Packers' McCarthy OK with JPP's comments

Packers coach Mike McCarthy got his JPP on Monday.

"We fully expect to win the game," he said in response to comments from Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who voiced confidence about the teams' upcoming meeting.

McCarthy may be banking on a different result, but he said he does not begrudge Pierre-Paul his opinion. In fact, he said, he would have been surprised if the Giants were not in that frame of mind.

"I would expect a team that is playing in a divisional playoff round to think they should win the game," he said. "That stuff . . . What are they supposed to say, that they're going to lose? I think a guy should expect to win. That's the National Football League."

Herzlich will try again

Mark Herzlich was optimistic that he would be able to play against the Falcons, but when he tried to test his sprained ankle last Tuesday, it didn't respond.

He had stepped in as the starting middle linebacker, but Chase Blackburn replaced him and has done well. If Herzlich can return this week, it likely will be as a special-teams contributor.

Giant steps

Tom Coughlin said he gave every Giants player a game ball to remember the "historical significance" of the first postseason win at MetLife Stadium . . . Sunday's Falcons-Giants game averaged 17.3 percent of homes and 27.7 million viewers on Fox, making it the highest-rated wild-card playoff game at 1 p.m. on a Sunday in eight years. Atlanta led all markets with a 30.6 rating. In New York, 24.8 percent of homes tuned in . . . Beating the Packers would avenge a regular-season loss, but two other possible NFC Championship Game opponents (the Saints and 49ers) also have beaten the Giants. "At some points during the season, we've looked too far ahead and it hurt us," Michael Boley said. "So right now we're just focused on this one.''

With Neil Best