donald Driver WR 6-0 19481 Andrew Quarless TE 6-4 25283 Tom Crabtree TE 6-4 24585 Greg Jennings WR 5-11 19886 Donald Lee TE 6-4 24887 Jordy Nelson WR 6-3 21789 James Jones WR 6-1 20890 B.J. Raji NT 6-2 33793 Erik Walden LB 6-2 25094 Jarius Wynn DE 6-3 28595 Howard Green DT 6-2 34098 C.J. Wilson DE 6-3 290

aFC ChampioNship RosteRs

NeW yoRk JetsHead Coach: Rex Ryan

No. player pos ht Wt 2 Nick Folk K 6-1 222 6 Mark Sanchez QB 6-2 225 8 Mark Brunell QB 6-1 215 9 Steve Weatherford P 6-3 21510 Santonio Holmes WR 5-11 19211 Kellen Clemens QB 6-2 22016 Brad Smith WR 6-2 21217 Braylon Edwards WR 6-3 21420 Kyle Wilson CB 5-10 19021 LaDainian Tomlinson RB 5-10 21522 Brodney Pool S 6-2 21423 Shonn Greene RB 5-11 22624 Darrelle Revis CB 5-11 19825 Joe McKnight RB 5-11 20526 Dwight Lowery CB 5-11 19827 Emanuel Cook S 5-10 20229 Isaiah Trufant CB 5-8 17030 Drew Coleman CB 5-9 18031 Antonio Cromartie CB 6-2 21033 Eric Smith S 6-1 20734 Marquice Cole CB 5-10 19238 John Conner RB 5-11 24544 James Ihedigbo S 6-1 21446 Tanner Purdum C 6-3 27049 Tony Richardson RB 6-1 24050 Vernon Gholston DE 6-3 26052 David Harris LB 6-2 25053 Josh Mauga LB 6-1 24555 Jamaal Westerman LB 6-3 25556 Lance Laury LB 6-2 24257 Bart Scott LB 6-2 24258 Bryan Thomas LB 6-4 26060 D’Brickashaw Ferguson T 6-6 31062 Vladimir Ducasse G 6-5 32565 Brandon Moore G 6-3 30568 Matt Slauson G 6-5 31570 Mike DeVito DE 6-3 30571 Jarron Gilbert DT 6-5 28574 Nick Mangold C 6-4 30775 Robert Turner T 6-4 30878 Wayne Hunter T 6-5 31881 Dustin Keller TE 6-2 25082 Matthew Mulligan TE 6-4 26584 Ben Hartsock TE 6-4 26886 Jeff Cumberland TE 6-4 26088 Patrick Turner WR 6-5 22089 Jerricho Cotchery WR 6-0 20391 Sione Pouha DT 6-3 32592 Shaun Ellis DE 6-5 29093 Trevor Pryce DE 6-5 29094 Marcus Dixon DE 6-4 29597 Calvin Pace LB 6-4 26599 Jason Taylor LB 6-6 250

pittsBuRgh steeleRsHead Coach: Mike Tomlin

No. player pos ht Wt 4 Byron Leftwich QB 6-5 250 6 Shaun Suisham K 6-0 197 7 Ben Roethlisberger QB 6-5 24113 Jeremy Kapinos P 6-1 23014 Limas Sweed WR 6-4 212

