Ben McAdoo said Aaron Rodgers is "playing out of his mind right now."
He compared the Packers quarterback's recent run _ in the past seven games he has thrown 18 touchdowns without an interception and the Packers are 6-1 in that stretch _ to successful stretches in 2011 and 2013 when Rodgers was in MVP form and McAdoo was an assistant with the Packers for an up-close view of the display.
"He's on fire," McAdoo said. "Taking care of the ball, he's moving very well in and out of the pocket, making all the throws ... He's definitely playing with a killer instinct."
McAdoo also suggested that just because he has a history with Rodgers as his former position coach does not mean he has an answer to all of that.
"I don't have any Kryptonite," he said.
No, but he may have the next best thing: The Giants' defense.
The unit that has carried the Giants into the playoffs will be put to its toughest test yet Sunday when it faces Rodgers and the Packers in a wild-card game at Lambeau Field. And vice versa.
Remember, this is a defense that led a team that has not scored 30 points in a single game to 11 wins and a playoff berth. It's a defense that has allowed a league-low 25 offensive touchdowns.
They're playing out of their minds, too.
For the Giants to be successful Sunday, that'll have to continue. The Packers average 27 points, a number the Giants offense has reached just three times and not since Nov. 27 in Cleveland. The Giants have shown no signals that their perpetually ready-to-break-out offense is going to break out, so it'll be up to the defense to keep the game within reach. That likely means somewhere less than 20 points, a scoring ceiling the Giants haven't been able to crack in more than a month.
Don't count on the elements at Green Bay to help cool Rodgers off. Though temperatures are expected in the teens, the forecast does not indicate any snow or heavy winds for Sunday. And besides, Rodgers isn't really affected by that stuff.
"When he's on fire, the weather isn't really a factor for him," McAdoo said. "When it's cold and he's outside, he plays the same game and plays very well. Maybe not the same game, maybe a little different outside in the elements, but he has big hands and he can handle the balls and make all the throws."
The NYPD _ New York Pass Defense _ should be at close to full strength. When the teams played in October, the Giants were without Eli Apple for most of the game and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was coming back from an injury. Rodgers threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in that game, but he also was picked off twice by Janoris Jenkins and the Giants had almost zero pressure on him in the pocket. Jenkins, the Giants' best cornerback, missed the Eagles game in Week 16 with a bruised back and was limited Sunday against Washington but should be ready to play in Green Bay. As for the pass rush, it has 10 sacks in the last five games, including four against Washington.
"We look forward to the challenge," McAdoo said of facing the Packers and Rodgers, who won six straight games to win the NFC North and host this game. "It's one heck of a football team that has found a winning formula."
So have the Giants. Theirs is a different formula, on a different side of the ball.
On Sunday, only one will be revealed as the true Kryptonite for the other.
