A bad start cost the Bears a shot at their third Super Bowl as the hated Green Bay Packers took a quick lead on the game’s first possession, led 14-0 at halftime,and held on (when the third of three quarterbacks the Bears had to use,came up short) for a 21-14 win in the NFC Championship Game.Green Bay will now face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in two weeks.
Green Bay lost the toss,but Lovie Smith chose to defer as he has most of the season and that back fired. Robbie Gould kicked off to James Starks who slipped and fell at his 16.But the Bears defense was shredded for 84 yards on seven plays.Aaron Rodgers had plenty of time and hit Greg Jennings for 22 at the GB 38.He then hit him again for 26 to the Bears 36.After a six yard gain by Starks, Rodgers avoided a rush and hit Starks on the right at the 23,then Jordy Nelson for 22 to the Bears two.Starks got to the one on a delay.Then Rodgers on a boot leg out ran Danieal for the left side corner and quickly put the Packers ahead 7-0 just 4:10 into the game.Kellen Davis returned Crosby’s kickoff to his own 37.After a two yard run by Matt Forte, he grabbed a screen pass from Jay Cutler and got 22 yards to the GB 37.Tao plays later,including an over throw intended for Devin Hester, Brad Maynard punted out at the GB ten. On first down,Starks broke two tackles and got 16 yards.James Jones caught a ten yarder to the 36 and another first down.Starks was finally stopped, for one yard, by Julius Peppers.But Brandon Jackson got a quick ten up the middle.Rodgers first incompleted pass,intended for Jennings was a bit over thrown.He then over threw Nelson.Under pressure,Rodgers threw one through the hands of John Kuhn and Tim Masthay punted to Hester who returned three yards to his 16.A false start by Chris Williams and three downs (including a sack of Cutler)later,Maynard had to punt and the Packers started with great field position at the Bears 49.On first down, Jennings grabbed a crossing route pass for 21 to the Bears 30.Starks ran around right end and gained two before Brian Urlacher ran him out.Starks then gained 1 after Tommie Harris missed a tackle behind the line.Urlacher then sacked Rodgers back at the 35.Masthay punted 32 yards as Hester let it go to the three.A holding forced the Bears to start at their two and Forte gained a yard as the first quarter ended.Two plays later,Maynard kicked again, and Tramon Williams muffed it,recovered and returned to the Packers 49.A couple of minutes later,this game was pretty much over.On second down, Jackson took a pass over the middle and faked UIrlacher into Lake Michigan for a first down to the 31. Then Starks caught a 12 yarder.With all the time in the world, Rodgers hit Nelson at the Bears 4. Starks then reached the ball to the plain of the goal line to make it 14-0 with 11:13 left in the half.The kickoff to Manning resulted in the Bears starting at their 34.Cutler hit Johnny Knox for 24 yards at the GB 42.Chester Taylor caught a pass to the right for twelve yards to the GB 30. Cutler tried to find Hester on the fly,but badly over threw him.The drive killer as a holding on Taylor. Cutler had to keep it twice and slid the second time well short of the first down.Maynard’s punt just deflected into the end zone.After a ten yard run by Starks, Rodgers scrambled and got twenty before any Bears were in the same area code as he was.A nice third down stop by Lance Briggs on Starks forced a Masthay punt that rolled dead at the Bears 11 after taking a funny bounce. A Cutler to Forte pass was behind him and almost picked off.A defensive holding on Williams gave the Bears a first down at their 16.A first down pass into triple coverage was knocked down before Greg Olson could try top catch it.On a draw, Forte gained 14 to the thirty,but that was the end of the Bears drive. Maynard kicked out of bounds at the GB 35.Rodgers scrambled for 12 to the GB 48.After an incompleted pass,Donald Driver got nine on his first catch of the game and Rodgers kept for a first down. Rodgers then had a pass picked by Briggs at his 42 with :49 left in the half.Cutler hit Forte on a passing rout for 17 to the GB 41.Cutler then tried for Knox,but Sam Shields intercepted at his three. Cutler was hit hard and suffered an apparent knee injury. Rodgers took a knee as the clock ran out with Green Bay holding a 14-0 lead.
