Packers Hunt For Bears

Week 11 was crucial in the NFC North, especially for the Packers who were a game behind both the Bears and Vikings. To add to the intensity, the Packers played the one and only rival Bears on Sunday. I was fortunate enough to go the game at Lambeau Field, and it just happened to be the best game of the season for the Packers.

Lovie Smith, the head coach for the Bears, was 4-0 when facing the Packers at Green Bay until now. Also, since the Bears and Vikings both had a 5-4 record going into week 11, and the Packers were 4-5, this was a much needed win for the Pack to remain a playoff contender. And they got the win, easily. The Bears, with one of the best rush defenses in the league, fell apart against both the pass and the run. Ryan Grant, the Packers' running back who had not had a great game yet this season, rushed his best game of the season for 145 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. The Pack had 200 total rushing yards. Aaron Rodgers also displayed a great performance, throwing for 227 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. The star receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings combined for 124 yards and a touchdown as the Packers' receiving team ran all over the Bears weakened secondary. The Packers also had the ball much longer than the Bears, being on offense for 37:28 while the Bears were only on offense for 22:32.

One interesting highlight: In the fourth quarter, the Bears had the ball and were trapped on fourth down and desperate for a touchdown. On the next play, Kyle Orton threw an ugly interception, but the play was called back because of defensive offsides. On a replay of fourth down, Kyle Orton then fumbled the ball, and the Packers' defensive end Jason Hunter picked it up, returning it 54 yards for a touchdown.

In the end, this was a clear slaughter and a very important win for the Green Bay Packers, as they beat the Bears 37-3. I was grateful to be there for such an awesome game for my favorite team. Now, the Packers, Bears, and Vikings are once again tied for the NFC North lead, all owning 5-5 records. As the postseason nears more and more, the suspense continues in this tight division.

Packers Lose an Ugly One

Today, the Packers met their rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, for the second time this season. Fighting the undefeated Tennessee Titans last week and losing in overtime was a difficult loss, and today's game was just as tough and much uglier.

Green Bay's defense had another outstanding day, achieving three interceptions (one each for Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Nick Collins who brought his back for a touchdown) and a punt returned for a touchdown by Will Blackmon. However, this defensive effort wasn't enough to prevent the Vikings from beating the Packers. This was because of unacceptable mistakes on both sides of the ball.

The Pack's offensive line fell apart as Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times, once for a fumble. This game was the first since 2003 to have two safeties in a game -- both were against the Packers. The Packers defense allowed the Vikings' Adrian Peterson to rush for 192 yards and a touchdown. They also let Chester Taylor have four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. What killed the Packers in the end? With 28 seconds left in the game, Green Bay's kicker Mason Crosby missed an opportunity to pass up the Vikings with a 52-yard field goal.

This rivalry game was an intense and ugly one, but in the end it was the Vikings who came out victorious, winning 28-27. Hopefully, the Packers can come back from this loss and beat the Chicago Bears next week in another very important rivalry game.