16 Charlie Batch QB 6-2 21617 Mike Wallace WR 6-0 19920 Bryant McFadden CB 6-0 19021 Mewelde Moore RB 5-11 20922 William Gay CB 5-10 19023 Keenan Lewis CB 6-0 20824 Ike Taylor CB 6-2 19525 Ryan Clark S 5-11 20526 Will Allen S 6-1 20027 Jonathan Dwyer RB 5-11 22928 Crezdon Butler CB 6-0 19129 Ryan Mundy S 6-1 20933 Isaac Redman RB 6-0 23034 Rashard Mendenhall RB 5-10 22537 Anthony Madison CB 5-9 18043 Troy Polamalu S 5-10 20750 Larry Foote LB 6-1 23951 James Farrior LB 6-2 24353 Maurkice Pouncey C 6-4 30455 Stevenson Sylvester LB 6-2 23156 LaMarr Woodley LB 6-2 26557 Keyaron Fox LB 6-3 23560 Greg Warren C 6-3 25261 Chris Scott T 6-4 31964 Doug Legursky C 6-1 31566 Tony Hills T 6-5 30468 Chris Kemoeatu G 6-3 34469 Steve McLendon DT 6-4 28071 Flozell Adams T 6-7 33872 Jonathan Scott T 6-6 31873 Ramon Foster G 6-6 32576 Chris Hoke NT 6-2 30579 Trai Essex G 6-5 32481 Arnaz Battle WR 6-1 20882 Antwaan Randle El WR 5-10 18583 Heath Miller TE 6-5 25684 Antonio Brown WR 5-10 18685 David Johnson TE 6-2 26086 Hines Ward WR 6-0 20588 Emmanuel Sanders WR 5-11 18089 Matt Spaeth TE 6-7 27091 Aaron Smith DE 6-5 29892 James Harrison LB 6-0 24293 Nick Eason DE 6-3 30594 Lawrence Timmons LB 6-1 23496 Ziggy Hood DE 6-3 30097 Jason Worilds LB 6-2 26298 Casey Hampton NT 6-1 32599 Brett Keisel DE 6-5 285

game reCorDsNFC ChampioNship ReCoRds

sCoRiNgmost Points — 19, Paul Hornung, green Bay vs. New York, 1961.most touchdowns — 3, Otto Graham, Cleve-land vs. Detroit, 1954; Gary Collins, Cleve-land vs. Baltimore, 1964; Tom Matte, Balti-more vs. Cleveland, 1968; Preston Pearson, Dallas vs. Los Angeles, 1975; Emmitt Smith, Dallas vs. Green Bay, 1995; Adrian Peterson, Minnesota vs. New Orleans, 2010.most Field goals — 5, Matt Bahr, New York vs. San Francisco, 1990.Longest Field goal — 52, Lou Groza, Cleve-land vs. Los Angeles, 1951.most Points after touchdown — 8, Lou Groza, Cleveland vs. Detroit, 1954; Jim Mar-tin, Detroit vs. Cleveland, 1957.

RushiNgmost attempts — 36, John Riggins (twice), Washington vs. Dallas, 1982; Washington vs. San Francisco, 1983.most Yards gained — 196, Steve Van Bu-ren, Philadelphia vs. Los Angeles, 1949.

passiNgmost attempts — 53, Troy Aikman, Dallas vs. San Francisco, 1994.most Completions — 30, Troy Aikman, Dal-las vs. San Francisco, 1994.most Yards gained — 381, Kerry Collins, N.Y. Giants vs. Minnesota, 2000.most touchdowns — 5, sid Luckman, Chi-cago Bears vs. Washington, 1943; Kerry Collins, N.Y. Giants vs. Minnesota, 2000.

ReCeiViNgmost receptions — 12, Raymond Berry, Baltimore vs. New York, 1958; Michael Irvin, Dallas vs. San Francisco, 1994.most Yards — 192, Michael Irvin, Dallas vs. San Francisco, 1994.most touchdowns — 3, Gary Collins, Cleve-land vs. Baltimore, 1964; Preston Pearson, Dallas vs. Los Angeles, 1975; Larry Fitzger-ald, Arizona vs. Philadelphia, 2009.

iNteRCeptioNsmost — 3, Joe Laws, Green Bay vs. New York, 1944; Ricky Manning, Carolina vs. Philadelphia, 2004.

aFC ChampioNship ReCoRds

sCoRiNgmost Points — 18, Larry Csonka, Miami vs. Oakland, 1973; Kenneth Davis, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990; Thurman Thomas, Buf-falo vs. Kansas City, 1993.most touchdowns — 3, Larry Csonka, Mi-ami vs. Oakland, 1973 and Kenneth Davis, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990; Thurman Thomas, Buffalo vs. Kansas City, 1993.most Field goals — 5, Adam Vinatieri,

New England vs. Indianapolis, 2004; Steve Christie, Buffalo vs. Miami, 1992.Longest Field goal — 48, George Blanda, Oakland vs. Baltimore, 1970; Jason Elam, Denver vs. N.Y. Jets, 1998; Adam Vinatieri, New England vs. Pittsburgh, 2004; Jay Feely, N.Y. Jets vs. Indianapolis, 2010.most Points after touchdown — 6, George Blair, San Diego vs. Boston, 1963; Scott Norwood, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990.

