Green Bay Packers, thanks for the birthday gift!

Victory is always sweeter when it is against the Bears! Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Full Disclosure needs to be provided before I go any further:  I love my Green Bay Packers no matter what!

With that said I know that not many are giving them a snowball’s chance in Miami to pull out a victory this Sunday. I don’t care what happens this Sunday and the reason why is simple: I never expected them to get this far to begin with.

Let me explain … once Aaron Rodgers went down and the season began to go into a tailspin, I figured the Packers were toast. There would be no way they could pull out of it and salvage anything. I tried to believe, but in watching the revolving door at quarterback and the defense fall flat time after time I figured it would only be a matter of time before the season went down in a ball of flames. I did not want to believe it and I tried my best to find a glimmer of hope, but with each passing week it became more difficult to find a reason to believe.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) scores a touchdown as the Lions torched the Packers on Thanksgiving. Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Then came the Turkey Day debacle and I was certain after that, that all was lost. It appeared that way. I think everyone felt that way. Yet, Matt Flynn provided a glimmer of hope and when the Lions and Bears collapsed I allowed myself to hope more than what I thought was possible.

Even when the stars aligned and it all came down to one last game – Packers versus Bears – for all the marbles, I figured it was too much to ask Rodgers and gang to do. Pull out a victory in the Land of Lincoln, bring home the NFC North Title and move on to the Playoffs.

As the game progressed I and those watching the game with me sat on the edge of our seats, hoping and praying that we would pull it out and up until the final minute we were sure that the season had come to an end.  =But then it happened. Rodgers to Randall Cobb for the victory.

My wife turned to me and said, “See I told you they would give you a win for your birthday present!” And behold there it was the bestest Packers birthday present I ever got (even better than the “I back the Pack” tye-dyed underwear I once received).

Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall can only wonder why after the Green Bay Packers won 33-28. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports photograph

The Bears, so close to sweeping the season series, taking away the NFC North Division crown from us could only lie there on the turf of Soldier Field and wonder why it had to be the Packers doing it to them again?

Why can’t the Pack just curl up and die and let them have one chance at success?

It just was not meant to be and because the Pack took the Division title for a third time in a row and more importantly took it from the Bears and knocked them out of the playoffs, that is more then I ever expected and it capped off one of the most memorable games I have had the pleasure to watch.

It was all that and a bag of chips!

So win or lose this Sunday against the Forty-Niners, I don’t care, because at this point a victory would be icing on the cake and anything less, well hey we beat the Bears in Chicago when nobody figured we would even have a chance to be there and after all the injuries, trials and tribulations, I am happy to have a third division title and an offseason to rest and heal up and contemplate just what a full season of Rodgers, Eddie Lacey and Clay Matthews can accomplish.

So as we kickoff 2014, I look forward to cranking it up and seeing what this team can do when all of the weapons are firing on all cylinders.

Happy New Year and GO PACK GO!