The New York Giants wanted a rematch with the Green Bay Packers after losing to them in the regular season.
The defending Super Bowl champion Packers, however, may have their minds elsewhere leading up to this NFC divisional playoff matchup.
Green Bay will have heavy hearts heading into Sunday's home meeting with the Giants after the tragic death earlier this week of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son.
The buildup for a much-anticipated rematch of the Packers' 38-35 victory at New York on Dec. 4 has taken a back seat after the loss of 21-year-old Michael T. Philbin, who disappeared early Sunday and was reported missing that night.
His body was recovered from the Fox River by divers on Monday, and preliminary autopsy results showed that the younger Philbin drowned.
"We love Michael so much and will miss him dearly," Joe Philbin said in a statement released by the team. "He loved his family, friends and life. His memory will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. We are appreciative of the prayers and the support of our family, friends and the Packers family."
Joe Philbin was away from the team all week and it's unclear whether he'll be at the game.
"Nobody's expecting that at all because we know his family needs him right now," defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. "But we miss him. Of course we miss coach, everybody misses him around the building. But we know his family needs him more."
The Giants expressed their best wishes to Philbin and the Packers.
"When we first heard this the other night, the whole coaching staff, the room went absolutely silent," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Many guys know Joe Philbin. You have tremendous empathy, but you can't (have) anywhere near the feeling that his family's going through. Just tragic."
On the field, league MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers and fellow Pro Bowl selection Eli Manning will meet in the playoffs for the first time. Rodgers threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns and Manning had 347 and three scores in last month's meeting between Super Bowl MVPs.
The Packers improved to 12-0 with that victory before suffering their only loss two weeks later in Kansas City.
Rodgers, 2-0 against the Giants, threw for 45 TDs and 4,643 yards with six interceptions and an NFL-record 122.5 passer rating this season. Manning fell 67 yards shy of 5,000 before completing 23 of 32 passes for 277 yards with three touchdowns in last Sunday's 24-2 win over Atlanta in a wild-card game.
The Packers have won 13 straight at home. This is the first postseason game at Lambeau Field since the Giants' 23-20 overtime win in the NFC title game four seasons ago, when Manning outplayed Brett Favre in his last game with Green Bay.
"I think anytime you're in the playoffs, you're playing a team who's had a great season and playing in Lambeau Field - it's going to be cold, it's going to be conditions - it should be a great environment," Manning said.
New York is starting to resemble that 2007 team, which knocked off previously undefeated New England in the Super Bowl. The Giants' pass rush has been led by the emergence of Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul and bolstered by the return of fellow defensive end Osi Umenyiora two weeks ago.
After a solid effort against Dallas in a 31-14 NFC East clincher in Week 17, the Giants' defense held the Falcons' offense scoreless last week.
A New York defense that ranked 28th in the regular season has gained confidence since being shredded by Rodgers.
"We wanted to see them again, but we realized in seeing them again it would be in a playoff game like this, so obviously we wanted to see them again," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "But yeah, we felt like we let one slip through our hands.
"I am sure Green Bay is saying to themselves, 'We didn't play our best game.' All of that is in the past. We'll get our opportunity to settle all those question marks on Sunday."
The Packers have noticed the Giants' improvement.
"I thought the Giants really had a decisive victory over the Falcons," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think it really started up front, on both sides of the ball. I thought they controlled the line of scrimmage offensively with their run game and really gave their quarterback and their passing game the chance to play downhill."
Green Bay will use a different offensive line than the group that limited New York to two sacks in the last matchup, with left tackle Chad Clifton expected to start. Clifton practiced Wednesday along with right tackle Bryan Bulaga , who is nursing an ankle injury.
New York got good news when cornerback Aaron Ross practiced Wednesday after leaving Sunday's game with a concussion. Ross will be needed to help slow down a Packers receiving corps led by Pro Bowler Jordy Nelson (1,263 yards) and Greg Jennings (949), who is set to return after missing three games with a sprained left knee.
The Giants (10-7) will be trying to exploit a Green Bay defense that ranked last in the NFL in the regular season, although the unit produced a league-high 31 interceptions.
Green Bay (15-1) figures to be tested by a Giants passing attack that has seen Manning hook up frequently with Victor Cruz (1,536 yards) and Hakeem Nicks (1,192). New York had the league's least productive running game in the regular season before gaining a season-high 172 yards on the ground last week.
The Giants are visiting Lambeau for the first time since last season's 45-17 loss, in which Rodgers threw for 404 yards and four TDs. New York could have clinched a playoff spot, but was eliminated the next week while the victory started Green Bay's 19-game win streak.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- With their own star quarterback and a dominating defense, the New York Giants exposed the Green Bay Packers for what they now are - former Super Bowl champions.
