Jordan Love and Caleb Williams light up new era for the NFL's oldest rivalry as Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears meet in playoffs

The NFL welcomes the latest instalment of its oldest rivalry as the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears collide in a rare blockbuster playoff clash on Saturday night.

Football's familiar foes met for the first time in November 1921 when Chicago, then known as the Staleys, beat the Packers 20-0. Since then Green Bay have built a 109-99-6 record within a series that has seen both teams enjoy dominant eras against one another.

The franchises have shared a combined 211 seasons heading into their NFL-record 213th matchup, but have faced off in the playoffs just twice in that period.

The Bears defeated the Packers 33-14 in the 1941 Divisional Round, before Green Bay claimed a 21-14 victory in the 2010 NFC Championship Game as Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to Super Bowl XLV glory.

Ben Johnson's Bears will now host Matt LaFleur's Packers at Soldier Field after clinching the NFC North title for the first time since 2018 on the way to claiming the No 2 seed.

"We talk about it whenever it's Bears week, just understanding the history of the Packers and the Bears - the oldest rivalry in the NFL," said Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

"It's something that I wasn't even too familiar with before I got here, and then I think since I've been here, it's something you just learn about."

Love is primed to return under center having been sidelined since entering concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit during the second quarter of Green Bay's 22-16 overtime loss to Chicago on December 20.

It would feature among a four-game losing streak to finish the regular-season for LaFleur's limping Packers, who return to the playoffs for the third straight season behind Love as starting quarterback. The 2020 first-round pick, and successor to Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field, slumped to a three-interception performance as the Packers were beaten 22-10 by the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in last season's Wild Card round, which marked his third and most recent postseason start.

In contrast, he had announced himself emphatically on his playoff debut two seasons earlier when he threw three touchdown passes to stun the Dallas Cowboys in a 48-32 win.

Love finished the regular season 291 of 439 passing for 3,381 yards and 23 touchdowns to just six interceptions within an offense that battled through injuries to star tight end Tucker Kraft in addition to wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed.

"I've got a ton of confidence in him," said head coach LaFleur. "There's nobody else I'd rather have than Jordan."

Marquee absentees would spread onto defense as star edge rusher Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 having arrived in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys prior to the campaign.

Lofty projections as Super Bowl contenders would be tempered, spiralling form would warrant concern and two losses to the Bears in the regular-season would paint Green Bay as unlikely underdogs heading into Saturday.