Patch vs. Patch: Illinois Editor Gives 3 Reasons Why the Bears Will Win

As the Packers get ready to face the Bears during Sunday's NFL playoff game, Patch sites in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois are busy brewing their own battle.

Port Washington-Saukville Patch has teamed up with New Lenox Patch in Illinois, where Local Editor Michael Sewall is busy bulking up on reasons that the Packers are likely to fall to his home team, Da Bears.

Yeah. Right.

Sewall will give his reasons, and I'll come back with three reasons the Packers will win. And, oh yeah — whoever's wrong will have to publish an apology video on our sites next week, decked out in the other team's gear.

Three reasons Sewall thinks the Bears have got what it takes:

No. 3: It's Chicago's year. Not that it's ever really Green Bay's year, or Wisconsin's year. Sports is just a bigger deal in our city, and part of that is that we've got better teams. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. The Bulls will compete for an NBA title. And the Sox (on the south side here, it's Sox country) are built to win again after just five years removed from the World Series. It's the Bears' turn to come up big now, and they've got the defense and an offense that's finally clicking (see more on that soon). We're the true Title Town USA, and our champion fans will prove it this week.

No. 2: Fast Don't Lie. OK, the Bulls' Derrick Rose has been using that slogan in his commercials, but another Chicago athlete should join D-Rose in those spots because he's truly the X-factor in this game. If all-purpose kick returner/wide receiver Devin Hester gets a shot, he can change the course of the game more than anyone else on the field. The Packers will likely kick away from him, but you can't rule out his ability to run after the catch or a flip/reverse to him in the return game. We saw what Hester did returning the kickoff for a touchdown to open the 2007 Super Bowl. Expect more fireworks this weekend.

No. 1: Offense will win the game. This probably sounds good for Green Bay after the Packers just put up 48 on the Falcons and the last time these two met the Bears managed just three points. But these are two fantastic defenses, and whichever teams gets the edge on offense will win.

The difference in this game is that the Bears' No. 2-ranked run defense (second only to the Steelers) will shut down the shell of a run game the Packers have left, and that will make Aaron Rodgers one-dimensional. The Bears, on the other hand, are hitting a stride on offense.

They put up 40 points against a good Vikings defense and 38 against a very good Jets defense. The three points against the Pack was simply because the team had locked up the 2-seed and didn't care. But now this team, including the offense, is in a balanced attack, prove-you-wrong, screw-you Rick Reilly mode. The Packers' defense is great, but the Bears will have their number this week.

And here's what I have to say to that:

I'm a Packers fan and a Favre ... disliker (to put it nicely.) Different than other fans, my feelings toward Favre began before he left the Packers. Playing for us, he threw so many interceptions I think I finally learned the meaning of infinity.

Forget his stats — the man is old, of course he has the ability to hold a bajillion records (yes, that's probably another number he was able to give definition). But, in thinking about my reasons why the Packers are going to beat the Bears this Sunday, the man finally gave me something useful.

No. 3: Favre recently e-mailed ESPN's Ed Werder to tell him the Packers are by far the best team in the NFL playoffs. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently blogged about Favre's comments, reporting Favre as having written, ""I think they will win it all! I hope they do, if you are wondering."

No. 2: Remember last week's game, when the Packers played the Atlanta Falcons? The one where they scored 48 points and only gave the Falcons 21? Anything is possible. Plus, we have Aaron Rodgers, and there's a million reasons to love Aaron Rodgers.

No. 1: The blatantly obvious reason that the Packers are going to win on Sunday, and it almost  goes without saying: The Bears. Still. Suck.

The New Lenox Patch also published this . We encourage you to visit the site and add some friendly 'smack' talk prior to the game.