Cutler did start the second half,but the Bears went three and out after Hester returned the kickoff to Bears 41.Maynard kicked to the GB 17 where Corey Graham downed it.On a third and 8, Nelson got free for a twenty yard pass to the 40.Then Jennings caught a pass for 20 to the Bears 40. Starks ran around the right side for nine,breaking two more tackles.Two plays later on third and 1,Rodgers tried to hit Jones and Tim Jennings was flagged for pass interference at the Bears 8.Rodgers then danced around and threw one right into the mid second of Urlacher who picked it off and returned it 39 yards to the Bears 45.Todd Collins replaced the injured Cutler After an incompletion,and a false start, he threw a pass into the ground,short of Olsen.Then his third down pass was picked off by Nick Collins at his 45.Lovie Smith got into a heated chad with Referee Terry McAulay before angrily throwing the challenge flag near his feet,claiming that the pass was incomplete and it was indeed-the call on the field was overthrown. Maynard’s punt started to take a Green Bay bounce before Garrett Wolfe grabbed it at the GB 21.Jennings caught a 22 yader to his 37 to nullify a holding penalty on Scott Wells.But after that,the Bears held and forced a Masthay punt which Hester caught,but slipped on the horrible turf and was downed after a two return to his 18.Three awful downs later, Maynard kicked again, to Williams who was clobbered,and fumbled, only to have Brett Swain recover.The Bears also were called for ineligible man down field so the Packers started at their 32 but thanks to a nice hit by Urlacher on Starks,it was a three and out. A 65 yard kick by Masthay was returned 22 yards by Bennett to the Bears 33.
Third QB Caleb replaced Collins,who was at best ineffective and at worst, awful.Forte ran 12 yards to the 34.He then got 4 as the third quarter ended.With the running of Forte,the Bears drove to the GB 30 for a first down.Taylor lost three on a hand off behind the line.Hanie then hit Knox on the right side and was forced out at the 1 for a thirty two yard gain.Taylor then crashed over to finally get the Bears on the board with 12:02 to play.Gould kicked off to Starks who returned to his 24.A pass by Rodgers was well over thrown under Peppers pressure ,but McAulay called roughing the passer moving the ball to the 39. A false start put the ball back on the 34.A pass to Driver was over thrown and Tim Jennings was whistled for pass interference at the GB 49. It became third and 2 from the Bears 43, and Rodgers overthrew Driver. Masthay punted and the Packers were unable to down it before it crossed the plain of the goal line.The Bears took over at their twenty. After a no gainer and incompleted pass under pressure, Hanie threw one away to the West sideline forcing another Maynard punt,which he shanked to the left for just 24 net yards,dying at the Bears 44.Rodgers threw an incompletion, but then hit Jennings at the Bears 35.On third down, Rodgers was chased by Anthony Adams and had to throw it away.Masthay angled his punt out of bounds at the Bears 10.It ended up third and five from the 15, after the Bears used a time out, Hanie had his pass go right into the hands of B.J.Raji who had an easy 18 yard return for the dagger TD making it 21-7 with 6:04 left. The Bears would not go away however as Hanie then drove them down to the GB 35 and then hit Bennett on the left sideline and he took it in for a touchdown to make it 21-14 with 4:43 left. Gould’s kickoff to Charles Woodson was returned to the Packers 26. Starks was hit for no gain.He was then tossed out of bounds for a two yard loss.Rodgers then was forced to slide down on a scramble and Masthay punted to Hester who got it to his 29 with 2:53 left.A pass under a rush to Forte was off target and incomplete. A high snap was grabbed by Hanie and he hit Forte,but only for a one yard pickup. He then beat the blitz by hitting Olsen at the Bears 40 for a first down.A horrible intentional grounding call on a pass intended for Hester made it second and 20.Forte got back to the 41 with a screen pass.Forte then caught a pass and was downed just short of midfield,leaving a fourth and one at the two minute warning.Taylor kept the Bears alive with a 4 yard run to the GB 47.Then came a pass to Forte for 13 to the GB 34.After a throw away, Hanie hit Olsen at the 27.On third and two,Mike Martz did the same thing he did Jan 2nd in Green Bay by calling a quick time out,leaving the Bears with just one.Bennett was stuffed on an end around for a two yard loss to the 29. On fourth and five. shields then clinched it with his second interception with :37 left.
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