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Notes: Madison back from injury, but it hurts Giants

BY ARTHUR STAPLE | arthur.staple@newsday.com

January 21, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Sam Madison made it into the lineup, but for a time, he probably wished he had stayed home.

Madison played for the first time in the postseason after sitting out the previous two weeks with an abdominal muscle strain suffered in the season finale against the Patriots. Madison did not start last night but came on in a variety of situations and seemed well enough to go.

He also was well enough to trade punches with Packers running back Vernand Morency. Madison was called for unnecessary roughness, giving the Packers a key first down after Brett Favre's short pass was deflected by Michael Strahan into Donald Driver's hands short of a first down at the Giants' 24.

The Packers scored to take a 17-13 lead on the next play.

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Madison pleaded his case to the officials and to his teammates, Strahan included. Madison came on a corner blitz, Morency picked him up and the two tussled through the whistle, with Madison getting the final shot and being flagged for it. Strahan listened to Madison, then walked away on the Giants' sideline.

False start by heated benches

The Giants rented five heated benches from a Cleveland-based company instead of using ones provided by the home side, but there still was an issue early in the game when they weren't working.

The problem was fixed by the second quarter. The Giants also had large heaters at the ends of the benches.

As they had promised, the five members of the Giants' offensive line went sleeveless. Defensive linemen Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck also played in short sleeves, as did safety Gibril Wilson.

The minus-1 degree temperature at game time, with a minus-23 degree wind chill, made it the second-coldest game ever at Lambeau Field, behind only the "Ice Bowl," the 1967 NFL Championship Game, which had a minus-13 degree temperature and minus-43 degree wind chill at game time.

Seubert injured in return home

Rich Seubert, a native of Marshfield, Wis., had lots of family and friends in the crowd last night. His only stipulation was that whomever he got tickets for had to root for the Giants, no matter their lifelong allegiances. Seubert didn't get to finish the game, however. With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, he hurt his knee on a short run by Ahmad Bradshaw. Grey Ruegamer took over at left guard.