RushiNgmost attempts — 33, Thurman Thomas, Buffalo vs. Kansas City, 1993.most Yards gained — 206, Keith Lincoln, San Diego vs. Boston, 1963.

passiNgmost attempts — 54, Neil O’Donnell, Pitts-burgh vs. San Diego, 1994.most Completions — 32, Neil O’Donnell, Pittsburgh vs. San Diego, 1994.most Yards gained — 421, Dan Marino, Mi-ami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984.most touchdowns — 4, Dan Marino, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984.

ReCeiViNgmost receptions — 9, Cliff Branch, Oakland vs. Pittsburgh, 1974; Tim Brown, Oakland vs. Tennessee, 2003.most Yards — 190, Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland vs. New York, 1968.most touchdowns — 2, Don Maynard, New York vs. Oakland, 1968; Haven Moses, Den-ver vs. Oakland, 1977, Dave Casper, Oakland vs. Denver, 1977; Charlie Joiner, San Diego vs. Oakland, 1980; John Stallworth, Pitts-burgh vs. Miami, 1984; Mark Duper, Miami vs. Pittsburgh, 1984; Brian Brennan, Cleve-land vs. Denver, 1989; James Lofton, Buffalo vs. Los Angeles, 1990.

iNteRCeptioNsmost — 3, Ty Law, New England vs. India-napolis, 2004; A.J. Duhe, Miami vs. New York, 1982.

CHamPionsNFC ChampioNs

2009—New Orleans 31, Minnesota 28, OT2008—Arizona 32, Philadelphia 252007—New York 23, Green Bay 20, OT2006—Chicago 39, new orleans 142005—Seattle 34, Carolina 142004—Philadelphia 27, Atlanta 102003—Carolina 14, Philadelphia 32002—Tampa Bay 27, Philadelphia 102001—St. Louis 29, Philadelphia 242000—New York 41, Minnesota 01999—St. Louis 11, Tampa Bay 61998—Atlanta 30, Minnesota 27, OT1997—green Bay 23, san Francisco 101996—green Bay 30, Carolina 131995—Dallas 38, Green Bay 271994—San Francisco 38, Dallas 281993—Dallas 38, San Francisco 211992—Dallas 30, San Francisco 201991—Washington 41, Detroit 101990—New York 15, San Francisco 131989—San Francisco 30, L.A. Rams 31988—San Francisco 28, Chicago 31987—Washington 17, Minnesota 101986—New York 17, Washington 01985—Chicago 24, L.a. rams 01984—San Francisco 23, Chicago 01983—Washington 24, San Francisco 211982—Washington 31, Dallas 171981—San Francisco 28, Dallas 271980—Philadelphia 20, Dallas 71979—L.A. Rams 9, Tampa Bay 01978—Dallas 28, L.A. Rams 01977—Dallas 23, Minnesota 61976—Minnesota 24, L.A. Rams 131975—Dallas 37, L.A. Rams 71974—Minnesota 14, L.A. Rams 101973—Minnesota 27, Dallas 101972—Washington 26, Dallas 31971—Dallas 14, San Francisco 31970—Dallas 17, San Francisco 101969—Minnesota 27, Cleveland Browns 71968—Baltimore 34, Cleveland Browns 01967—green Bay 21, Dallas 171966—green Bay 34, Dallas 271965—green Bay 23, Cleveland Browns 121964—Cleveland Browns 27, Baltimore 01963—Chicago Bears 14, new York 101962—green Bay 16, new York 71961—green Bay 37, new York 01960—Philadelphia 17, Green Bay 131959—Baltimore 31, New York 161958—Baltimore 23, New York 17, OT1957—Detroit 59, Cleveland Browns 141956—New York 47, Chicago Bears 71955—Cleveland Browns 38, Los Angeles 141954—Cleveland Browns 56, Detroit 101953—Detroit 17, Cleveland Browns 161952—Detroit 17, Cleveland Browns 71951—Los Angeles 24, Cleveland Browns 171950—Cleveland Browns 30, Los Angeles 281949—Philadelphia 14, Los Angeles 01948—Philadelphia 7, Chicago Cardinals 01947—Chicago Cardinals 28, Philadelphia 211946—Chicago Bears 24, new York 141945—Cleveland Rams 15, Washington 141944—Green Bay 14, New York 71943—Chicago 41, Washington 211942—Washington 14, Chicago Bears 6

