Stick to guns in Soldier Field, McCarthy tells Packers

THE NFL’s oldest rivalry will be played out on its greatest possible stage tomorrow evening as the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game (8pm, Irish time).

Although it will be their 182nd meeting since they first clashed in 1921, the NFC North rivals haven’t played each other in the post-season since 1941, a 33-14 Bears victory played just days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

The Packers scraped into the post-season, sealing their place with a gruelling 10-3 victory over Chicago — who had already qualified as a second seed — in Soldier Field.

As always, the quarterbacks will be key but the showdown of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Chicago’s Jay Cutler is strongly anticipated to produce a classic after both players delivered impressive displays last weekend against Atlanta and Seattle respectively.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy is facing into his second NFC decider in four seasons having overseen a defeat to eventual Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants, in 2008.

“It’s such a hard game to get to,” said McCarthy.

“We need to stay true to our brand of football. That’s what got us here and that’s what’s going to get us this victory.”

In the AFC Championship game, meanwhile, the resurgent New York Jets travel to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where temperatures are expected to touch -8C.

Coach Rex Ryan is confident his sixth-seeded Jets can reach the Super Bowl. He said: “We’re a confident group, we know what our mission is this week and we’re going out to win it.”