The New York Giants will be looking to repeat history in Sunday’s Wild Card matchup with the Green Bay Packers having gone on to win the Super Bowl following the last two occasions in which the sides have met in the playoffs. Lambeau Field will play stage to a historic rivalry as two of the NFL’s oldest franchises meet for the 61st time.
Giants head coach Ben McAdoo adds to the history having spent eight years as an assistant coach with the Packers before becoming the offensive coordinator at Big Blue in 2014. He will lead the Giants out in their first playoff appearance since 2011 after securing postseason football in his maiden season in charge.
The Packers ran out 23-16 winners in the corresponding matchup in week five but will be faced with a different task as they host a much healthier and improved Giants side.
New York enters the weekend with a record of three wins out of the last four meetings between the teams and will contribute to what could be a classic as the high-flying Giants defense attempts to stop Green Bared-hot hot quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Giants D - Rodgers
Rodgers is the driving force of this Packers offense and putting pressure on him is a must if the Giants have any chance of winning this game.
He finished the season with 4428 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions as he rediscovered his connection with main receiving target Jordy Nelson, who boasts a season of 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns.
While discussing Rodgers, Giants linebacker and defensive captain Jonathan Casillas told giants.com: “Very unique. Inside the pocket he can shred you, he can make all the throws.”
“To think that such a good passer, you would think they'd get him out of the pocket, damper him, or put some type of uneasiness about him, but no, he's very comfortable outside the pocket. The way the scheme is built, those receivers take off vertically towards the end zone and he becomes a lot more dangerous when he does that.”
Defensive end Olivier Vernon has been one of the most explosive pass rushers in the league this year with 8.5 regular season sacks and will be crucial for the Giants. Green Bay carry a defensive threat of their own though and will undoubtedly put an uncertain New York offensive line to the test. Protection for Manning in the pocket has been limited and Packers linebacker Nick Perry will be a tough man to stop as he looks to add to his 11 sacks.
Besides this, safety Landon Collins promises to be a key figure as he spearheads an impressive Giants secondary, posing as the only player in NFL history to end the season with over 100 solo tackles, over two sacks, over five interceptions and over 12 passes defended.
New York offense
Odell Beckham Jr will be relishing his first taste of postseason football since being selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He has molded into one of the most electrifying receivers in the league and is a man capable of providing the touch of magic that could be required in what is expected to be a hard-fought contest.
A combination of his raw talent and the postseason experience of quarterback Eli Manning in addition to the team’s defensive power means the Giants have a real chance of prevailing as the supposed underdogs.