1941—Chicago Bears 37, new York 91940—Chicago Bears 73, Washington 01939—green Bay 27, new York 01938—New York 23, Green Bay 171937—Washington 28, Chicago Bears 211936—green Bay 21, Boston 61935—Detroit 26, New York 71934—New York 30, Chicago Bears 131933—Chicago Bears 23, new York 21

aFC ChampioNs2009—Indianapolis 30, New York 172008—Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 142007—New England 21, San Diego 122006—Indianapolis 38, New England 342005—Pittsburgh 34, Denver 172004—New England 41, Pittsburgh 272003—New England 24, Indianapolis 142002—Oakland 41, Tennessee 242001—New England 24, Pittsburgh 172000—Baltimore 16, Oakland 31999—Tennessee 33, Jacksonville 141998—Denver 23, New York 101997—Denver 24, Pittsburgh 211996—New England 20, Jacksonville 61995—Pittsburgh 20, Indianapolis 161994—San Diego 17, Pittsburgh 131993—Buffalo 30, Kansas City 131992—Buffalo 29, Miami 101991—Buffalo 10, Denver 71990—Buffalo 51, L.A. Raiders 31989—Denver 37, Cleveland 211988—Cincinnati 21, Buffalo 101987—Denver 38, Cleveland 331986—Denver 23, Cleveland 20, OT1985—New England 31, Miami 141984—Miami 45, Pittsburgh 281983—L.A. Raiders 30, Seattle 141982—Miami 14, New York 01981—Cincinnati 27, San Diego 71980—Oakland 34, San Diego 271979—Pittsburgh 27, Houston 131978—Pittsburgh 34, Houston 51977—Denver 20, Oakland 171976—Oakland 24, Pittsburgh 71975—Pittsburgh 16, Oakland 101974—Pittsburgh 24, Oakland 131973—Miami 27, Oakland 101972—Miami 21, Pittsburgh 171971—Miami 21, Baltimore 01970—Baltimore 27, Oakland 171969—Kansas City 17, Oakland 71968—New York 27, Oakland 231967—Oakland 40, Houston 71966—Kansas City 31, Buffalo 71965—Buffalo 23, San Diego 01964—Buffalo 20, San Diego 71963—San Diego 51, Boston 101962—Dallas 20, Houston 17, OT1961—Houston 10, San Diego 31960—Houston 24, L.A. Chargers 16———NOTE: List includes AFL Championship Games from 1960 to 1969.

team reCorDsNFC

ChampioNship Composite(includes NFl championship

games from 1933-69)

National Conference W l pct. pF paSeattle 1 0 1.000 34 14Baltimore 3 1 .750 88 60green Bay 10 4 .714 323 200a-Detroit 4 2 .667 139 141b-Arizona 2 1 .667 60 53c-Washington 7 5 .583 222 255Chicago 8 6 .571 325 259Dallas 8 8 .500 361 319Philadelphia 5 5 .500 168 160Minnesota 4 5 .444 163 182Atlanta 1 1 .500 40 54New Orleans 1 1 .500 45 67San Francisco 5 7 .417 245 222N.Y. Giants 7 11 .389 304 342Cleveland 4 7 .364 224 253d-St. Louis 5 9 .357 163 300Carolina 1 2 .333 41 67Tampa Bay 1 2 .333 33 30a-One game played when franchise was in Portsmouth.b-First two games played when franchise was in Chicago.c-One game played when franchise was in Boston.d-One game played when franchise was in Cleveland and 11 games played in Los An-geles.

