Green Bay - The lines were drawn many years ago.
They became etched a little deeper on Sunday.
Packers vs. Bears.
It's on.
Get ready for the NFC Championship game that could make the Super Bowl anticlimatic, at least around these parts. The most frequently played rivalry in NFL history continues on Sunday when the NFC North rivals meet at Soldier Field for the right to go to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.
It will be only the second time in NFL history that the Packers and Bears have faced each other in a playoff format, the other a season-ending "playoff" that was held to determine the Western Division title and the right to play the New York Giants for the league championship.
The Bears won that game, played just seven days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 33-14, at Wrigly Field.
The NFC Championship game to be played next Sunday was set up with the Packers' 48-21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Saturday night at the Georgia Dome and the Bears' 35-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday at Soldier Field.
After their victory, most Packers players were non-committal about naming which team they would want to face for the right to go to the Super Bowl and cornerback Charles Woodson echoed that sentiment during a halftime interview on Fox.
"Really it doesnt matter," Woodson said. "We've been in the playoffs for a few weeks. Were a road team and we have to go to whatever place. Were coming."
The two teams, who have met 181 times, split their season series. The Bears won the first game, 20-17, at Soldier Field on Sept. 27, and the Packers won the second meeting, 10-3, at Lambeau Field on Jan. 2. The latter game was a must-win for the Packers to get into the playoffs.
The Packers wound up the No. 6 seed in the NFC and the Bears earned the No. 2 and a first-round bye. The Packers beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 21-16, in a wildcard game in Philadelphia and then beat the Falcons Saturday night.
"Were both familiar with each other," Bears quarteback Jay Cutler told Fox after the game. "Nothing is going to be new. I know Aaron (Rodgers) played well last night. We'll have our hands full. We'll have a good week of preparation and hopefully have a big game."
"Tom Silverstein" wrote: