NFL Playoff Picture: 3 Keys to New York Giants Upset of Green Bay Packers

In Week 13, the New York Giants lost to the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers by a score of 38-35 thanks to a last-second field goal by Mason Crosby.

Even in defeat, though, the Giants gained a lot from that game as they went on to win three of their final four games and qualify for the playoffs.

The Giants scored a tidy 24-2 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the first round and they will now get another shot at the Packers, albeit on the road this time. Aside from the Kansas City Chiefs, who shockingly beat the Packers, it's fair to say that no team gave them a better game this season than the Giants.

This Giants team is similar to their Super Bowl-winning team from four years ago in that they played the best team in the league close late in the season. That year, it was the New England Patriots, who the coincidentally lost to by a score of 38-35 in the final week of the regular season.

They went on to upset the Pats in the Super Bowl.

Can the G-Men turn the trick twice? Here are three things they must do to knock off the heavily-favored Packers.

Protect the Football

When the Giants and Packers met over a month ago, the Packers won the turnover battle by a margin of two-to-one. While that may not seem like much, turning the ball over is simply something that cannot be done against Green Bay. The Packers already have an offense that can score from anywhere on the field thanks to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so giving him a short field can be absolutely deadly.

As good as quarterback Eli Manning has been for the Giants this season, he has always been prone to throwing interceptions. That just can't happen on Sunday if the G-Men have hopes of an upset, though.

Protecting the ball alone won't be enough to knock off the Packers, but it is certainly the first step. The Packers are excellent as it is, so there's no need to help them out.

Get to Aaron Rodgers

Because of his mobility, quick release and great decision-making skills, there is likely no quarterback in the league who handles a pass-rush better than Aaron Rodgers. With that said, though, defenses can't just sit back and hope to defend him. When it comes to Rodgers opposing defenses are often in a lose-lose situation because he can pick you apart with pressure or without.

The one caveat is when a team can create pressure without compromising the amount of players in coverage. If one team in the NFL is capable of doing that, it's the Giants. Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are all elite pass-rushers, so the G-Men can put the heat on Rodgers with a four-man rush.

Rodgers was sacked just twice in the previous meeting, so if New York can ramp up the pressure, it can make life much tougher on him.

Run, Run and Run Some More

The Giants were efficient when it came to running the ball against the Packers in Week 13 as they gained 100 yards in that regard and averaged five yards a pop. The problem, though, is that they only ran the ball 20 times between Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and D.J. Ware. This allowed the Packers to win the time of possession battle, and that is certainly not a recipe for success against Green Bay.

If the G-Men are going to wi,n then they will have to do a better job of possessing the ball. Jacobs and Bradshaw ran tough and ran well against the Falcons in the first round, so the potential is definitely there.

Not only will success in the running game keep Aaron Rodgers off the field, but it will open things up for Eli Manning and the Giants' passing game. Provided New York can employ the ground-and-pound method, their chances of an upset increase exponentially.