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While the Falcons already know their opponent, the Giants and Packers will be competing for the right to meet the #1 Dallas Cowboys at home next weekend. It will be an interesting game, and no matter who advances, it should be an interesting Divisional Round matchup, too.
The Giants have gotten through this year with flashes of offensive brilliance, sure, but their offense is not their calling card at this point. They’re the rare team that added a ton of free agent dollars to their defense and had it truly stick, with that side of the ball carrying them here. The Eli Manning-led offense has been mediocre-to-inept at times, and bluntly, they won’t be able to afford to be today.
That’s because the Packers are on fire, and Aaron Rodgers is thermonuclear. Over the last several weeks of the season, he’s more or less indisputably been the best quarterback in football, with only Matt Ryan (who had a much better first 10-11 weeks, for what it’s worth) and Tom Brady hanging around in that conversation. When Rodgers is at the height of his powers, there just isn’t much a defense is going to be able to do. That’s why I have the Packers in this one despite some up-and-down play on defense.
We could still see one of these teams in the Conference Championship, so watch this one closely.
NFC Wild Card Round
What: New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
When: Sunday, January 8, 4:40 p.m. EST
Channel: FOX
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