Packers no doubt have Giants game circled on their calendar
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers breaks away from the Giants defense during the second half of a game in Green Bay, Wis. (Jan. 15, 2012) Credit: AP
The Giants are bracing for what they assume will be a Packers team looking for revenge.
The 2011 Packers had one regular-season loss, were the top seed in the NFC playoffs and had eyes on back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Then the Giants went to Lambeau and beat them, 37-20, in a divisional playoff game. This is their first meeting since.
"We're excited about this game and we know they are going to come in [ticked] off about last year and we have to be ready for that intensity," Giants guard Chris Snee said on Monday.
The Giants and Packers have had a series of meaningful meetings in recent years, dating to the 2007 NFC title game, won in overtime by the Giants. In 2010 the Giants needed to beat the Packers in Week 16 to get into the playoffs but lost. A week later they needed the Bears to beat the Packers so they could get in. The Packers won.
This will be the third game between the two teams in the last year. The Eagles are in the Giants' division and they've played each other only once in that span.
"Too much for me to like, to be honest with you," Antrel Rolle said of the recurrent faceoffs with the Packers on his weekly radio spot on WFAN Tuesday.
Both teams know what to expect from each other. Rolle spelled it out.
"I don't expect anything less than a hard-fought war battle," he said. "That's what it's going to come down to. Those guys are going to be hungry. Those guys are going to want revenge from last season. And we're trying to get ourselves back on track and make a push towards this postseason and win our division. Both teams are going to be extremely high, both teams are going to be focused, and I don't expect anything but the best of the best on Sunday night."
