Nothing Impossible in this World

Maybe it's a good thing that the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers only forgather in the playoffs every 70 classes. These two storied enfranchisements plain do n't bring out the best in each other - at least not in January.

Each squad played one strong half of football game, just not the same half. The Packers took the first, the Bears the second, and when it was all over, Green Bay had a 21-14 triumph, the NFC title of respect and a trip to the Super Bowl to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But the Packers were nearly jumped by a 25-year-old signal caller out of Colorado State with three yrs of NFL experience, most of it taking hold a clipboard. Caleb Hanie came this close to being able to imbibe free in Newmarket for life when he taunted the Bears to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and very nearly pulled the game into overtime.

"You do n't anticipate to play on a day like this, but that's how it goes sometimes," Hanie said.

Two interceptions, one for a touchdown by Green Bay olfactory organ undertake B.J. Raji - "one of those 'oops' type of things," Hanie said - the other on quaternary and five with 47 seconds resting, ended the Bears' hopes. Still, his performance - 13 of 20, 153 grounds, a touchdown and a 65.2 valuation - got him a lot of praise from both locker rooms. Hanie understood utterly well just how strange that is for a losing field general.

"Throw two options," he said. "That 's the only time you 're going to get felicitations (for that), when they do n't require you to do anything." .

Or when you pursue two field generals who were determined wanting. The Bears (12-6) could n't or would n't say when starter Jay Cutler ached his human knee, except that it went on at the end of the first half. Cutler said it was a strike to the outside of his knee. He played the first serial of the second half and could n't continue. "I knew that it was probably better that I did n't," he said. "I know my knee, I know my body." .

His passenger car, Lovie Smith, became tetchy in championing Cutler, saying it was a conclusion by the dr.s and flight simulators. Told that NFL instrumentalists were querying Cutler's injury on - where else? - Chirrup, line backer Brian Urlacher said, "Nothing like green eyed peoples sitting around seeing." .
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Perhaps. Cutler did n't come off the subject field limping or taking hold a stage. No one seemed certain about when the harm went on, although it shows up in the post-game stats as happening when he was scored after throwing an interception to Sam Shields with 42 seconds resting in the half. It's difficult to envisage that a leading off NFL field general would n't want to try to redeem himself in the second half after throwing just six mops up for 80 yards and an interception - but it's telling that so many peoples in and out of Stops were so ready to query his formidability.

Urlacher was n't one of them. "Jay was spited," he said. "He's toughened as blaze. He does n't complain." .

When Cutler went out and substitute Todd Collins was ineffectual in the next two series, Hanie got his prospect. There were 57 seconds resting in the third quarter, with the Packers moderating, 14-0. Hanie drove the Bears 67 grounds in eight manoeuvres to cut that star in half. The Newmarket fold - more and more suppressed since cheering up their way through the national anthem - ultimately got a chance to sing "Bear Down, Chicago Bears." For an encore, they belted out Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" - with emphasis on one language in the chorus line : "We 're halfway there." .