Why the New York Giants Will Beat the Green Bay Packers

Matt Chin by Correspondent Written on January 16, 2008
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Let's face it, practically no one is picking the Giants to win this weekend's championship game against the Packers at Lambeau. Last time these two teams met, the Packers beat them, 35-13. So, why on earth would anyone pick the Giants to beat the Packers this time around?

The Giants started this year off an abysmal 0-2. Then they heated up and won six games straight. And then the red-hot Giants got a bucket of ice water dumped on them and lost to the Cowboys, yet again. And now the G-men have heated up again. They almost beat the Patriots in the regular season finale, only losing by three points and almost pulling off a huge upset. Eli Manning had one of the better performances of his career.

Then, in the wild card round of the playoffs, Eli and company were listed as the underdogs. They came through and beat the Buccaneers. Still, no one took them seriously. Only they believed in themselves.

Next, in the divisional round, the G-men were again underdogs. And guess what? They shocked everyone again by beating the heavily favored Cowboys at home. Now they take on Brett Favre and the Packers.

Now, for a few listed reasons of why the Giants can pull of the upset:

1. Their win record on the road is an impressive 9-1. The only road game they lost was the season opener against Dallas.

2. The running back tandem of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Sure, the Giants gave away running back Ryan Grant to the Packers, and yes, it may seem stupid that they did that before the discovery of Ahmad Bradshaw. But New York has since discovered how good of a back Bradshaw is. He is the new Tiki Barber for the Giants. He's small and quick on his feet. Which is a good for when they need to change things up after using Jacobs, who is huge and break through tackles.

3. The defensive line. Anchored by Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, these front four can get in any quarterbacks face better than anyone else in the game. They got all over Tony Romo and Jeff Garcia and managed to put some pressure on Tom Brady, so, why should this be any different with Brett Favre?

4. Eli Manning is becoming a top tier quarterback. He threw zero interceptions against a number-one rated defense against the Buc's. He commanded a 46-second, 71-yard
drive to tie the divisional game up at 14-14 right before halftime.

5. Last, but not least, they are the underdogs yet again. And they love being underdogs. It is going to give them the motivation they need to beat the Packers this Sunday, when the windchill at Lambeau field makes it feel like -8 degrees.

Being not believed in can be a teams greatest weapon.

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written on January 16, 2008 Sports

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