With a white Christmas seemingly long forgotten in the northern Midwest, what more could there possibly be left to dream about in January?

That's simple. A Bears-Packers NFC Championship game.

Ok, I know what you're thinking. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The Packers face a tough divisional game as they travel to Atlanta to take on the number one seed Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome.

The Bears, meanwhile, play an apparently overachieving Seahawks team, which pulled one of the biggest upsets in playoff history by not only becoming the first team to win a division with a losing record but proceeding to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions on Wild Card Weekend.

However, as Kevin Seifert, the NFC North Blogging extraordinaire for ESPN points out, a Bears-Packers showdown with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line would be nothing short of epic.

The two teams have surprisingly only met once in the postseason, and there have only been four occasions in which both teams made the playoffs in the same season.

Well, right now, all the Packers and Bears fans can keep dreaming because both teams have more important business to take care of: an NFC Divisional Round playoff game.

The Packers travel to the Georgia Dome just seven weeks after their week 12 loss to the Falcons, 20-17.

As I mentioned in my last blog, the Packers had one play in the game that could have dramatically altered the outcome for both teams over the course of the season. Aaron Rodgers calls a quarterback sneak on third and goal from the 1 yard line and fumbles in the endzone. Instead of the Packers scoring a touchdown, the Falcons get the ball at the 20 yard line. 

Would that have changed the outcome of the game? Possibly. Could the Packers have used that game as leverage to have won the NFC North? Yes. Does it matter anymore? No.

It's easy to think about the hypotheticals in the NFL and what might have happened if one play would have had a different outcome. However, my point is that the Packers certainly had their chances against the NFC's proverbial best team and there is reason to believe that the outcome can be different this time around.

I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn't strongly believe the Packers can upset the Falcons and hand Matt Ryan only his third loss in the Georgia Dome. While both teams come into the game with distinct advantages (Falcons at home and coming off a bye week, Packers with one of the best quarterbacks in the game coming off his first playoff victory), There is only one thing that leads me to believe the Packers can win this weekend.

James Starks.

I realize I'm jumping on the James Starks bandwagon, but when you look at the numbers, as the saying goes, the numbers don't lie.

Starks, a sixth round pick out of Buffalo, didn't even play his senior season because of a severe shoulder injury and wasn't even activated this season until week 13. 

Yes, one week after the Packers-Falcons game. 

Starks proceeded to rush for 72 yards on 18 carries, which ranked as the second best rushing performance by a Packers running back so far this season. 

So, what could Starks possibly do for an encore? How about a 23 carry, 123-yard day in the Packers Wild Card victory over the Eagles. Not only was that the best performance by a Packers running back this season, but also Starks did it in only his third game on the active roster for the Packers.

If we want to talk about hypotheticals, how much more time on the field does Michael Vick see if the Packers don't control the clock with Starks?

So how big of an impact can a sixth round draft pick, who has only played in three games this season, have in the Packers game against the Falcons.

Well, I think that's pretty obvious.

The Packers only rushed 11 times for 26 yards against the Falcons in the 20-17 loss. The leading rusher? Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers had to throw for 344 yards as the Falcons controlled much of the clock with 110 yards from Michael Turner and short passes from "Matty Ice."

If those numbers repeat themselves this week, the Packers will be flying back to Lambeau and turning their attention to the offseason.

While the defense is improved and I believe Dom Capers can confuse Matt Ryan with his blitz packages, the key to this game still lies with the offenses. The Packers will need to control the clock and take care of the football. They will have to avoid penalties in the rocking Georgia Dome, while playing aggressive and fast on the offensive side of the ball.

Rodgers should be brimming with confidence after his first playoff victory, a feat Matt Ryan has yet to accomplish. This isn't to say that Ryan won't accomplish it this weekend, but the Packers certainly have an advantage at the quarterback position.

I think Woodson and Tramon Williams limit the effect of Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White, while holding Michael Turner under 100 yards. Ryan throws for two touchdowns, but Rodgers makes the bigger plays and doesn't turn the ball over. 

Packers 24, Falcons 20