NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Why Giants vs Packers Is Sunday's Best Game

The second day of the Divisional Round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs features a pair of games showcasing the champions of each conferences North division, as the Baltimore Ravens play host to the Houston Texans while the Green Bay Packers welcome the New York Giants to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

With all due respect to the Texans, who have had a great run while securing their first trip to the postseason in franchise history, if there's one game this weekend that at first glimpse had the makings of a jackstomp, it's Texans-Ravens.

The Ravens have yet to lose a game at home this season and handled Houston easily at home earlier in the year. That was with starter Matt Schaub under center for the Texans, and with rookie T.J. Yates now barking out signals for Houston, it's hard to see the outcome of this game being any different.

However, in the Giants-Packers matchup we have a rematch of a thrilling 38-35 Week 13 contest that went down to wire before Green Bay escaped with a win, and it's a game replete with storylines.

For the Giants, it's the story of a team that is peaking at the right time, looks to have rediscovered its running game in a dominant performance last week against the Atlanta Falcons, possesses the sort of pass rush that is essential to have success against Green Bay, and is drawing comparisons to the 2007 squad that went on a magical postseason run on the way to a win in Super XLII.

For the Packers, it's the tale of an incredibly prolific offense attempting to continue their march towards a second straight Super Bowl championship, albeit with very heavy hearts after the untimely and tragic death of the young son of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin in a drowning accident.

This is the National Football League, so anything can (and often does happen), but as things stand right now, it really feels like Sunday's early game between the Texans and Ravens is just an appetizer for what should be a delicious main course by the Giants and Packers later in the day.