NFL Playoff Picks: Predicting Score, Result for Giants vs. Packers

The New York Giants have surprised everyone and have gone on a nice run to reach the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. But this weekend the G-Men travel to Lambeau Field to face the 15-1 Green Bay Packers, and their great run of success is likely to come to an end. 

The Packers have won 21 of their last 22 games, and that streak of wins has been largely due to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 28-year-old signal-caller finished the 2011 season completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the NFL in yards per attempt (9.25) and his passer rating of 122.5 broke the single-season NFL record. And he accomplished all that in just 15 games as he sat out the season finale. 

The Giants bring a three-game winning streak to the game this Sunday, including a 24-2 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. New York will try and get to Rodgers using an outstanding pass rush that racked up 48 sacks this season. The only way the Giants can slow down the Packers is to sack Rodgers repeatedly. 

Unfortunately for the G-Men, they finished the regular season with the league's 29th-ranked pass defense, allowing 255.1 yards per game. With Rodgers and all of his weapons fully rested and healthy, they should be able to post up some big yardage numbers.

The Giants should be able to engage in a shootout and hang around for a bit, since Eli Manning and company bring the league's fifth-ranked passing attack (averaging 295.9 yards per game) to Lambeau Field on Sunday. When the two teams matched up in Week 13, the Packers snuck away with a 38-35 win. Despite New York's ability to put up yards, I don't think things will be as close this weekend.

I see Rodgers doing what he's done all year and picking apart a porous Giants secondary, as the Packers cruise to the NFC title game.

Prediction: Green Bay 38, New York (Giants) 21