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GB

31

10-6
Final
CHI

14

5-11
CronicaNumeritos
1 2 3 4 T
GB 7 21 3 0 31
CHI 7 0 7 0 14
19y

Favre sits after go-ahead TD early in second quarter

CHICAGO (AP) -- Brett Favre worked up a sweat, threw two
touchdowns passes in a short work day and got the Green Bay Packers
tuned up for the playoffs.

Green Bay's defense wasn't bad, either, tying a team record with
nine sacks -- three by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila -- and the Packers routed
the Chicago Bears 31-14 Sunday.

Now the Packers (10-6), who were already locked in as the No. 3
seed in the NFC, can get ready for an opening-round playoff game
next weekend at home against the Vikings. Minnesota backed into a
spot Sunday despite losing to the Redskins.

"Playing a team three times. We're very familiar with them and
vice versa, but it really doesn't matter," Favre said.

The Packers had no intention of completely resting their
starters Sunday because they wanted to be sharp before the
playoffs. So, as promised by coach Mike Sherman, the starters
played.

Favre was in for the first quarter and one series in the second,
going 9-of-13 for 196 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Packers
beat the Bears (5-11) for the 21st time in the last 26 meetings --
including 11 straight on the road.

"He said, 'Hey don't get hurt," said Favre, who started his
205th straight regular-season game. "I was thinking to myself,
`After 200-something games, why does he have to say that to me
now?' I almost felt like he was jinxing me."

Instead there was another milestone performance in an
abbreviated afternoon: Favre went over 4,000 yards passing in a
season for the fourth time in his career and reached 30 TD passes
for an eighth time before backup Craig Nall took over.

Trying to avoid injuries before the postseason, the Packers got
a major scare late in the third quarter when Pro Bowl receiver
Javon Walker caught a 43-yard pass and then hit his head on the
turf as he was being tackled by Bobby Gray and Charles Tillman at
the 21.

Walker stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes before
walking off with a trainer at his arm. He did not return to the
game but was not seriously injured.

"I was panicking on the sidelines," Favre said.

Wearing "92" on their helmets in memory of former teammate
Reggie White, the Packers gave up an early touchdown before roaring
to a 28-7 halftime lead against their oldest rival.

"Mike said, 'Hey, go out there and play, not because of the
decal, but play it like Reggie would play the game," Favre said.
"I feel like I do that every week."

Their defense played a White-like game.

"You can see the effect of pressure on the quarterback. It just
helps us as a total defense," said Packers safety Darren Sharper,
who returned an interception 43 yards for a TD to make it 21-7.

"It's awesome that we were able to get that many sacks. It
gives us confidence heading into next week," Gbaja-Biamila said.

"Make a big deal out of it -- it's embarrassing," Bears center
Olin Kreutz said after a season in which Chicago gave up 66 sacks.

"We got beat, that's how you account for them."

Favre went to work early and didn't stop before leaving the
game.

He completed five straight passes in an 84-yard drive, capping
it with a game-tying 17-yard TD toss to Bubba Franks. Ahman Green,
who also played sparingly, had the big play in the drive with a
23-yard catch-and-run on a third-and-17.

Early in the second quarter, Favre made quick work of the Bears'
defense for a go-ahead score. He hit Donald Driver on a 48-yard
pass and then passed to a wide-open William Henderson for a 38-yard
TD after Bears defensive back Mike Green fell down.

Nall entered the game with 9:02 left in the second quarter and
immediately completed three straight passes, hitting Walker for a
25-yard TD. It marked the first time in six NFL appearances that
Nall had entered a game earlier than the fourth quarter, but he
made it look easy against the Bears.

Chicago's last-ranked offense scored on its first possession in
just four plays for an early lead that didn't hold up. Hutchinson's
63-yard pass to David Terrell led to Thomas Jones' 2-yard scoring
run.

Jones had an 18-yard run in the third quarter, setting up his
own 1-yard TD run as the Bears cut the lead to 28-14.

Game notes
The Packers beat the Vikings twice in the regular season by
identical 34-31 scores. The second victory at the Metrodome on
Christmas Eve clinched the NFC North. ... Gbaja-Biamila finished
with 12½ sacks, giving him double digits for a fourth straight
season. ... Sharper's interception return was his seventh career
defensive TD, tying Herb Adderly's team record.

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