Bears Offensive Line Looking for Redemption vs. Packers

Three months ago, it was nothing short of amateurish. The Chicago Bears offensive line made quarterback Jay Cutler look like the helpless warden in a B-movie prison break.

The low point game came in a prime-time showdown at the Meadowlands when the New York Giants sacked Cutler nine times in the first half before knocking him out with a concussion. The next week, backup Todd Collins was sacked five times in a 20-point victory over Carolina. Cutler returned in Week 6 and was thrown down a combined 10 more times the next two games, both losses, as the Bears dropped to 4-3.

But something happened.

Actually, a few things did. Most notably, Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice made some personnel changes, offensive coordinator Mike Martz made some philosophical ones and now Chicago (12-5), winners of eight of the last 10, will host the hated Green Bay Packers (12-6) for the NFC championship Sunday at Soldier Field.

"The Packers and Bears to finish it up," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said. "That's how it should be."

It's how it should be for lots of reasons, the most obvious being these two storied franchises -- the NFL's only remaining charter members -- have not met in the postseason since 1941.

"Last time, we were still trying to figure some things out. But we've come a long way since Week 6."
- Frank Omiyale But for the Bears offensive line, the opportunity to face the onslaught of defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his complicated/unpredictable blitz packages will serve as an appropriate penultimate test in a game that will determine who represents the conference in Super Bowl XLV at Dallas.

The Packers sacked Cutler a combined nine times in their two regular-season meetings, including six in the Week 17 finale at Lambeau Field, a 10-3 win that gave Green Bay the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC.

Chicago could have ended things for its North Division foe then. Instead, it gets a rubber game with a lot of familiarity.

"They're going to show you a lot of different looks. They're going to (try and) fool you," Cutler said of the Pack's 3-4 attack. "The way they do a good job of disrupting, so we're going to have to run the ball and make some gaps and make them pay when they do some things like that."

Ideally for the Bears, another crack at the Pack will yield similar results to the second chance at the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's divisional round. In a 23-20 loss to Seattle on Oct. 17, Cutler was dropped six times and the Bears failed to convert any third-down opportunities.

The postseason numbers against the Seahawks were much different.

Yes, Cutler was sacked three times, but his line protected him well enough to pass for 274 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed for two more scores, part of ground assault that netted 176 of Chicago's 437 total yards.

Defensively, Green Bay is on a different level than Seattle, but the Bears are on a different level up front, too. And they'll be playing at home.

The keys to Chicago's improvement are comfort levels of former first-round draft pick Chris Williams, who was moved inside to left guard after four games, and development of J'Marcus Webb, who was moved into the starting right tackle spot. Veteran center Olin Kreutz has been instrumental in leading the line through its in-season transition.

Obviously, so was Tice, the former Minnesota head coach who did his part in lobbying Martz, known for affinity for the passing game, to seek more of a balance with the all-purpose tailback Matt Forte and the run.

Eleven weeks later, these Bears bear no resemblance to the one that lined up the first month of the season.

Some key stats: Chicago gave up 32 sacks through the first seven games and just 23 through the last nine; Cutler threw seven TDs and seven interceptions through seven games, but 18 and nine through the last 10.

The version of Cutler that faced the Seahawks -- in his career postseason debut, no less -- was unrecognizable to the previous one. Sort of like his o-line.

"Last time, we were still trying to figure some things out," left tackle Frank Omiyale said after Sunday's game. "But we've come a long way since Week 6."

But how far have they come since Week 17? That's what will matter Sunday.

In the two weeks since their playoff-clincher against the Bears, the Pack have gone on the road and held Philadelphia (armed with the league's second-ranked offense) and Atlanta (the top seed in the NFC) to an average of just 273 yards and eight combined third-down conversions to go with eight sacks and five forced turnovers.

Green Bay, which ranked fifth overall in total defense during 2010, finished second in the NFL in sacks (47) and interceptions (24), the latter an obvious byproduct of the former. Linebacker Clay Matthews was fourth in the league with 13 1/2 sacks, with nose tackle B.J. Raji bull-rushing for 6 1/2 more from the inside. Cornerback Charles Woodson only had two sacks, but he blitzes a bunch from the slot.

Just ask Matty "Melted Ice" Ryan.

Ryan got no help from the Falcons running game (45 yards), allowing the Packers to tee off on the passing game.

The Bears need to remember the balance that helped them to their first NFC title game in five years, something they did not do at Lambeau two weeks ago. Chicago passed twice as many times as it ran in a one-possession game and the Packers were on the attack.

"They did a great job two weeks ago of putting some pressure on us and taking us a little out of our rhythm offensively," said Cutler, who went 21-of-39 for 168 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in the last meeting, with both picks coming deep in Green Bay territory, the second in the end zone in the final two minutes. "We've got to go back and take a look at that film and take a look at what they did to us because obviously they're going to do some of the same stuff."

A lot of different stuff, too.

But against a different (and more confident) offensive line.