What do you know? It didn’t matter that the Pack ended up behind the Cowboys in the NFC, as it turns out, the NFC Championship will come through Green Bay after all. The Cowboys found out the hard way, the third time is indeed the charm for the Giants, and now Eli Manning and his New York Giants will play one game for Super Bowl birth. One game, for a chance at the Big Show, all taking place on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field - sounds like fun to me.
Line: Giants (+7) @ Packers (-7) O/U 41
Time: 1/20/2008 6:30pm EST on FOX
Offensively, Eli Manning has gone from inaccurate brother of Peyton to a confident young quarterback that still makes terrible pouting faces every time something goes wrong. But he looks comfortable with that, and he doesn’t seem to be trying to be something he’s not. Eli has shown confidence in his receivers, and just makes all the throws expecting them to be complete. That trust factor that hasn’t been their in the past is maturing in front of my eyes.
Brandon Jacobs has been a huge part of Eli’s success. Jacobs hasn’t been stellar of late, but just the fact that defenses have to respect the Giants rushing attack has opened things up for Eli. Jacobs had 7 games of 86+ rushing yards in 10 full regular season games. Jacobs has a knack for getting nicked up, but he’s a big back with good feet, and he’s not to be taken lightly. If Jacobs can instill his physical style in the beginning of this game, the Packers stellar run defense will have to pay even more attention to the rushing attack. That will make life a lot easier for Eli.
As solid as Eli has been, the Giants defense has to get the credit they deserve for this team’s improvement. In two playoff games, they haven’t allowed more than 17 points, and one of those games was against the Cowboys in Dallas, one of the best offensive teams the league has. They’ve allowed 22 points or less in 7 of their last 9 games. They put pressure on quarterbacks, and stop opposing rushers with quick defensive line penetration. If the Giants expect to stand a chance, they’ll have to slow Brett Favre and their former 4th string running back, Ryan Grant.
And when talking about Brett and his stellar numbers, you have to mention the guys he’s throwing the ball to. Greg Jennings has been spectacular when he gets his hands on the ball. He goes and gets the ball with reckless abandon, and makes small completions turn into long touchdowns with his ability to stay on his feet and make a move. Donald Driver hasn’t had one of his best statistical seasons, but he does all the little things and rarely misses an opportunity to help the team. James Jones, Koren Robinson, and even the tight end duo of Donald Lee and Bubba Franks have all impacted the passing game.
As good as Brett and his receiving corps have been, I don’t think the Packers make it this far without the emergence of Ryan Grant. Ryan fumbled two times early in the Seattle game, but that didn’t lead to his benching or the Packers’ demise. Those two mistakes were forgiven, and reasonably so, this kid runs hard and the Packers rode him to the NFC Championship. With 3 touchdowns and 201 rushing yards, Grant took two post-season records home with him last Saturday. Grant only started getting carries in Week 8, and since then he has broken the 100-yard barrier 6 times. He has 11 touchdowns this season, and looks forward to Sunday as he gets a chance to play against the team that cut him earlier this year.
And with all the offensive accolades and numbers, this Packer defense needs to get their just due. They have eliminated opponents rushing attacks all season long, using explosive play from their front 7 and making big plays in their secondary. AJ Hawk has been as good as advertised, but guys like Aaron Kampman and Nick Barnett have made this front 7 a force. Al Harris and Charles Woodson have been very physical with receivers, making every pass play take a little longer than expected. Atari Bigby has been playing like a heat seeking missile in the secondary. This team is very good, and it’s because they are great on both sides of the ball.
