Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants Preview: Game of the Year for All Involved

While the Green Bay Packers (8-6) have lost two straight games, and the New York Giants (9-5) are coming off one of most devastating losses of the NFL season, both teams are still in firm control of their respective playoff destinies. 

The Packers need to win their last two games—both of which are at home—to ensure they secure a playoff spot as the NFC's final Wildcard. 

The Giants, who control the NFC's sixth and final position at this point, can clinch a playoff spot with a win against the Packers.

All these scenarios make Sunday's game at Lambeau Field the game of the year for both teams. 

So what does Green Bay need to do to make sure they beat the Giants?

Control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball

It's the no-brainer matchup, but the winner of it will more than likely win the game as well. For the Packers, that might be a problem.

The Giants have one of the NFL's better defensive lines, featuring two 10-sack defensive ends in Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, but it doesn't end with them. 

The line also boasts Barry Cofield (4.5 sacks), Jason Pierre-Paul (4.5 sacks), and Mathias Kiwanuka (4.0 sacks). 

In total, the Giants have registered 42 sacks, ranking them second in the NFL. 

It will likely be the Packers' most difficult test from a front four all season, and they've had some problems against good defensive lines—most notably their loss in Detroit two weeks ago. 

With all that said, I'm not sure if the Packers have the talent or personnel to stop the Giants' pass rush.

That could spell big trouble for the Packers' offense regardless of the fact that they are getting Aaron Rodgers back this week.

On the other side of the ball, the Giants also possess one of the game's more formidable offensive lines.

The group has helped pave the way for the NFL's fifth ranked rushing offense (2,028 yards), and has allowed the fewest number of sacks (15). 

With exception to the Detroit debacle, the Packers have played the run well in the second half of the season, and they still maintain the NFL's third rank pass rush (40 sacks). 

Even so, the Packers' defensive line faces a stiff challenge from the Giants. B.J. Raji and company will need to continue their strong play to slow down a powerful running attack. 

Goal: Keep New York under four sacks and 120 yards rushing.

Get up early

While the Packers were certainly heartbroken after their loss in New England, no team could be as down as the Giants were after their 38-31 loss to the Eagles. 

New York allowed the Eagles to score 28 points in the final seven and a half minutes, and the punt return from Desean Jackson was the dagger in the Giants' hearts. 

That could work for the Giants in two ways:

1. New York will come out on Sunday with a chip on their shoulder. Any team that isn't a little ticked off from that ending isn't much of a football team. 
2. Or they'll be easily demoralized. A couple of Packers' scores and the Giants could fold up like paper. 

I think it will probably work both ways. I'd be shocked if the Giants came out flat, so the Packers may need to weather an early storm. 

But I think they'd also give up if the Packers got up by a couple of scores. It hasn't been the Packers' M.O. to come out hot, but if they could on Sunday, they might be able to put the Giants away early.

Goal: Get up by 10 or more points in the first half

Force the Giants' offense into mistakes

While the Giants possess a well-balanced and dangerous offense, their one downfall this season has been their high rate of turnovers. 

In fact, the Giants are last in the NFL in turnovers this season, giving it away 35 times. 

Eli Manning has thrown a league-leading 20 interceptions, and running back Ahmad Bradshaw has lost five fumbles this season.

That makes it imperative for the opportunistic Packers' defense to continue that trend on Sunday.

Because for the most part, the only way the Giants' offense has been stopped this season is via the turnover. New York ranks third in the NFL in offensive yards per game at 384, and sixth in points scored (25.7/game). 

The Packers, however, possess the playmakers on defense to turn over the Giants.

Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, and Nick Collins all have a knack at creating turnovers, and it'd be hard to see Manning keeping the ball out of their hands a few times on Sunday.

Expect to see New York give the ball away at least a couple times, but if they don't, the Packers' defense could struggle in keeping the Giants off the scoreboard. 

Goal: Three or more turnovers from the Packers' defense

Continue to run the football

The Packers finally established some offensive balance last Sunday in New England, and that needs to carry onto this week. 

Brandon Jackson looked decisive in his reads—gaining 99 yards—and John Kuhn gave the Packers all they needed in short yardage situations. 

That balance gave the Packers' offense a rhythm that has been lacking seemingly all season, and if that can continue on Sunday, it would help Aaron Rodgers immensely coming off his second concussion. 

Like I said last week, that sounds good in theory, but executing it might be another story. The Giants' defense is far superior to that of the Patriots, and New York has been solid against the run this season (10th in the NFL). 

But like I also said last week, that shouldn't deter the Packers from trying. If Green Bay's offense gets too one-dimensional, that will allow New York's pass rushers to tee off on Rodgers. No one wants that scenario to unfold. 

The only way to keep those pass-rushing defensive ends at bay will be running the football. The Packers need to be successful again this week in that area. 

Goal: 120 yards rushing

No game-changing mistakes

In all honesty, the Packers would have walked out of New England with a victory last Sunday if it weren't for two game-changing plays: 

Dan Connolly's 71-yard kick return at the end of the first half, and Matt Flynn's pick-six at the beginning of the second. 

In a game with so much at stake, like Sunday will be for the Packers and Giants, a couple huge mistakes like those can make all the difference between a win and a loss. 

Those mistakes need to stop coming from the special teams. Hopefully you'd expect a much better performance from that unit this week seeing as coach Shawn Slocum's job has to be on the edge.

He's first season was decidedly poor, and this season we've seen the special teams screw up more than a handful of games. In my eyes, that should mean your job is in serious jeopardy, but that's just me.

And while Flynn's interception didn't involved a 315 pound offensive lineman streaking past our coverage unit, it was just as devastating to the Packers last Sunday. 

With Rodgers back under center, those plays have a reduced chance of happening this Sunday.

But you just never know, and the Giants do possess a few big play defenders, namely Corey Webster—the man who picked off Brett Favre in overtime of the 2007 NFC Championship game. 

Keeping the colossal mistakes to an absolute minimum is a must. 

Goal: No special teams' blunders or game-changing offensive turnovers

Overall

In my estimation, the New York Giants represent the second best team the Packers have played this season.

The Patriots with Tom Brady are the best, and the Falcons and Eagles (without Vick) are the third and forth, respectively.

Why are the Giants the second best?

For beginners, I'm not sure there is a team with a better combo of offensive and defensive lines.

They get after the quarterback better than any front four, and they do a better job of protecting their own signal caller than any team in the NFL. That right there makes the Giants a matchup nightmare for the Packers. 

But New York might also be the most complete team the Packers have seen.

With Bradshaw (1,182 yards, eight TD's) and Brandon Jacobs (727, 8) running the ball, and Hakeem Nicks (75 catches, 959 yards, 10 TD's) and Mario Manningham (52, 711, 7) spreading the field, the Giants have as balanced an offense as Green Bay has faced. 

Add in Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, fellow safety Deon Grant (three INT's), and cornerback Terrell Thomas (five interceptions), and the Giants have playmakers in their secondary to go along with their dominating front four. 

All that together equals a pretty good football team in the New York Giants.

In addition, a lot of writers will pick the Packers solely on the fact this game is at Lambeau Field. However, that simply hasn't been as big of homefield advantage for the Packers lately as it has been in the past. 

The Giants are as used to playing in cold weather as the Packers, and this game means just as much to them. 

With those factors just about evened out, I'm hard pressed not to give the Giants an edge. Overall, this is just a bad matchup for the Packers, even with their season on the line. 

Tuck and Umenyiroa will harass Rodgers and the offense for the majority of the afternoon, and Bradshaw and Jacobs will carry the load on offense. The Giants beat the Packers 27-20.