Rough end to Packers' season

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- After flirting with an unbeaten season and entering the playoffs as the NFC's No. 1 seed, the Packers had high hopes of becoming the first repeat winners of the Super Bowl since the 2003-04 Patriots.

Instead, they suffered the same kind of playoff heartbreak against the Giants as they did four years ago, when Brett Favre lost in overtime in the NFC Championship Game.

"We play to win championships," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was 26-for-46 for 264 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. "You win a championship, have kind of the top of the mountain, and you forget how bad this feeling is. After the 2009 season when we lost to Arizona , it [stinks]. This team, this organization, this fan base, expects championships. We had a championship-caliber regular season, and didn't play well."

The Packers won the Super Bowl last season, capturing three consecutive road playoff games and then beating the Steelers in Dallas. But earning the No. 1 seed and the bye week proved to interrupt the momentum they'd built during a 15-1 regular season. Rodgers looked particularly rusty after not playing a game in 21 days; he was rested for the Packers' final regular-season game.

"It's tough. I didn't think it was going to end," Rodgers said. "We felt good about our chances, good about our team. I personally didn't play as well as I wanted to, and it's disappointing because every year is unique to itself."

The Packers' week began with the tragic death of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's 21-year-old son, Michael. Joe Philbin coached in Sunday's game.

"It meant a lot just having him here," Rodgers said. "It was tough for him and his family this week, and it was tough for the guys, too. I think deep down, a lot of us wanted to get this one for him, give some happiness to him and his family during a tough week."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers' turnover problems -- they lost three fumbles and Rodgers had an interception -- were critical.

"Clearly, the turnover ratio is something we take a lot of pride in," he said. "We did not do a good job of handling the football. Turnover ratio is something we don't lose very often. We did not play to our identity."

The Packers led the league with 31 interceptions but had only one Sunday. But Green Bay's defense also has been porous in several areas, and that occurred again. The Giants went 8-for-16 on third-down conversions.

Eli Manning passed for 330 yards -- 274 in the first half -- and three touchdowns. "It kills you," cornerback Charles Woodson said of his team's poor pass defense. "We were confident we could get off the field, and Eli made a lot of good throws and his receivers made a lot of good catches and broke some tackles. They did everything right to win the game."