aFC(includes aFl championship

games from 1960-69)

american Conference W l pct. pF paCincinnati 2 0 1.000 48 17Buffalo 6 2 .750 180 92Denver 6 2 .750 189 166c-New England 6 2 .750 205 179a-Kansas City 3 1 .750 81 61Miami 5 2 .714 152 115Pittsburgh 7 7 .500 308 284d-Indianapolis 3 3 .500 125 133e-Tennessee 3 5 .375 133 195Oakland-L.A. 5 9 .357 272 304N.Y. Jets 1 3 .250 54 90b-San Diego 2 7 .222 140 182f-Baltimore 1 4 .200 104 124Seattle 0 1 .000 14 30Jacksonville 0 2 .000 20 53a-One game played when franchise was in Dallas.b-One game played when franchise was in Los Angeles.c-One game played when franchise was in Boston.d-Two games played when franchise was in Baltimore.e-Six games played when franchise was in Houston.f-Three games played when franchise was in Cleveland.

apthis Jan. 2 file photo shows green Bay Packers fan John o’neill watching from the stands during the first half of an nFL football game against the Chicago Bears in green Bay, Wis.

Royal Pub’s Annual

Chili Shoot-OutChili Shoot-Out

Saturday, January 29, 2011Saturday, January 29, 2011

306 N. Park Blvd, Freeport IL 815.297.8054 • www.theroyalspot.com

Judging starts at 2 pm

Lots of entries - Come taste ‘em all!!!

Domestic Bottles...$1.50

Royal PubBears-Packers NFC Championship SpecialsBears-Packers NFC Championship Specials

$100 Domestic Drafts • 25¢ Chicken WingsFREE Half-Time Pizza!!!!


The final CounTdown

DALLAS (AP) — The temperature might be 75 during the first Super Bowl week in Dallas-Fort Worth. It could be 25. Or both.

So while Super Bowl travelers are packing everything from T-shirts to wool overcoats for the area’s fickle winter weather, they’ll have plenty of indoor/outdoor options for their itineraries. The game takes place Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

High on the list for first-time visitors to the area is the site of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in downtown Dallas. Strolling around the grass on both sides of Elm Street, where Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963, is free. There’s a good chance a conspiracy theorist can point out the infamous “grassy knoll,” the spot from which some witnesses say they saw gunfire.

An admission fee will get you in to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, inside the building known as the Texas School Book Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald set up his perch at a corner window.

International visitors love the Southfork Ranch and the white-column home that came to symbolize the runaway TV hit “Dallas” in the 1980s. Sure enough, at least two Super Bowl parties are planned for the site in Parker, about 25 miles north of downtown.

Those who have only seen longhorn cattle on TV can watch the real thing stroll down the red bricks on Exchange Avenue at the Fort Worth Stockyards near downtown in the “city of cowboys and culture,” as officials like to call it. Yes, the twice-daily “cattle drive” operates even when it’s freezing. But if you’d rather stay warm, Billy Bob’s is a couple of blocks over and calls itself the world’s biggest honky tonk. For a buck during the day, check out the glittering disco saddle (not ball) over the dance floor and the cement squares that feature the hand prints of the late Johnny Cash and other music — mostly country — stars.

For visitors who neglect to pack a coat and need one, Phillip Jones, CEO of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, “I’m

sure they can find something at Neiman’s or any of our shopping venues.”

Aah, shopping. Arguably the No. 1 indoor sport in Dallas. Jones refers to the upscale retail store Neiman Marcus, which originated downtown and is now one of the centerpieces of the swanky NorthPark Center. Among those spotted browsing there recently was AL MVP Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers.

Dallas ended up using the NBA’s all-star weekend a year ago as a test run for the Super Bowl. Crowds jammed the Galleria mall in north Dallas the day before 108,713 people, the most ever to watch a basketball game, took in the all-star game at Cowboys Stadium.

The $1.3 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys with the retractable roof is in Arlington, but February is the offseason for tourism in the city halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. One of the area’s best-known attractions is Six Flags over Texas, but its 50th anniversary season doesn’t start until a month after the Super Bowl.

Still, the stadium is an attraction in its own right. It has surprised officials with its ability to draw visitors for tours, on the order of 40,000 people in some months, said Jay Burress of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau. The NFL is planning Super Bowl tours at $40 a pop. Space is limited, so reservations are recommended.

Burress said fans typically take stadium tours the day before Cowboys or college football games, and he expects Super Bowl visitors to do the same. The stadium “promised to be for more than just football games, and it has definitely delivered with other events and tours that are year-round drivers,” Burress said.

