The New York Giants host the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday in a tale of two very different seasons.
The Packers are 8-3 and currently sit in third place in the NFC, also leading their division. The Giants are 2-9, sitting second-to-last in the NFC and at the bottom of their division.
The Giants’ wildcard hopes are out the window and their divisional hopes are hanging on by a thread, but that doesn’t mean they can’t curb the Packers dreams. The Minnesota Vikings are hot on the Packers’ tail, and the Giants would do them a big favor with a win.
Here are this week’s keys to victory:
Pressure Aaron Rodgers
Much like the photo above, Markus Golden & Co. need to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is notorious for holding onto the ball too long, and for making poor decisions under pressure. The Packers’ big plays don’t come when Rodgers has a defender in his face, and they have 40 big plays on record this season.
If James Bettcher can get his defense to plow through the Packers’ offensive line and put some serious pressure on Rodgers, the Giants’ chances of winning go up dramatically.
Protect Daniel Jones
The Packers have 28 sacks for 204 yards this season, with 20.5 sacks and 160 yards coming from just two players: Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith.
Blake Martinez leads the team with 108 tackles overall, and he’s been battling through a hand injury. The Giants have to find a way to stop, or at least minimize the impact of these three players.
Mike Shula has to be careful not to put too much focus on these three, though, because there are several other players who will step up to fill the void. The Giants’ offensive line must be on high alert throughout the game to protect Jones, otherwise the game is going to get ugly, quickly.
No big plays for Green Bay
The Packers have six players with 100 or more yards after the catch, and three players with 20 or more yards on the ground in a single shot. This is how the Packers thrive — free plays by drawing the defense offside and exploiting the defense stopping with a bomb down the field or a gap up the middle.
Rodgers is one of the best at drawing a defense offside, especially when the line to gain is less than five yards. The Giants must be aware of this and have all hands on deck. This goes with pressuring Rodgers — the more pressure put on him, the less likely big plays are to happen.
NO TURNOVERS
This is kind of like beating a dead horse at this point. The Giants have got to hold on to the ball. The more they allow Rodgers to be on the field, the more likely the Packers are to get a big play or simply wear down the Giants’ defense and continue to pound the ball into the end zone.
The Packers have the fifth-ranked defense in the league, they’ve recorded nine interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. This week is not the week to test new plays or try new formations. This week is about ball security. Keep the Packers’ offense off the field as much as possible. Doing so will result in a much better outcome for Big Blue.
