We're Black and Blue All Over:

CHICAGO -- We awake on Monday morning to the same news that blissfully put us to bed Sunday night. It's no dream: The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will put us at the Epicenter of Humanity next Sunday at Soldier Field, where they will play for the NFC championship and the right to advance to Super Bowl XLV.

The Packers have been installed as three-point favorites by the experts that deal in such things. Take that for what it's worth. Hopefully you consider odds to be a fun platform for opening debates and nothing more. And I presume we'll have a few of those this week.

I'll soon be heading back to NFC North blog headquarters to regroup and plot out some moves for the rest of the week. I'll do my best to simmer the cauldron while keeping it from boiling over, but ultimately that's up to you. In the meantime, let's take a spin around coverage of the division:

• The Bears have a right to claim that no one believed they could advance this far, writes Michael Wilbon of ESPNChicago.com.
• Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris continued his late-season revival with two sacks against the Seattle Seahawks, notes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune: "If there is one story from this Bears season, it is their offensive line. How it was inadequate at the start. How it has evolved and improved through individual effort, relentless coaching and continuity. And how it ultimately will decide if this team achieves all it desires."
• Bears coach Lovie Smith, via Brad Biggs of the Tribune: "Head football coach, you take heat from the moment you become one. Not being in the playoffs for three years, normally you are going to go through some things. But the guys have fought. We had a good feeling going into the season."
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times speaks with Jenna Cutler, the sister of the Bears quarterback, about the public perception of her brother.
• Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times: "In Packer-hating Chicago, critical mass is about to be reached."
• Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers found some interesting ways to motivate the team before Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "The Packers will try to make playoff history by becoming the first No. 6-seeded NFC team to advance to the Super Bowl. Only one other No. 6 seed in 20 years has even made it to the NFC title game."
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com wonders whether the Bears were trying to eliminate the Packers from playoff contention by playing their starters throughout the teams' Week 17 game at Lambeau Field.
• The Minnesota Vikings are close to hiring Mike Singletary as their linebackers coach, writes Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. Singletary and Vikings coach Leslie Frazier are former teammates and close friends.
• Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh told Pro Football Weekly that he would love to add Albert Haynesworth to his team's defensive line. Haynesworth seemingly won't return to the Washington Redskins next season.