After an entertaining Wild-Card Weekend, it’s safe to say that the best four NFC teams remain on the road to Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI. On one side of the bracket we have the high-powered New Orleans Saints heading to San Francisco to take on the defensive-oriented 49ers and on the other, a high-powered Green Bay Packers team hosting a balanced New York Giants squad.
While both games are intriguing, the bout between the Packers and Giants is the most appealing to us in the Midwest. Let’s take a look at some of the headlines in a rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship Game.
1.) A Rematch In More Ways Than One
By the time Sunday comes, I’m sure you would have heard that this is the rematch of the 2007 NFC Championship Game a few thousand times. While there are parallels that exist between the two games, I’m not a fan of the comparison because Brett Favre was the Packers QB back then.
A rematch worth mentioning is the Giants trip to Lambeau Field last season. Both teams were in a similar must-win situation and the Packers absolutely dominated them 45-17 on their to winning six games in a row, including the Super Bowl.
And more importantly, these two teams met in New York in Week 12. The Packers came out victorious 38-35 in one of the more exciting games of the year. The Giants had some extra motivation in this game because the Packers were the only undefeated team in the league, adding a little stigma to the match-up. Not saying the playoff doesn’t have that quality, but it is a different situation.
2.) Packers vs. Giants (a.k.a Aaron Rogers vs. Eli Manning)
Both Green Bay and New York have a lot of star players, but why waste our time and talk about anyone else than the QB’s. Win or lose, they will receive all the credit or all the blame. With the exception of the 49ers’ Alex Smith, the NFC playoff teams are led by elite signal callers.
Manning was considered border-line, but passing for 4,933 yards and breaking records in 4th quarter touchdowns/pass efficiency should probably bump you up a class.
As for Rodgers and Brees, I believe they should share the 2011 NFL MVP Award.
3.) Sacks Can Make the Difference
Let’s be serious now, the key to this game will be the play in the trenches. The Giants have the best defensive line in the NFL and will surely put the pressure on an average at best Green Bay offensive line. It will be Rodgers job to do what he does best and make the accurate throw on the run. I’m sure McCarthy will also have some quick throws and designed run plays to avoid the sack.
On the other side, it’s basically the reciprocal of what we already talked about. The Giants have a great offensive line while the Packers have struggled to find pressure and most importantly stop the run. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs are peaking at the perfect time, the Packers cannot afford for this duo to have a big day.
4.) Destiny Match-up
Everyone outside of New York and San Francisco wants to see the Saints come to Lambeau to play the Packers. In the world of sports, we rarely get to see the match-up we want to (Heat-Lakers, BCS, etc…), so keep those fingers crossed. Not sure if this is really a headline, but it’s something worth mentioning.
What are you most looking forward to in the Packers and Giants Playoff Match-Up? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.