GREEN BAY—Give Lovie Smith credit for at least going for a win in this finale-one that they didn’t get.Aaron Rodgers tossed a one yard TD pass to Donald Lee for the game’s only TD with 12:42 left and the Green Bay Packers picked up an NFC Wild Card slot and #6 seed with a come from behind 10-3 win over the Bears who knew they had no chance of getting the #1 seed,since Atlanta clobbered Carolina,and in fact that this game was for them,meaningless. Yet Smith deferred despite winning the coin toss. The Packers took the opening kickoff and got to the Bears 42 before a third down pass from Rodgers intended for Brandon Jackson was short. Tim Masthay punted to Devin Hester who fair caught at his 14.Two short runs by Matt Forte and a screen pass to him after a delay of game forced a Brad Maynard 53 yard punt to Tramon Williams which he returned 8 yards to his 34.A pass from Rodgers to Donald Driver was caught and D.J.Moore forced a fumble which Charles Tillman recovered at the Bears 35,but the Bears went three and out with the first two Cutler passes nearly getting picked off.Maynard then punted out of bounds at the Green Bay 11.Rodgers avoided the Bears pass rush and hit Jordy Nelson for 25 yards to the 36. After that the Bears stiffened and Masthay punted away from Hester and out of bounds at the Bears 16.On first down, Forte swept the left side for 25 yards to the Bears 41.He then used a nice hole up the middle for 21 more to the Green Bay 38. Chester Taylor then got two off left guard. Cutler scrambled right and missed connected with Brandon Manumaleuna.Cutler then was sacked by A.J.Hawk and Jarius Wynn back at his 45.Maynard punted into the end zone as the scoreless first quarter ended.A holding penalty and a sack of Rodgers by Henry Melton and Brian Urlacher forced a 2nd and 23, Rogers then ran out of the pocket for two to his 30.A screen to John Kuhn came up 13 yards short and Hester returned Masthay’s punt 19 yards to his 26.Rashied Davis took a slant pass and broke two tackles for a 21 yard gain.A short screen to Forte netted three yards to midfield.Forte then got five up the middle to the GB 45.Cutler got out of trouble and hit Forte with a screen for 27 to the Packers 18.After Cutler burned the Bears second timeout of the half, Davis picked up nine on a quick pass to the left,and then got a first and goal to the Packers 4 with a quick pass to the left side. Forte was stuffed for no gain by B.J.Raji.Next came an incompleted pass to Johnny Knox.Eriki Walden then beat Frank Omiyale badly and sacked Cutler,forcing a 30 yard field goal by Robbie Gould that broke the scoreless tie with 4:31 left in the half. The Bears drive traveled 62 yards in ten plays using 5:16 off the clock.Pat Lee returned Gould’s kickoff 26 yards to the GB 40.The Packers went three and out and Masthay’s punt was returned by Hester 16 yards to his 27 with 2:55 left.Taylor got a quick five yards to his 32.He then got to the two minute warning with four more yards to the 36.Cutler then missed Knox with a pass to the right flat so Maynard had to punt and rolled it out at the GB 17. A roughing the passer on Julius Peppers helped Green Bay to it’s 45.But again the Bears defense held and Masthay punted into the end zone for a touch back.The Bears ran out the clock.
The Bears received the second half kickoff and started at their 23.A pair of Forte runs netted a first down at the 39.A third down pass to Davis for nine moved the ball to the GB 49 and moved the chains.On a fourth and two,the Bears went for it an d a Cutler to Davis pass was off target,giving Green Bay good field position at it’s 40.Rodgers first pass was picked off by Tillman and he avoided about four tackles en route to a 42 yard return to the GB 15.Mike McCarthy threw the game’s first challenge flag,claiming that Tillman trapped the ball,but the call stood.Forte was stuffed on first down,but even worse,a holding penalty made it first and twenty at the 25.A screen to Forte netted zero.Cutler then scrambled and ran out of bounds with a one yard pickup.Cutler,trying to hit Knox, instead threw it right to Charlie Peprah in the end zone,giving the ball back to the Packers and wasting a great chance to increase the lead.But the Packers were again slopped three and out and Masthay dead to the Bears 24.Yet the Bears also had to kick after three failed downs and Maynard kicked right to Williams who returned 41 yards back to the Bears 44,for the best field position the Packers started with up to that point.A 6 yard pass interference on Chris Harris gave GB a first down at the 34. Rodgers then found a wide open Greg Jennings for 33 yards and he got to the 1 before he was stopped.From there, Kuhn got nothing and was gang tackled,mostly by Peppers.A botched snap and Rodgers picked it up and lateraled to Jackson for a loss of two,back at the three.Rodgers was then sacked by Tommie Harris back at the five and Mason Crosby kicked a 23 yard field goal to tie the game with 2:39 left in the third quarter.Manning returned the kickoff to midfield.After a sack of Cutler,the Bears appeared to gain a first down on a third down pass to Taylor,but someone(Lovie Smith?)had called a time out on the bench. Cutler was then sacked again and Maynard had to punt and Williams was run out at his 25.The third quarter ended 3-3. On a third down to start the fourth quarter, Rodgers hit Driver for 21 yards to the Bears 47.Rodgers then found Jennings who beat everyone for 46 yards and only a Manning stop saved a TD on that play.On a bootleg, Rodgers faked out the entire Bears defense and hit a very wide open Lee off to his right in the end zone for the game’s first TD giving Green Bay the lead for good 10-3 with 12:42 remaining.The Bears responded with three incompleted passes and Maynard’s short punt rolled dead at the GB 46.They got to the Bears 44 and punted dead at the Bears three.A cutler to Greg Olsen pass and Forte run got the Bears a first down at the 15.Two more sacks of Cutler left the back back at the two and Maynard to Williams at the Bears 46 with 7:02 to play.They also had to punt,but Masthay punted again deep into Bears territory-the two yard line.The Bears drove to the Green Bay 32 with under a minute left but Cutler had a second pass picked off-this one by Nick Collins and that ended it.
NOTES—The Bears can now wait for next week’s results before learning if they will host Philadelphia or New Orleans in two weeks…..Green Bay will travel to Philly next Sunday at 3:30(CDT)…..The Bears Divisional Playoff game is Sun Jan 16 at Noon.
LES
NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND
Saturday, January 8
| NFC:3:30 PM (CT) | New Orleans at St. Louis/Seattle (NBC-TV) |
| AFC:7:00 PM (CT) | New York Jets at Indianapolis (NBC-TV) |
Sunday, January 9
| AFC:NOON (CT) | Baltimore at Kansas City (CBS-TV) |
| NFC:3:30 PM (CT) | Green Bay at Philadelphia (FOX-TV) |