Some of the other highlights in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:

FAIR PARKOut-of-town football fans

probably recognize the name because of the annual Texas-Oklahoma football game at the Cotton Bowl. But Fair Parkers like to remind people that the area just east of downtown

Dallas is a National Historic Landmark with the world’s largest collection of 1930s Art Deco exposition buildings. Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed are planning a Super Bowl party at Fair Park. The Cotton Bowl will have entertainment for three consecutive nights, culminating on the eve of the Super Bowl. A Tom Landry exhibit that chronicles the career of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl-winning coach has been on display at Fair Park since the fall.

THE ARTSPlenty of money has

gone into expansion of the Dallas and Fort Worth arts districts in recent years. The Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center are two highlights of the area on the north end of downtown. The latest addition is the Bill Winspear Opera House, fronted by 60-foot glass walls that offer views of the lobby. Fort Worth has everything from prominent art to the rodeo, which always opens in January and gets the rare boost of Super Bowl week falling on its final week. The city landed a coup when ESPN decided to put its show at Sundance Square downtown, not far from the Bass Performance Hall, which hosts the biennial Van Cliburn international piano competition.

NFL EXPERIENCEThe annual Super

Bowl showcase of interactive games for fans will be held Jan. 27-30 and Feb. 2-6 at the Dallas Convention Center. The cost is $25 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under. Kids 2 and under get in free.

Dallas awaits Super Bowl fans

APJose Hernandez, front, of Big Spring, Texas, makes a photograph of his relative Rachel Doporto, rear, in front of Cowboys Stadium with the Super Bowl XLV logo on its side, Friday, Jan. 21 in Arlington, Texas. The stadium will play host to the NFL’s premier event on Sunday, Feb. 6.

HURRY!While selection

is good!

20 E. Stephenson St.Downtown Freeport815-235-4911 Mon.-Fri. 9-6; Sat. 9-4 • rite-way.info

-Northern IL Largest Furniture & Appliance Dealer

FinancingAvailableWELLSFARGO

HUGE BEDDINGCLOSEOUT SALEHUGE BEDDINGCLOSEOUT SALE

This is your opportunity to replace your old mattress!

Prices have been slashed on selected

SEALY, KING KOIL & SERTAMATTRESSES!

- Free Delivery & Haul Away -

featuringMobil Oil

Why would you even think of changingyour own oil in this cold weather?

GET YOUR CAR’SOIL CHANGED FOR

only $1999

Full Service & No Hidden Fees

Back as owner Ed Hawley18 years ownership

1510 W. Galena Ave. • FreeportGran Prix815-235-6069

5 Quart Limit

For All Your Auto Glass Needs...Repair and Replacement!

Your Hometown Glass Co.

www.bockerautogroup.comwww.bockerautogroup.com

Call Brian Neels815.235.2121815.235.2121

DeanBuckwalterDeanBuckwalter

Brian NeelsBrian Neels

DON’T MISS THIS!

9 West Main, Freeport, IL • 815-232-6213Mon. - Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-4

DON’T MISS THIS!

LeBaron & Miller is offering the general public the opportunity topurchase kitchen cabinets and

countertops at contractor pricing!

CONTRACTORPRICING TOTHE PUBLIC

1398 S. Armstrong Ave., Freeport • 815-232-4519

Propane $0.54 Per Gallon...Too good to be true?Well, it is... Fortunately, there’s a better alternative -GeoComfort® Geothermal Systems harness the free energystored in the earth to provide heating and cooling. Sincethere’s no dependence on fossil fuels, there’s no impactfrom their rising costs. In fact, you’d have to buy propanefor $0.54 a gallon to equal the costs of heating with aGeoComfort system. It can save you up to 70% on yourheating and cooling bills.

1689 WILLARD DR, FREEPORT • 815-232-8938COUPON EXPIRES 02/06/11. Not valid with any other discounts or coupons. Limit one coupon per

customer per visit. Good at Freeport, Rockford, and Rochelle Wendy’s. ©2011 Oldemark,LLC.

50¢OFFLARGE

CHILI

Present this coupon for

Limit One.

Documents

The Rivalry