Giants must run well, stop Packers' run

Lots of things have changed over time in the NFL. Instant replay, concussion awareness, free agency and bye weeks would have had Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi scratching their heads at what has happened to their game.

But at least one axiom of the game remains the same, and where can it better be illustrated than in Green Bay, the only NFL city you need two connecting flights and a time machine to reach?

If it's winter, if the playoffs are on the line and if you consider yourself a championship-caliber team, you'd better be able to run the ball and stop the other team from doing it.

The conditions for today's Giants-Packers game - which in all likelihood will decide an NFC wild-card team - won't be atrocious by Green Bay standards. Temperatures are supposed to be in the 20s, with a chance of some snowfall. But it still will be bad enough to make running the ball a priority for both teams.

"You would think so," Giants linebacker Michael Boley said. "In a lot of cold-weather games, especially at this point in the season, teams are going to try to dominate the line of scrimmage and run the ball. I think we can expect that."

The Packers have a quarterback coming off his second concussion of the season and a running game that has struggled. It didn't help that running back Ryan Grant, coming off back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 1. They also lost starting tight end Jermichael Finley and starting tackle Mark Tauscher to injury. Brandon Jackson has been their starting back and John Kuhn has chipped in, as well, but the Packers still have the NFL's 24th-ranked rushing offense.

The Giants, meanwhile, have two running backs who are healthier than they have ever been at this point in the season. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw each has scored eight rushing touchdowns and Bradshaw has 1,182 rushing yards this season.

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The Giants know how important running the football is in any weather. In the seven games in which they have run for fewer than 120 yards in a game, they are 2-5 this year, accounting for all of their losses. Their two lowest rushing totals have come in two losses to the Eagles, one of which took place last week. In that game, the Giants ran the ball 31 times. Sixteen of those rushes were for 3 yards or fewer. A staggering six of them were for zero or negative yardage.

"We know we didn't run the ball well last week," Jacobs said. "If you're going to win, you have to get the running game going no matter what week it is and what's at stake."

This time, it's Week 16. And there's a lot at stake. The Giants can't be eliminated from the playoffs today, but they would much prefer to step inside the postseason circle now rather than wait a week, try to beat the Redskins and hope for some help.

To do that, the Giants will have to establish the run and stop the Packers from using theirs. Because if they don't, they won't be able to get in a time machine and go back to Green Bay to try again.