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Game of the Week: Bears at Packers

The term "rivalry" is repeatedly exercised by those in the sports world to bestow unearned importance on a contest or event. A recent matchup in the NBA between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics was deemed an encounter of adversaries, despite the former lacking relevance for the last decade. The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts have come in conflict, but their animosity is relatively new. Until 2004, the relationship between the Yankees and Red Sox mirrored sovereignty rather than rivalry.

Yet the hostility is heartfelt from fans and players alike when discussing matters between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Lovie Smith stated his first objective when hired as Chicago's coach was to beat the Packers, and has made good on his goal: the Bears have won eight of the past thirteen games. One of the oldest rivalries in sports, these two franchises have met in 180 contests, with the Bears holding the advantage with a 92-82-6 record. With playoff implications on the line for their 181st meeting on Sunday, the clash at Lambeau Field doubles as the WhatIfSports Game of the Week.

At 11-4, most would point to the defense as the catalyst for Chicago's standing, and with good reason. The Bears have held opponents to 18.4 points per game as a result of a vaunted rushing defense (halting running backs to a NFC-low 92.1 yards per game) and stingy secondary (stifling signal callers to a QB rating of 73.6, second best in the NFL).

But the despite this defensive dominance, the Monsters of the Midway find themselves a win away from a first round bye thanks to their offensive aerial assault. Discounting the 36-7 smackdown suffered at the hands of the Patriots, Jay Cutler has thrown 11 touchdowns with just two picks since Thanksgiving in leading Chicago to four wins. In the past five games, Cutler has achieved a QB rating of 100-plus four times, a feat he achieved just twice in the previous nine tries. Adding in this endeavor has been the revitalization of Matt Forte, who has submitted performances of 60-yards or more in six of the past seven games, a plateau he crossed only once in his previous eight games. The duo has helped Mike Martz's offense score 40 and 38 points, respectively, in the past two games, clinching the NFC North division title in the process.

Chicago's foes know something about offensive firepower. Despite facing one of the most imposing defensive units in the league and an aura of uncertainty at quarterback, the Packers posted 45 points on the scoreboard Sunday. Coming off his second concussion of the season, Aaron Rodgers threw for over 40 4 yards and four touchdowns to put the Pack in position to earn a postseason berth.

Although a healthy Rodgers is vital to any potential playoff run, Green Bay's identity lies in its defense. Coordinator Dom Capers has the Pack suffocating opponents to an NFC-low 15.8 points per game. Charles Woodson and company are holding quarterbacks to QB rating of 69.1 and Clay Matthews is third in the league in sacks with 12.5.

On the surface, this clash between NFC foes means more to Green Bay, as a win equates to postseason entry. However, with a win and a little help from Atlanta and New Orleans, the Bears can clinch home-field advantage.

So who wins in this battle between the Bears and Packers? According to the WhatIfSports NFL simulation engine, the Bears come out on top 59.4-percent of the time by an average score of 21-18. For the rest of this week's predictions, check below:

NFL Week 17
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Buffalo Bills	17.7	11	Boxscore
@ New York Jets	82.3	21	Simulate Game
Jacksonville Jaguars	21.0	22	Boxscore
@ Houston Texans	79.0	34	Simulate Game
Miami Dolphins	22.5	15	Boxscore
@ New England Patriots	77.5	24	Simulate Game
Cincinnati Bengals	25.4	14	Boxscore
@ Baltimore Ravens	74.6	21	Simulate Game
Dallas Cowboys	27.2	16	Boxscore
@ Philadelphia Eagles	72.8	24	Simulate Game
Carolina Panthers	27.8	18	Boxscore
@ Atlanta Falcons	72.2	25	Simulate Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	34.1	19	Boxscore
@ New Orleans Saints	65.9	24	Simulate Game
Arizona Cardinals	36.7	18	Boxscore
@ San Francisco 49ers	63.3	22	Simulate Game
Tennessee Titans	41.9	21	Boxscore
@ Indianapolis Colts	58.1	23	Simulate Game
Oakland Raiders	46.0	22	Boxscore
@ Kansas City Chiefs	54.0	24	Simulate Game
Minnesota Vikings	51.6	20	Boxscore
@ Detroit Lions	48.4	19	Simulate Game
Chicago Bears	59.4	21	Boxscore
@ Green Bay Packers	40.6	18	Simulate Game
St. Louis Rams	69.3	19	Boxscore
@ Seattle Seahawks	30.7	13	Simulate Game
Pittsburgh Steelers	73.2	22	Boxscore
@ Cleveland Browns	26.8	15	Simulate Game
New York Giants	78.1	29	Boxscore
@ Washington Redskins	21.9	18	Simulate Game
San Diego Chargers	92.6	34	Boxscore
@ Denver Broncos	7.4	17	Simulate Game

Joel Beall is a Content Writer for Whatifsports.com. He can be reached at jbeall@whatifsports.com.