Packers

After a 7-1 start, the Bears are now a game behind the division-leading Packers, who come to town Sunday. Among those who see Sunday's game as a must-win are former Bears Jason McKie and Nathan Vasher, who stay involved in the Chicago sports community via "The J-Mack & Nate Vash Show," which they co-host on chicagolandsportsradio.com from noon-2 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. RedEye sat down with the ex-Bears to talk about the Bears-Packers rivalry.   What does the Bears-Packers rivalry mean to you?

Shortly before the Vikings-Packers game Sunday, G the Vikings Fan looked at me sullenly. I had helped gather a large group of NFC North fans from all four walks of life, and following the Bears' defeat of Detroit, Minnesota's game against Green Bay was now a Vikings must-win. "This might have been a bad idea," G said about the prospect of watching the Vikings lose while surrounded by Bears, Packers and Lions fans. "If this goes bad, I might have to bounce. " I understood his concern - nobody wants to lose without empathy - but early in the first quarter, the Vikings were up 10-0 and it was not G who was greeted with a harsh reality, but me. I miscalculated my ability to root for the Packers.

It's Packers week! That means it's time for fans in Chicago and Green Bay to go bonkers over the oldest rivalry in NFL history. But what do the players know about this time-honored abhorrence? RedEye sat down with fourth-year cornerback D.J. Moore and rookie safety Jeremy Jones to see how quickly players learn about the importance of beating the Packers. We'll start here [pointing to Jones] - what do you know about Bears-Packers? Jeremy Jones: I just know it's the most heated rivalry in Bears history.

At stake is a chance to join RedEye's final Four Score panel of the season. Enter by following and tweeting @redeyesportschi with your submission by noon Tuesday with the hashtag #bearschallenge. THIS WEEK Bears fans, we challenge you to give us your best Packers joke/insult. And because we want Bears to laugh at themselves, too, we also challenge Packers fans to give us their best Bears joke/insult. Creativity counts, by the way. Once submissions are closed, we'll choose our favorites and crown eight winners , four for each side.

Christmas night is going to suck. I don't care if the Bulls beat the Lakers by 30 that afternoon. It doesn't matter if Santa comes down your chimney with Charlize Theron and a PlayStation 4. There's a nationally televised Bears-Packers game that evening, and Chicago will be starting a quarterback that's either 1) Caleb Hanie or 2) a guy bad enough to still be listed behind Caleb Hanie on the depth chart as I write this. But we'll watch. It's Bears-Packers. Most of us will have the next day off, and technically the Bears will have playoff life left.

Leave your answer in the comments box, and you might find yourself in a future issue of RedEye.  1. How has your perception of Tim Tebow changed after Sunday? 2. What was Matt Forte thinking as he watched Sunday's game? 3. How are you feeling about the Bears' playoff hopes? 4. What could stop the Green Bay Packers from going undefeated? 5. Why was Tom Brady arguing with his offensive coordinator? Follow @redeyesportsguy for daily details about Five on Five openings.

Each week before the Bears game, RedEye's sports crew gets to the point. Here's what they see happening against Green Bay.   Brian Moore , @redeyesportsguy Green Bay 38, Bears 6 I was in the Christmas spirit. I really think the Bears might be shut out.   Tracy Swartz, @tracyswartz Packers 21, Bears 7 Rodger that.   Chris Sosa, @sayitissosa Green Bay 33, Bears 6 Santa hits Jerry Angelo over the head with a bag of coal.

It came down to this. The Bears needed a win over Detroit and a Minnesota loss to Green Bay on Sunday to make the playoffs. It's likely coach Lovie Smith's job hung in the balance, too, considering his teams had just one playoff berth since the 2006 season. And as luck would have it, Sunday's games were staggered, meaning that for six-plus hours Bears fans' nerves were in overdrive. Here's how the day played out, and how fans were feeling at the time, from dejected, to doubtful, to hopeful, to elated.

The Bears used the final pick of the sixth round of the 1998 draft on a long snapper from Duke. Fifteen years later, Patrick Mannelly still is the team's long snapper and the franchise's longest-tenured player. On Thursday he will play in his 29th Bears-Packers game, and he talked to RedEye about his experience in the NFL's oldest rivalry. Patrick Mannelly: I remember my rookie year going up there - I think we played up there first, if I remember right - but I just remember the trip up there.

I know this comes as a crushing blow to Bears fans everywhere, but the Green Bay Packers will not be defending their Super Bowl title this year. We have the N.Y. Giants to thank for that. Give those guys a treat. On Sunday, the Giants exposed the Packers' Swiss cheese defense, cruising to a 37-20 win at Lambeau Field. They did it through the air, on the ground and inside the heads of the Packers. Earlier Sunday, Baltimore ousted the surprising Houston Texans, setting up an NFL final four of the Giants, Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots.