NFL ““ Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears for a spot on the Super Bowl

Stephen Lars — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:47:41 +0000

(Submit Articles) The Green Bay Packers can start packing their bags for Texas to play for the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl XLV. With an impressive 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears on the road, the Packers have now linked three consecutive wins on the road to make it into the biggest sports betting event of the season. Only three other teams have managed to win three playoffs road games to make it into the Super Bowl. Two out of those three have returned home with the trophy: the 2007 New York Giants and the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers. The 1985 Patriots won the three road games but lost the Super Bowl.
Aaron Rodgers didn’thave his best game ever. As a matter of fact, a quick look at his numbers would make you think he was somewhat of a disappointment. With a 55.4 passer rating, Rodgers was far away from what he has been showing since mid-December during the last two win-or-go-home games of the regular season. But despite his numbers, he was they key-player behind the Packers win over the Bears. The first-year rookie ran for a score and perhaps made his best play of the game in quite an unusual fashion for a quarterback: he completed a touchdown saving tackle that could quite easily have changed the outcome of the game.
The Bears, on the other hand, had to deal with a whole lot of issues on their offensive end. Jay Cutler, the starting quarterback, had been playing way under par before he had to leave the game during the third quarter because of some sort of knee injury. Let it be stated that no one is sure when or how he got injured. As if that was not enough, the Bears’ coach Lovie Smith reaction to the reporters’ questions concerning the nature and the details of Cutlers injury certainly didn’thelp to clear up the situation.
Cutler was replaced by the Chicago Bears primary back-up Todd Collins. He was no good. For a moment it really seemed as if the Packers would be able to put on at least a 3-touchdown advantage over the Bears. Things got so bad on Chicago’s side that they had to play their odds and use a third quarterback on the game. Little-known Caleb Hanie came in and was the man in charge of giving the Bears their only hope.
Hanie had a chance to tie the game after the Bears’ defense finally got their act together. Unfortunately he threw a ball straight into the Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji who ran for 18 yards and into the end zone to give the Packers a 21-17 lead. But Hanie had a few more tricks under his sleeve.
He then completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Earl Bennet to get the Bears to a 7-point deficit with little under five minutes to play. The Bears recovered the ball, but their last chance to tie the game was frustrated when the rookie quarterback threw his second interception on a fourth down on the Packers 29 yard line.
Aaron Rodgers went 17 of 30 for 244 yards no touchdown passes, two interceptions and a touchdown rush. Not his best numbers, that’s for sure, but heck, the talented quarterback is guiding his team into Super Bowl on February 6.

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NFL ““ Baltimore Ravens’ defense dominated the Kansas City Chiefs

Stephen Lars — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:31:24 +0000

(Submit Articles) Sometimes, they say, that winning is all about having the right answers at the right time. And truth be said, there’s got to be some reality behind this because at the end, when it comes to the NFL playoffs, it really doesn’tmatter what you did in the regular season to get there. What really matters is whether you can survive on the single elimination challenge that leads to the Super Bowl.
Joe Flacco guided the Ravens and completed 25 of 34 attempts for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns, outplaying Matt Cassel who went for 9 of 18 for only 70 yards and 3 interceptions for a very low 20.4 passers rating. It wasn’tall Cassel’s fault as it was evident that the Chiefs were just simply not having their best Sunday ever. But it really doesn’tmatter as there was very little the Chiefs could do to avoid a 30-7 defeat by the Ravens on the opening round of the NFL Playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs arrived to the Wild Card Round after a 10-6 regular season. They managed to win the AFC West division with a significant 6-game improvement over the previous season. Still, Joe Flaco and the Baltimore Ravens kept the young Kansas City Chiefs at just 25 yards during the second half of the game. Where it all went down: defense.
The Baltimore Ravens defense was simply outstanding. Guided by the powerful Ray Lewis, the Ravens sacked Matt Cassel three times and forced the offense into five turnovers in their outstanding 30-7 victory at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
It was a pretty close game between the two squads up to the start of the second half. From there on, the Ravens managed to simply hold the Chiefs offense on their feet. Two unanswered field goals by Billy Cundiff from 29-yards for the Ravens followed by 4 yard pass from Joe Flacco to Anquan Boldin gave the Ravens a 23-7 difference that opened up the gap clear open in the third quarter.
The Chiefs have now fallen to a 3-12 record. As of press time that is the second worst record in the postseason since the NFL Merger in 1970. Only the Detroit Lions hold a worst playoffs record, at 1-9. Kansas City finishes the season saddled with an NFL-record seventh straight playoff loss, dating back 17 years.
The Ravens were a -3 point favorite on the spread against the Kansas City Chiefs for this game. The Ravens managed to finish the regular season with a 12-4 record after winning 5 of its last 7 games to hold onto a Wild Card spot as the No. 2 team in the AFC North just behind the Pittsburgh Steelers who clinched division with a 12-4 record for the season. Now it is time to get back at the Steelers during the Divisional Round. The Ravens took a great win on the road on October 3rd against the Steelers in a 17-14 win. Now, you should consider that the Ravens were playing the Steelers sans starting quarterback Ben Roehtlisberger. Once Big Ben got back on the field he turned things around and guided the Steelers to a 13-10 win on December 5, 2010.
As of press time the Ravens are 9-7-1 Against the Spread for the season and a -3 point underdog in the betting odds for the Divisional Round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Stephen Lars is a prominent sports blogger and currently covers NFL Professional Football, previews and handicaps for the BetIAS' Sports Betting Blog . You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.

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NFL ““ Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears for a spot on the Super Bowl

NFL ““ Baltimore Ravens’ defense dominated the Kansas City Chiefs