Giants vs. Packers: Aaron Rodgers Will Make Easy Work of Depleted Giants Defense

The New York Giants head to Lambeau Field after shutting down Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Aaron Rodgers is a totally different animal, though.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback has already ripped the Giants defense to shreds once this season and he'll do it again on Sunday en route to a conference championship game appearance. In other words, so much for momentum.

Rodgers is a virtual lock to win the NFL MVP Award after a season in which he found a zone that few other signal-callers in history have ever enjoyed. He threw for more than 4,600 yards and had 48 total touchdowns while turning the ball over just six times.

It was amazing to watch him leave defenses dumbfounded by beating them with surgical precision on a weekly basis. Not bad for a quarterback who suffered an infamous slide on draft day that left many wondering how it would affect him.

Apparently he used it as motivation. There are plenty of teams that are still kicking themselves for passing on such a prolific passer.

As for the Giants, last week's defensive performance was likely the best one of the season. They were in attack mode from the opening kickoff and gave Ryan no room to breathe. It's a strong showing that has many in New York dreaming of an upset.

Not so fast.

The Giants are still dealing with a bunch of injuries in the secondary, which is obviously a major concern going up against Rodgers. Secondary member Corey Webster, Aaron Ross and Deon Grant are all working to overcome nagging ailments to go along with the players lost earlier in the season.

Rodgers threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns when the teams last met in early December. One good game against a QB who hasn't proven anything in the playoffs doesn't mean the Giants are suddenly ready to make those numbers drop drastically.

Greg Jennings is expected to return for Green Bay, which will return Rodgers' arsenal to its usual unmatched level. The Giants simply don't have enough pieces among their linebackers and secondary to slow down all of his different targets.

New York's vaunted pass rush was able to get good pressure on Rodgers the first time around and still came up short. It's unlikely they'll be able to show him any looks he hasn't seen before in order to disrupt his remarkable rhythm.

Look for the Packers to take to the air early and often on Sunday. Extended drives should eventually wear down the Giants defense, which will allow Green Bay to pull away in the second half.

It's been a nice run for the Giants to reach this point, but the Rodgers brigade will bring it to an end.