I must admit that I am truly far less qualified to comment on the NFC having watched far fewer NFC games over the course of this season than AFC games. I did, however, get a chance to see a fair number of Giants and Packers games, including the last meeting between those two teams. I believe the Giants have a serious chance upsetting the Packers. Let's take a look at why.
The Giants' season looked hopeful through the first 8 games. They finished the midway point of the season with a 6-2 record and appeared to have a commanding lead in their own division. In their 8th game they went so far as to beat the Patriots in Foxborough 24-20. Like any team, they possessed significant weaknesses such as a lackluster secondary, but Eli Manning and his young explosive receiving corps along with a strong pass rush allowed the G-Men to move down the field with ease and put up an average of 24.75 points per game. Manning himself finished the first half of the season with 2377 passing yards which had him on pace to have over 4700 yards by the end of the season. What lay ahead of the Giants, however, was a harrowing month of opponents.
The Giants played the 49ers, Eagles, Saints, and Packers all in a row. Three out of four of those opponents make up the numbers 1, 2, and 3 seeds in the NFC side of the playoffs this post season, and their other opponent is a divisional rival. The Giants lost all 4 games, but they lost 3 of them by a touchdown or less. The final of these 4 games was against the Green Bay Packers and ended in heartbreaking fashion to the fans wearing blue and red that filled MetLife Stadium. The Giants lost 38-35 after Aaron Rodgers drove his offense down the field to score the winning field goal in the final minute of the game. Despite the loss, this game may have been the best thing that happened to the Giants during the regular season from an educational standpoint.
During their narrow loss to the Packers the Giants were missing a number of key players, all of whom are currently reported to be healthy. Osi Umeniyora, Justin Tuck, and Mario Manningham all dealt with injuries over the course of this season, and only recently did all three return to their top playing form. The return of Osi and Tuck has meant a drastic increase in the speed and dominance of the Giants' pass rush, and Manningham's return has meant a valuable addition to a receiving corps that already boasts two of the league's top receiving threats in Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. The result of this is a team that went into the first round of the playoffs simply dominating a formidable Atlanta Falcons team. No playoff team in the the history of the NFL had ever been held to 2 points before. It appeared as though the Giants were simply toying with Matt Ryan and company.
Despite a convincing win over the Falcons, the Giants are not favored to win in their upcoming match against the team that only narrowly beat them a month ago. Because of Aaron Rodgers ability to seemingly drive and score at will on his opponents, the Packers will most likely to be favored in any other game they play this post season. The Packers also have the home field advantage which typically proves rather advantageous especially this late in the season when most teams are not used to playing in the frigid temperatures of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I believe, however, that the Giants have the best shot of any team in the NFC (that's right I said any team) to beat the Packers at Lambeau. I have not bought into the Saints as they have only proven their ability to win big games at home and I cannot think of a more hostile environment for a dome team to play in than Green Bay. The Giants are not foreign to bad weather as New York becomes very cold at this time of year as well (though not usually to the same degree). Defense, namely the pass rush, is the factor that separates the Giants from other teams with high octane passing offenses, and the Giant's defense has improved considerably since the last time the G-men and the Pack met. Call me crazy, but I am picking both the 49ers and Giants to win this week and meet in the NFC championship the following week. And yes, I realize that I'll look quite foolish if the exact opposite happens. Please let me know what your predictions are, and as always, GO RAVENS!
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