Packers vs. Giants: New York's D-Line Won't Phase Aaron Rodgers

The New York Giants might think that sacking Aaron Rodgers multiple times will be the key to defeating the Green Bay Packers.

They would be wrong.

Sure, Aaron Rodgers was sacked 36 times this season. Only Alex Smith (44), Tarvaris Jackson (42), Blaine Gabbert (40), Ben Roethlisberger (40) and Mark Sanchez (39) were sacked more.

But Rodgers finished the season with 4653 passing yards and 45 touchdowns to only six interceptions and led the Packers to a 15-1 record.

Turns out sacking Rodgers isn't really the key to beating the Packers.

But pressuring Rodgers up the middle might be. From Bart Hubbach of the New York Post:

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“Getting pressure up the middle is going to be the biggest thing because it allows you to take away some of his avenues to throw,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said yesterday. “Aaron is not as short as [other quarterbacks], so he can kind of see a little bit better with hands in his face, but it still makes it tougher when you get pressure up the middle.”

The Giants are arguably the NFL’s champion when it comes to applying pressure up the middle, thanks to a glut of pass rushers so intense that coach Tom Coughlin has the luxury of being able to use a defensive line led by Jason Pierre-Paul made up entirely of pass-rushing ends.

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So where was that pressure up the middle when the teams faced off in Week 13? In that game, Rodgers went 28-46 with 369 yards passing, four touchdowns, one interception and was only sacked twice.

And Rodgers presents a different challenge for the Giants than Matt Ryan did last week—Rodgers is more mobile, and isn't afraid to break the pocket or take off and run if the need arise.

Some—like Steve Serby of the New York Post—will suggest that the Giants should turn to the Chiefs victory over the Packers as a blueprint for defeating Green Bay. As Serby notes, the Chiefs only blitzed eight times, got pressure up the middle with their front four and held the Packers to 14 points.

But the Chiefs also played a Packers team minus Greg Jennings, and had talented enough corners in Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr to jam the Packers receivers at the line and disrupt Green Bay's timing.

Are New York's corners talented enough to do the same, especially with Greg Jennings returning?

After a season in which the Giants finished 29th in passing yards allowed, my guess would be that they aren't.

And thus, pressure or not, the Giants' vaunted defensive line won't be able to keep Aaron Rodgers from leading the Packers past New York on Sunday.

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