Roy Taylor grew up in Plainfield, near Shorewood, and started going to Chicago Bears games with his father in 1979.

A Bears fan of 32 years, Taylor has operated the Websites Bears History and Chicago Bears Web Log since 2000.

Taylor's book, Chicago Bears History, was published in 2004 by Arcadia Publishing.  Taylor spends home game Sundays at Soldier Field, and away games watching in his Chicago Bears sports bar in his home in Yorkville.

Here is Taylor's take on Sunday's matchup with the Packers:

When I began watching the Chicago Bears in the late 1970's, they weren't too good. Neither were the Green Bay Packers. Luckily for me in my youth the Packers stayed bad while the Bears built one of the most dominant teams in NFL history. Thus I came to like my Packers teams weak and non-threatening.

Then to my dismay, the Bears took a steep turn for the worse in the early 1990's, while the arrival of Brett Favre in Wisconsin changed the Packers' fortunes for nearly the next 15 years. While the Bears were bad and the Packers were good, I dreamed of how great it would be for someday the teams to meet in the playoffs.

This nearly happened in 2001. Had both teams won in the divisional round that year, they would have met in Chicago in the NFC Championship game. It didn't happen, and little did I know that nine seasons later, it would.

I was conflicted on January 2nd when the Bears had the opportunity to keep the Packers from the playoffs with a win. For the most part I did want the win because I feared having to face Green Bay in the 2010 postseason. But I thought that if we met them in Chicago, the Bears would match up better than with Philadelphia or New Orleans.

Careful what you wish for - because now the Bears are staring down the hottest team left.

The Packers absolutely dismantled the Atlanta Falcons in their 70 degree dome, and in the process quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked unstoppable. I give that to the Packers - but the media's love for Green Bay that has been in place since prior to the 2009 season has been peculiar.

It has perturbed me all week to hear the opponents referred to as goliaths with which the Bears shouldn't even step on the same field. I expect to see every national "expert" predict the Packers in an easy victory, because that is the way it's been for Chicago all year long.

And I'm glad this is the case; I don't think the Bears players want to lose this motivating factor that's been there all year long.

Green Bay has been built up as absolutely unstoppable for this game.  But remember, they did lose six games in the regular season. While the Packers' defense is phenomenal, they were ranked 24th out of 32 teams in the NFL in stopping the run. When the Bears have won in 2010 (12 games and counting), it has been because of their running game. So Green Bay's ranking against the run clearly gives the Bears the opportunity to play to their own strength.

Also, consider Donovan McNabb of the 6-10 Washington Redskins threw for 357 yards against the Packers in their 16-13 victory in October.  So to paint the Packers as the sure winner before the game has even started, based solely on the hype of their last game is just not fair.  Or logical.

I can't guarantee a win. I can't even predict a win. But as a Bears fan, I must have faith in the team during the most important Bears game I have ever witnessed in my 32 years as a fan. The Chicago Bears have been proving everyone - including me - wrong all season. So why not again this Sunday?