Green Bay Packers v. New York Giants NFL Playoff Odds & Predictions


June 10, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

You had to expect that there was going to be a Manning in a Championship Game this season. You just almost surely didn’t figure it would be the brother that quarterbacks Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants. Both Coughlin and Manning have really showed some heart by winning back-to-back playoff road games. That now makes nine straight wins on the road for the G-Men since losing to the Cowboys in the first week of the season. Peyton Manning will have to watch his little brother in street clothes after the Colts failed to get a shot at the Patriots with their loss to the Chargers last weekend. Win or lose, Eli has made his family proud as the Giants have exceeded expectations to this season.

Brandon Jacobs said it best, “He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. I love the guy to death. I don’t give a damn what anyone says about it. I don’t know if he silenced the critics. In this game, you’re always going to have critics.” Well now Eli and the Giants will have to go to one of the toughest places to win a road game in the history of the National Football League. The frozen tundra in Green Bay took its toll on the Seahawks last week. Seattle got off to a 14-0 lead before reality kicked in and the Packers blew Seattle out of the water the rest of the way.

Just when everyone thought Brett Favre had thrown in the towel, the legend came back this season to lead the Pack Attack to a 13-3 regular season record and a first round bye. Favre led the Packers over Seattle with three touchdowns and 173 yards passing and his 137.6 passer rating was his best in 21 career postseason games. It’s like he has nine lives and just when you think he’s about to run out of them, he comes back with another unbelievable performance. The Packers have to be happy as ever that the Giants knocked off the Cowboys so that Green Bay wouldn’t have to answer questions about their 0-9 record in Dallas their last nine tries. Now they get the comfort of playing at home and their new-found running game could be the key to a Packers’ victory over the Giants again.

The Packers routed the Giants, 35-13, in Week Two at Giants Stadium, with Brett Favre completing 28-of-39 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. In another interesting storyline, the Giants will be re-united with Packers running back Ryan Grant, who will be looking to inflict some damage on his former team. The Giants gave up on Grant, trading him to the Packers before the start of the season. Not much was known about the Notre Dame product, but he became an instant hit for the Packers, boosting a running game that ranked last in the league for most of the season. Grant went off for 201 yards against Seattle and you can bet the Packers will give him a heavy dose of the rock now that they know what they can do.

The Packers won’t be shy to throw against a depleted Giants’ secondary though. New York has two main injury concerns in the secondary with Aaron Ross and Sam Madison listed as doubtful for Sunday’s match-up with the Packers. Madison is struggling with a strained abdominal muscle, while Ross left Sunday’s game in the third quarter with shoulder injury. The Giants will have to pressure Favre as well as they pressured and hurried Tony Romo last Sunday. New York may have the best defensive line in the league. The Giants’ defense goes as their line goes. Can the destroy this young Packers’ offensive line and get the necessary pressure on Favre to contain this explosive Packers’ offense? Will crafty veteran Brett Favre has another life in him and lead the Packers to the Super Bowl as the oddsmakers expect? Larry Cook at InfoPlays will tell you exactly which team has the edge Sunday. Sign up for a daily package for just $19.95 and trust in this proven NFL World Champion.

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