NFL Playoff Predictions: Why the Giants Will Ruin Green Bay's Super Bowl Hopes

Despite it being incredibly difficult for a Super Bowl champion to repeat that feat the following year, the Green Bay Packers spent most of the 2011 season seemingly destined to win their second championship in two years.

However, a few serious weaknesses have been exposed about the team through the course of the season, and those problems could end up costing them a repeat trip to the Super Bowl, starting this week.

The Packers come off their first-round playoff bye to host the New York Giants on Sunday, and it's no foregone conclusion that Green Bay will reprise their success against the team in Week 13.

That game was close, ending 38-35 in favor of the Packers, but could have just as easily gone the other way.

The Giants defense, inconsistent in 2011, was simply dazzled by the passing skills of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the talents of his many receivers in their first meeting, but it took the Packers a last-second field goal to keep the game from going into overtime.

This week, the Giants are looking to have an entirely different game, with so much more at stake.

New York has been impressive in its last three games, defeating the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 16 and 17 by wide margins and blowing out the Atlanta Falcons in last week's Wild Card matchup, 24-2.

The Falcons have a usually productive offense, albeit one less explosive and high scoring than the Packers. The fact hey were completely dominated by the Giants defense and held to no offensive scores gives New York a distinct advantage over Green Bay this week.

The Packers defense isn't what it was a year ago, giving up an average of just under 300 passing yards and 111.8 rushing yards per game this season. Unless it's managed to significantly improve over the bye week, it won't have much luck stopping Giants quarterback Eli Manning on Sunday.

Manning is averaging 308.3 yards per game this season and put up 277 against the Falcons last week. It shouldn't be hard for him to put up another 300 passing yards this week against such a weak secondary as Green Bay's.

Further, though the Giants haven't been one of the more successful running teams this year, they were able to improve on that aspect of their game last week, rushing for 172 yards against one of the better run defenses in the league.

That should help them in Sunday's game. If the Giants can build a modest lead for themselves, they can control the clock by sticking to a ground attack.

Pressure will be the key for the Giants defense when Rodgers is on the field. The Packers showed their passing game can be effectively shut down with the proper pressure when they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15.

They'll have to key on Rodgers, to be sure, but not at the expensive of leaving receivers in soft coverage. If they don't get to Rodgers fast enough, he'll burn the Giants deep, almost certainly.

They'll have to pick their battles and determine whether sacking Rodgers is their primary concern or if it is to keep passes out of his receivers hands. If they go with the latter more than they go with the former, they should find themselves in great position to win this most difficult of upsets.

While it sounds incredibly difficult to both keep the Packers from scoring while also putting up a good amount of points themselves, it's something the Giants are well suited to accomplish. They have momentum on their side after their big win last week and a definite chip on their shoulder, and both are great assets to have heading into such a big playoff game.

The Packers need to be ready for a very different Giants team than they played in the regular season.

Underestimating the underdogs might be the most egregious error the Packers commit this week, and it could cost them the chance to reach the NFC Championship Game next week and ultimately the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season.