Now the NFL playoffs are starting to get serious, we will see how the division winners come off their one week byes to start playing. Perhaps the most interesting game will happen when the York Giants visit the 15-1 Green Bay Packers in a rematch of a regular season game. Be sure you have your Green Bay Packers tickets ready for this event because it is anticipated to be a good one!
Rematch
The Packers played a road game against the Giants in a sold out Packers tickets Week 13 match up, only a little more than a month ago. Green Bay prevailed in that game 38-35 on a field goal as time expired. With this game at the fabled Lambeau Field, the Packers are favored by 7.5 point with an over/under of 52. The Packers are undefeated in their last 13 homes games and are expecting the cold temperatures one usually sees this year in the area.
Packers Tragedy
The Packers suffered a huge tragedy this past week when the 21 year old son of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin died in a drowning accident. Philbin has taken a leave of absence from the team. Well liked by the players, fans that bought Packer tickets wonder if his loss will have an impact on the offensive side of this match. Most people feel that it will have a minimal effect because head coach Mike McCarthy has long been calling the plays during games, so the offense shouldn’t skip a beat. Therefore, anyone that bought Packers tickets for this playoff game shouldn’t worry about offense being at 100%!
Packers Strength
Make no mistake about it, the Packers win or lose with their offense. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game and his collection of wide receivers are excellent. Receiver Greg Jennings will be returning to the receiving corps after an injury. The offensive line should get beefy after tackles Chad Clifton and Bryan Bulaga come back to help with the ferocious Giants defensive line. All indications point to the offense being ready to hum, which is good news for fans that bought Packers tickets.
Packers Weaknesses
Let’s be frank. The Packers defense is a big potential weakness. The team has the worst ranked passing defense in the league. The run defense has better numbers, but mostly because opponents will just keep passing. All is not lost, Packer tickets holder should breath a sign of relief to know that the defense is number one in the league when it comes to interceptions, averaging just below two a game. If the Packers can just get a few turnovers, it is hard to see how the Giants can pull off the upset.
Giants Strength
The Giants biggest strength is its defensive line. It has really rounded into form the last few weeks. Many are comparing the line to the one the team had when it upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LXII. The Packers offensive line is average at best, so it seems to be a good analogy. If the Giants keep pressure on Aaron Rodgers with just four linemen rushing, the defense stands a chance on holding the Packers to between 21 and 28 points. That should be enough for the win given the shaky Packers defense and the surprisingly high quality of play by Eli Manning. Green Bay Packers ticket holders will hope that this is not the case as they cheer on their team to victory.
Giants Weakness
The Giants don’t really have a huge weakness coming into this game. There biggest problem is not on their team. While the defensive line is playing at a very high level, they have a problem in that Aaron Rodgers is a very mobile quarterback. If they can’t get him onto the ground in a couple of seconds, there is no way for the Giants defensive backs can cover all the talented wide receivers of the Packers. This should be some good news for Packers tickets holder!
A second potential problem is turnovers. Eli Manning has really limited his turnovers this year, but the once potent Giants running game has issues. Although the team has started running the ball better the last few weeks, running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have a habit of fumbling at inopportune times. Look for the Packers to try to strip the ball on every rush attempt.
Approaches
For the Packers to win this game, they need to perform at their usual high level on offense. On defense, expect the team to give up yard and points, but also focus on trying to generate turnovers. If they can get a couple of turnovers, the offense will take care of the rest of the game.
The Giants strategy for winning is also fairly obvious. On offense, they want to control the ball. Grinding out long drives will run down the clock and keep the ball away from the Packers offense. On defense, they need to get pressure on Rodgers with just four linemen rushing and hope he throws a few interceptions. In short, the Giants will use the same strategy they used to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Prediction
The Giants are going to give the Packers all they can handle this weekend. That being said, it is hard to see Aaron Rodgers letting the Packers lose at home even with all the team has gone through this week. Those that bought Packers tickets should expect to see their team win a high scoring game.
