Packers Take on Giants in Last Game of the Season at Lambeau
The Green Bay Packers ran the table to close the 2016 regular season. Their newest challenge involves a shorter win streak, but against tougher competition.
The Packers begin the postseason at Lambeau Field Sunday afternoon against the New York Giants at 3:40 PM. Three wins in a row would put Green Bay in its sixth Super Bowl, and four in a row would bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown.
But before the Packers can think about subsequent rounds, they have to get past a Giants team that has a better record than Green Bay despite being a wild card team. The Giants finished 11-5, including two impressive wins over NFC top seed Dallas.
The Giants have also had a successful playoff run at Lambeau Field of late, ending Brett Favre's Packers career in the 2008 NFC Championship Game and finishing off the 2011 Packers' 15-1 regular season after just one playoff game.
Aaron Rodgers' 2016 season has been one of his most impressive in several ways. Rodgers has not thrown an interception in his last seven games after struggling at times during the first half of the season. In November, with Green Bay sitting at 4-6 and their playoff chances on life support, Rodgers said he felt the Packers could still "run the table" - winning their last six games in a row - and win the NFC North title. They did exactly that, capping off the six-game streak with a win at a Detroit on Sunday Night Football to capture the division title and earn a home playoff game.
The Packers continue to find new heroes in clutch situations. Aaron Ripkowski ran for 61 yards against the Lions Sunday night, while Geronimo Allison totaled 91 yards receiving and a touchdown. Still, Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams have been Green Bay's top two receiving options, each reaching double-digits in touchdown catches. They'll go against the Giants secondary Sunday, while Odell Beckham Jr. leads the Giants receivers against the Pack's banged up secondary. Quinten Rollins is the latest cornerback to deal with injury in a group so depleted that the Packers activated receiver-turned-cornerback Herb Waters for Sunday's game.
These same two teams played at Lambeau Field in October, with the Packers edging New York 23-16 thanks to 81 yards on the ground from Eddie Lacy and 108 yards receiving from Randall Cobb. The Packers scored 17 points in the first half of that game, but could only muster two field goals after halftime.
A Packers win Sunday would send them to Dallas for a Divisional Round matchup with the NFC's top-seeded Cowboys.