As a team, Green Bay has a hefty amount of mojo on its side. I'm guessing that everyone in the Packers locker room believes, after a trying season and consecutive road playoff wins, that they are going to find a way to win next weekend no matter what. I'm not sure Chicago can match that. In the NFL, where the talent level is virtually the same across the league, mojo becomes very powerful. Getting 53 grown, jaded men moving in the same direction is hard enough. If you get them to do so enthusiastically, they are very hard to stop. That's especially true in the playoffs, as evidenced by the Jets' dismantling of the Patriots. The taunting, trash-talking Jets were the far more enthusiastic team, and that goes a long way.

"Greg C." wrote:

You never heard of the Packers-Vikings rivalry until Brett went to play for them? Seriously? That's hard to believe. I guess things are very different down there around Kenosha than they are in the rest of the state.

Bears fans are tougher and meaner, I'll give you that. But the rivalry with the Vikings is equally intense in its own way.

"Greg C." wrote:

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Strengths: When writing a scouting report on Rodgers right now, the column labeled "Positives" would be extensive. But I really can't come up with anything major to put in the "Negatives" column. He is doing it all, and his playoff numbers are simply off the charts. His mental makeup and ability to recognize the defense and change the play at the line of scrimmage are now among the best at the position. His decision-making is tremendous. And much like Roethlisberger, his physical gifts and natural playmaking ability are unreal. But Rodgers' game isn't as up-and-down as Roethlisberger's. That isn't to say he is the better player, but there is an impressive sustaining element to Rodgers' excellence. His release might be the best and crispest in football. His accuracy is flat-out elite, as are his arm strength and his ability to make any throw. Rodgers' elusiveness, ability to throw on the move and ability to run with the football also are among the best in the game.

Plan of attack: Figuring out how to attack Rodgers is extremely difficult. He has proved all season that even without a running game, he can lead his team to victory and put up a lot of points. Still, the first thing to do is make the Packers' offense one-dimensional. Chicago shouldn't have a lot of difficultly getting this accomplished. But then the Bears will have to deal with Rodgers in the shotgun, surveying the entire field and throwing to a great stable of wide receivers with as many as five wideouts on the field. The only thing I can dwell on is that Rodgers doesn't have the "been there, done that" factor going for him yet. This will be the biggest game so far of his career. The Packers have lost an awful lot of close games with Rodgers behind center. But I can't say I'm expecting him to be overwhelmed on such a stage. From a pure X's and O's standpoint, I don't see a great way to attack him. He kills the blitz, but Chicago also can't get predictable with its pressures. Also, Green Bay has converted a lot of big plays through the air. But the Bears are great at eliminating the long ball. At a minimum, Chicago should at least make Rodgers work for everything he gets.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

Strengths: Everyone sees Cutler's immense physical ability. He has a well-built body, vastly underrated movement skills and a rocket launcher for a right arm. Along with Roethlisberger, Rodgers and Michael Vick, Cutler is in the elite class of quarterbacks who can make the "wow throw" from a compromising position or on the move. And Cutler has taken his game up a notch or two under offensive coordinator Mike Martz from a preparation and mental perspective. A gunslinger at heart, Cutler now is playing within himself and doing a much better job of taking what a defense gives him than he did earlier in this career. His command of the Bears' complex offense is impressive.

Plan of attack: Cutler still is an inherent risk-taker. He has thrown a lot of interceptions in his career, and many of those have occurred in the red zone. The Packers must force his hand in the red zone, where the field is compressed and everything happens much faster, which is why Cutler sometimes resorts back to his gunslinger ways. Although Cutler is great at making big plays from compromising positions, he isn't very sound mechanically. He too often throws off his back foot, and his accuracy suffers. When things go bad for Cutler, they can go very bad. He will press and try to do way too much when the offense isn't working or the Bears get down on the scoreboard. The coaching staff has done a superb job of using a balanced offense with a sustaining running game and more short drops to get the ball out of Cutler's hands without taxing a suspect offensive line. But staying balanced against Green Bay's exceptional defense will be very challenging, and the temptation to try to keep up with Rodgers will be hard for Cutler to ignore. Playing from behind could be a problem for Cutler. Interceptions could ensue.

"Greg C." wrote: