For the last decade, the Bears have generally proved to be good for what ails the Green Bay Packers. Sunday was no exception, as the Packers shook off a sluggish first quarter and a 14-0 deficit to earn a critical December win and remain in NFC playoff contention.

Surprisingly, the win came despite the Bears holding the NFL's most potent ground game in check. Ahman Green figured to reach the 92 yards needed to break Jim Taylor's single-season team rushing record, and Brett Favre handed it to him 30 times to do so. But the stout Chicago front seven limited Green to just 80 yards on the day, nearly three yards below (2.6) his average gain per rush entering the game (5.3).

Favre had a successful day in the air, as he often does against Chicago. He was 22 of 33 for 211 yards and a score, the latter a 22-yard corner route to Javon Walker. It was Walker's seventh TD grab of the season, tops on the team.

Robert Ferguson was Favre's favorite overall target; the third-year pro caught 7 passes for 79 yards, his best outing of the year in each category.

Favre hit seven other receivers on the day, including William Henderson twice for 8 yards, Bubba Franks once for 6 (the TE also caught a two-point conversion) ... and Donald Driver once for 4 yards.

It was the continuation of a downward trend for Driver, a breakout Pro Bowl performer last year who has struggled all season after suffering a neck injury in the opener. Is Driver still hurt, getting more attention from defenses, or just part of a rush-first offense that spreads the ball around — and includes a couple of emerging threats in Walker and Ferguson?

Driver has started all but Week Two's game vs. Detroit, so any lingering effects of landing on his head against the Vikings are apparently either gone or minimal. Still, Driver has not managed more than seven catches in any game. His biggest afternoon came against Seattle on Oct. 5, when he caught seven for 72 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown.

In 2002, Driver had 94 or more yards receiving five times, including three 100-yard days (one of the Packer' more curious stats of 2003: no receiver has had a 100-yard game). In all, he caught 70 passes for an average of 15.4 yards per catch. He sits at 40 and 10.3 with just three games remaining.

Obviously, the 2003 Packers are not the same team as last year. This year's group will go as far as the offensive line and the running game take it. But, still, Driver's lack of production — and an overall lack of downfield passing — is concerning.

Let's take a look at the last six regular-season games of 2002 to illustrate the point. Driver caught just 20 passes in those six contests for 226 yards, an average of 11.3 ypc. His biggest yardage day came in the 30-20 win over the Bears, when he had 65 on five catches.

In the first 10 games of 2002, Driver emerged as a game-breaking receiver. His most memorable grab may have been an 85-yard TD in the first Bears game which kick-started a 34-21 win in Champaign. He also had long catches of 26, 25, 31, 29, 30, 38 and 84 yards in the first 10 weeks.

But since a 42-yard grab in the Dec. 1, 2002 Bears game, Driver hasn't caught a pass for more than 34 yards. Fittingly, his biggest play this season was a 45-yard run against the Vikings in November.

In sum, Driver is the poster boy for an oddly one-dimensional offense. While the Packers' version of the West Coast offense has always spread the ball around, it usually had a deep threat and/or a big stats receiver — Sterling Sharpe, Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman come to mind. Driver assumed that role through 10 games last year, but he hasn't been the same type of receiver since.

After the Packer ran over the Lions for 200 rushing yards in September, I wrote a column suggesting the offense should center around what appeared to be a potent ground game in the making. Somehow, I was right on that one — but little did I know how right.

Favre has had some abysmal statistical days through the air this season, including successive 109, 92 and 134-yard games starting Nov. 10 in Philadelphia. Regardless, he's still thrown 23 TDs and is on pace to finish with a 65 percent completion rate, the highest of his career.

But let's imagine the Packers winning out and making the playoffs. Is the offense explosive enough to guarantee anything beyond a first-round exit?

Teams that advance in the postseason do so with big-play players. Green fits the bill, but teams like Philadelphia, Carolina and St. Louis are likely to take away some of his effectiveness with eight-man fronts and stronger overall defenses.

When and if that happens, will receivers like Driver step to the fore?

Really, there's no good reason Driver, specifically, shouldn't. Favre is merely a Hall of Fame passer throwing to him, and Driver is undoubtedly a tough and dangerous receiver. And in the playoffs, No. 80 is a better bet to have a big game than either of his less experienced colleagues (Walker and Ferguson).

Perhaps we'll be reminded of Driver circa 2002 in the weeks ahead. San Diego and the NFL's 28th-rated pass defense would be a good place to start next Sunday.