NFL Playoff Predictions: Why Aaron Rodgers, Packers Defeat the New York Giants

When the New York Giants visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for the NFC's second divisional playoff game, ghosts from the 2007-08 NFC Championship Game will be lingering at Lambeau Field.

The only difference that really matters, though, is that Aaron Rodgers is under center for the cheeseheads and not the interception-prone, Brett Favre. So how and why will the Packers get the win?

Let's break down each side of the ball to find out.

Packers Offense vs. Giants Defense

This is an interesting matchup because the mobility of Aaron Rodgers against the New York pass rush will be a major factor.

The Giants were hit with a dearth of injuries this season on the defensive line. However, they still managed to record 48 sacks, which tied for third in the league. The unfortunate aspect, though, resides in their rush defense, which allowed more than 120 yards per game.

Green Bay may not be a run-first team, but they can do work on the ground when needed. In addition, the Giants have an extremely vulnerable pass defense as Rodgers exploited in their regular season meeting.

New York ranked No. 29 against the pass and allowed more than 250 per game. Saving the Giants right now is momentum, confidence and their stellar pass rush. So in order to negate any kind of consistent pressure on Rodgers, expect Green Bay to come out on the ground.

And any early passes will be quick three-step drops or screens. They'll show more of a west-coast approach as to stretching the field, but that will setup the vertical dimension later on. Worst case scenario for the Packers is they start off slow as the passing game isn't completely opened up.

Being that the Packers already played New York once, don't expect coach Mike McCarthy to reveal anything until the second half. That's where Aaron Rodgers takes over, because Green Bay can score at will against the Giants.

It's keeping their pass rush in check that's most important.

Packers Defense vs. Giants Offense

The concern for Green Bay in this game is how much New York reverts to the ground game. The Packers may rank No. 14 against the run, but they still allowed almost five yards per carry. Had team ran the ball against them more the No. 32 pass defense would not have been exploited so much.

That being said, the Packers need to run-blitz their linebackers to shut down the Giants ground game. In turn, that will force the defensive backs in numerous single coverage situations, however, run-blitzing can also provide excellent quarterback pressure.

What the Packers must do is continually be physical with Eli Manning's receivers. Playing soft coverage (meaning, not press coverage) will expose Green Bay early. It's really their best option since the Packers allow so many yards anyway.

But in order to keep Aaron Rodgers off the field and their defense fresh, New York will run the ball early and often. Now, not all the backers will blitz every play, but do expect pressure up the middle.

What's favoring Green Bay is when the Giants air it out, because defense is opportunistic. Sure, they allowed 300 passing yards per game, but they also recorded 31 interceptions.

With Eli Manning being capable of inconsistency, the Packers will have their opportunities this game. It's actually making the plays that will be the difference. As long as Green Bay can limit the Giants rushing attack early and force New York into being one-dimensional, it's to the Packers advantage.

The last time Green Bay got beat on the ground and methodically through the air was against the Kansas City Chiefs. And you can bet the defense would much rather be in a shootout than a low-scoring slugfest.

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