Packers Rout Giants

A team expecting to advance to the playoffs cannot play as poorly as the Giants did in a 45-17 thrashing at the hands of the Packers. Before the game, the Giants had said this game had a playoff atmosphere. Then they turned the ball over six times- four more Eli Manning interceptions- and did not show up on defense, allowing Aaron Rodgers to have a career day with 404 yards and four touchdowns. If the Giants wanted to erase the memory of last week’s collapse against the Eagles, this wasn’t the right formula to do it. Counting the Eagles game, in the last 73 minutes on the field, the Giants have been outscored 73-17. A win over the Packers would have clinched an NFC wild-card berth for the Giants. Now they can still get in, but need some help. If they beat the Redskins on Sunday and the Bears beat the Packers, they make the playoffs.

They fell behind 14-0 early in the first quarter, then rallied back to tie it at 14 when Manning hit Nicks and Manningham for touchdowns and trailed 21-14 at halftime. Then the Giants were outscored 24-3 in the second half. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw lost fumbles to kill drives and Rodgers was unstoppable and untouched. The Packers receivers ran freely in the Giants secondary all day and Manning, in desperation, was picked off three times after halftime.

The Giants came into the game confident they would run the ball better than they did against the Eagles. Their offensive line was intact and the Packers were hurting at linebacker. Instead, they ran the ball much worse, in fact they hardly ran the ball at all, finishing with 90 yards on 21 carries total as a team. Jacobs gained 47 yards on eight carries, but it’s misleading, as 21 yards came on a run with the Giants trailing 31-17 late in the third quarter, that ended with a lost fumble. Ahmad Bradshaw could not get going, gaining 31 yards on 12 rushing attempts and also had a costly fumble, his seventh of the season, to end a Giants drive.

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Aaron Rodgers completed 25 of 37 passes for a career high 404 yards and four touchdowns. Giants Coach Coughlin said their inability to stop the run helped Rodgers to keep the Giants guessing. Four turnovers by the Giants offense also provided the Packers with great field position. Rodgers was deadly accurate with his throws, beating the Giants even when they had good coverage.

Eli Manning threw for two touchdowns to reach a career high 30 for the season, but added four interceptions for a league leading 24.

The Packers, fighting for their playoff lives, simply wanted the game more. Over the past 68 minutes, the Giants have looked nothing like a team that deserves an invite to the dance. If by some miracle they get asked, they could be the wallflower in the corner that no one will dance with.

A total Giants organizational collapse, the entire team and coaching staff should take the blame for this meltdown. No excuses for a team with this much talent to play this poorly.

With what has become, in recent years, an annual late season Giants dive, the Coughlin watch is back on. Someone has to pay and it’s usually the coach.

By: Mitchell D. Schlau
ProFootball-fans.com New York Giants Correspondent