The Packers dropped passes, fumbled the ball and simply couldn't stop Eli Manning and his receivers in the Giants' shocking 37-20 divisional playoff victory Sunday. To the Giants' delight, a Green Bay team that had a real shot at an undefeated season less than a month ago is heading home.
And that the win came at Lambeau Field, well, that was just as sweet. The site has become a familiar launching pad for the New Yorkers. After beating the Packers (15-2) at home for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way - in the NFL title game.
The Giants will play the 49ers in San Francisco for the NFC championship next Sunday.
"I think we're a dangerous team," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "I like where we are and how we're playing."
The Giants (11-7) have been on a roll ever since beating the rival Jets on Dec. 24, beating the Dallas Cowboys to get in the playoffs and then blowing out Atlanta in the wild card round last week.
They took down the Packers on Sunday, as Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns.
The Giants are 3-4 against the 49ers in the playoffs, including their memorable collapse in a wild card game at San Francisco on Jan. 5, 2003. New York led 38-14 in the third quarter but fell apart and lost 39-38.
That probably won't be much of a worry for this year's Giants, who were oozing confidence even before they beat the Packers.
"This team knows how to win on the road," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "It seems like right now it's our time."
The Giants stunned the Packers with a touchdown off a long heave from Manning to Hakeem Nicks just before halftime, then knocked them out with a late touchdown off a turnover.
Lambeau Field fell silent as the Giants swarmed the field in celebration, with a handful of New York fans chanting, "Let's go, Giants!"
"I knew we were going to beat them on Wednesday, to be honest with you," running back Brandon Jacobs said.
The win came four years after the Giants beat a Brett Favre -led Packers team in the NFC title game. It wasn't nearly as frigid this time around, and the Packers' vulnerable defense seemed to be waiting to get sliced up.
Manning found six different receivers against a porous Packers defense. But Manning did the most damage with his throws to Nicks, who caught seven passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Nicks' biggest play was a 66-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. His score at the end of the half came on a 37-yard pass into the end zone with defenders all around.
"It was a big momentum play for them, but we were not deflated as a football team," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.
The Giants' defense also was able to defuse the big-play abilities of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense.
Rodgers was 26 of 46 for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also was the Packers' leading rusher with 66 yards on seven carries.
The Packers fully expected to go back to the Super Bowl, but the reality hit Rodgers quickly.
"Oh, it's real," Rodgers said. "We got beat by a team that played better tonight.
"We play to win championships. You win a championship and you're kind of at the top of the mountain, and you forget kind of how bad this feeling is. We had a championship-caliber regular season and didn't play well today."
The Packers' past problems with dropped balls by their talented group of wide receivers returned at the worst time imaginable.
And while the Packers' defense has been vulnerable all season, giving up far too many yards and big plays, they've typically made up for it by forcing turnovers.
This time, the Packers were the ones giving the ball away.
Green Bay lost three fumbles, including one on a rare giveaway by Rodgers. The Giants also sacked Rodgers four times.
With the Packers trailing 20-10 at halftime but finally beginning to look like themselves on offense to start the second half, Osi Umenyiora swatted the ball away from Rodgers, and Deon Grant recovered the fumble.
"With a 10-point lead, we're going to get after you," Umenyiora said. "And that's what we did."
But the mistake didn't cost the Packers points, and Green Bay cut the lead to seven points on a 35-yard field goal by Mason Crosby late in the third quarter.
The Packers put together another drive early in the fourth quarter, but Michael Boley and Umenyiora combined to sack Rodgers on fourth-down play in Giants territory.
After carving up the Packers in the first half, the Giants' offense hit a lull in the second half. But they broke out of it to drive for a 35-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes to take a 23-13 lead with 7:48 left to play.
Packers running back Ryan Grant then fumbled after catching a pass and the Giants recovered, taking the ball back deep into Green Bay territory.
Manning then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and the Giants took a 30-13 lead. Rodgers rallied the Packers for a 16-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver , cutting the lead to 30-20 with 4:46 left.
The Packers then tried on onside kick, but the Giants' Victor Cruz recovered.
Jacobs scored on a 14-yard run with 2:36 left to put the game away.
It was an emotional day for the Packers, who welcomed offensive coordinator Joe Philbin two days after the funeral service for his 21-year-old son, Michael.
Philbin had been away from the team all week after Michael Philbin's body was recovered from an icy river in Oshkosh, Wis. on Monday. A preliminary autopsy showed that he drowned.
"I think deep down, a lot of us wanted to kind of get this one for him," Rodgers said.
Notes: Giants safety Deon Grant left the game with a head injury. ... Packers running back John Kuhn left the game with a knee injury, and wide receiver Greg Jennings sustained a rib injury. ... Driver caught three passes, giving him a franchise-record 49 postseason receptions in his career. ... Packers LB Brad Jones blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt by Tynes in the second quarter.
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment