Packers, Giants Meet for NFC Title
Underdog New York Faces Green Bay, Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field
Before the season started, one Las Vegas sports book listed Green Bay at 50/1 odds of winning the Super Bowl and New York at 20/1.
Those chances are considerably better as the Packers and Giants battle in the NFC Championship game at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in Lambeau Field, the first time these historic franchises have tangled in the postseason since they faced each other in back-to-back league NFL title games in 1961 and 1962.
Green Bay is a 7-point favorite to battle for the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the Packers made back-to-back trips after the 1996 and 1997 seasons, while New York hasn’t reached that level since the Baltimore Ravens whipped the Giants following the 2000 campaign.
Regardless, the 14-3 Packers and 12-6 Giants square off for the right to face either New England or San Diego in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3 in suburban Phoenix, a venue that will be much warmer than the elements they’ll deal with to get there: the forecast calls for temperatures in the single digits.
How they got here
Both teams have momentum on their side. Second-seeded Green Bay has won four of its last five games, including a 42-20 thumping of Seattle despite trailing 14-0 after only four minutes Saturday. Meanwhile, fifth-seeded New York has won nine straight road contests after dumping No. 1 Dallas on Sunday in becoming only the second NFC wildcard team since 1990, when the 12-team playoff format was adopted, to reach the championship game.
Green Bay stifled the explosive Seahawks, holding them to 200 total yards, including only 28 rushing. The Packers gained 235 yards rushing, including 201 from former Giant Ryan Grant after his two fumbles led to Seattle’s only touchdowns.
New York, an 8-point underdog, used a quick-striking offense and tenacious defense to subdue Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and the Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 88 yards rushing.
They’re not strangers
The Green Bay-New York showdown is a rematch of a Week Two contest that Green Bay won, 35-13, at Giants Stadium but led only 14-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre completed 29 of 38 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. He completed his first 14 attempts of the second half for 119 yards and two scores.
The Giants played that game without Jacobs, while Giants signal caller Eli Manning was battling a sore shoulder and defensive end Osi Umenyiora had a sore knee. This time the Giants won’t have tight end Jeremy Shockey and linebacker Mathias Kwanuka, who have been on injured reserve with broken legs. Cornerback Sam Madison missed the Dallas game with an abdominal strain, while counterpart Aaron Ross injured his shoulder and others are bruised while Green Bay is much healthier after coming through the Seattle game unscathed.
Packers offense vs. Giants defense
Favre is coming off a 137.6 passer rating, his best ever in the playoffs. New York defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo came from Philly, which has always frustrated Favre. That puts the bull’s-eye on Packer tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher to help neutralize the league’s top sacking team. Green Bay’s plan will probably include big doses of four- and five-wide receiver sets to spread out and exploit New York’s depleted secondary.
Packers defense vs. Giants offense
Manning was 16 of 29 for 211 yards before being lifted against the Packers in September. Entering the rematch, Manning has posted passer ratings above 100 in his last three starts with eight TDs and one interception. The Packers will try to stop the Giants rugged ground game and force Manning to perform in conditions that he’s not used to.
Prediction
It’s a question of how much New York has left in its tank, emotionally and physically, after such a grueling contest against divisional rival Dallas. Both teams are better than their Week Two meeting, so the pick here is a comfortable Green Bay victory, if it avoids early miscues this time.
