Sunday, 1 p.m., MetLife Stadium, WTTG-5

Falcons 10-6, Giants 9-7

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According to a Yahoo! Sports report, the Christmas Eve clash between the New York Jets and New York Giants actually matters for a change. For all the history of these teams – the Jets have Joe Namath and Super Bowl III while the Giants have Lawrence Taylor, the David Tyree catch and three titles – none of it intersects. There is no moment that defines this rivalry, just 11 largely nondescript games over the past 42 years. In honor of the holiday season, here’s a look at the top five best active NFL players born on Christmas Eve.

Ogemdi Nwagbuo
wikimedia commons

Tim Jennings

Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings turns 28 on Dec. 24, 2011. Jennings, a former Indianapolis Colts standout, hasn’t spread much holiday cheer to opposing offenses this season, as he tallied a season-high 10 tackles against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 13 and notched five against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 11. Even though the Bears lost four games in a row, Jennings notched two or more tackles in each of those contests. He is a true warrior on the field just about every Sunday.

Ogemdi Nwagbuo

Carolina Panthers defensive end Ogemdi Nwagbuo tallied 42 career tackles, including three this year as a member of the San Diego Chargers and one with his new team. Nwagbuo, who turns 26 on Dec. 24, has excellent footwork, great field vision and superb work ethic. He’s still young enough to blossom into one of the top defensive ends in the league if he buckles down and puts the work in to make that happen.

Chris Kluwe

Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe turns 30 on Dec. 24. In his seven seasons in the NFL, he has been one of the most consistent kickers in the game, tallying 542 career punts for an average distance of 44.3 yards per kick. Kluwe has a big, strong leg with great accuracy and the occasional ability to drive punts longer than 60 yards.

Kevin Burnett

Miami Dolphins linebacker Kevin Burnett turns 29 this holiday season. He has enjoyed a breakout year in 2011, tallying 82 tackles and 2.5 sacks with one interception. At 6’3″, 240 pounds, Burnett uses his massive frame to be a big-time playmaker along the Dolphins’ defensive front. Burnett sets himself apart from the pack by getting off blocks quickly, and he consistently puts pressure on opposing passers.

Naaman Roosevelt

24-year-old wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt hasn’t quite made a name for himself at the NFL level, but he’s still young and certainly capable enough to learn the ins and outs of the Buffalo Bills’ offense. So far in 2011, he has 13 receptions for 228 yards and a touchdown. Recently he’s been nursing a tender shoulder, so he hasn’t been 100% healthy of late. Roosevelt doesn’t have the same blistering speed as some of the top receivers in the league, but he’s a solid weapon in the slot and has a huge upside.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan and he is spending this Christmas Eve glued to his television set watching the big game against the Giants. Follow the author on Twitter @ericholden.

Sources

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/friv/birthdays.cgi?month=12&day=24, Pro-football-reference, Player birthdays

www.nfl.com, NFL, player and team stats

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That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Christmas 2011 is going to be merrier for one faction of Tri-State area football fans than the other, because the New York Giants (7-7) and New York Jets (8-6) will play a game on Christmas Eve that has playoff ramifications for both teams.

“We’ll play hard,” Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka told Yahoo! Contributor Network after New York fell to the Washington Redkins 23-10 this past Sunday. “We know [the Jets are] going to come out good, but we know our offense is going to be fully ready to go. We got to be able to come out as a defense and just get stops.”

“Bragging rights,” a phrase you’ll hear ad nauseam as game day approaches, is of infinitesimal importance when juxtaposed to an inexorable truth about this game: Should the Giants lose and Dallas Cowboys (8-6) defeat the Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) this weekend, their season is over.

“The significance is, for us to achieve our goal—which is winning the Super Bowl—we have to win this game,” Kiwanuka said. “That’s it.”

“They’re a good football team,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “You are what you are in this league. And with their record, they’re a good football team. We know their brand of football. They play defense, they want to run the football.

“We’re gonna have to put them under a microscope and try to familiarize ourselves as much as we can with what they’re doing,” he added, “and try to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful on Saturday.”

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis will likely split time defending Big Blue’s top two receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Given how immensely talented each of the three are, watching Revis defend either play-maker should be one of the more entertaining aspects of Saturday’s New York-New York showdown.

“Always looking forward for a challenge,” Nicks told YCN. “They’re a good football team. They’re a good, strong, solid football team. [They] play defense well, play offense well. We got to go out there and play.”


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That’s all for today.

by Bob McManaman – Dec. 17, 2011 02:07 PM
The Arizona Republic

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

The New York Giants, who take a 7-6 record into Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium against the Washington Redskins, have won once since Nov. 6. In the glory days of the NFC East, that would have made them an afterthought entering the NFL season stretch run. This season, it makes them a division leader.

The NFC East once was the division of Super Bowl powerhouses. In a 14-year stretch between the 1982 and ’95 seasons, teams in the division won eight Super Bowl titles — three each by the Redskins and Dallas Cowboys and two by the Giants. NFC East clubs had four straight Super Bowl triumphs between the ’90 and ’93 seasons.

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The NFL schedule says one thing. But for the New York Giants, reality says something else.

“Our playoffs start now,” guard Chris Snee said this week, according to the New York Daily News. “That’s how we look at it. We know what’s at stake.”

Heading into Sunday night’s game at Dallas, the Giants have lost four in a row, but they’re coming off a confidence-builder against Green Bay, a 38-35 loss to the NFL’s only undefeated team.

“The mind-set is looking ahead,” quarterback Eli Manning said. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done last week or what your record is. It’s what you’re playing for, who you have this week. And you have Dallas, Sunday night football, that’s a big one.”

If the Giants win, they’re back in first place and control their own destiny. If they lose, Dallas will not only be two games ahead with three to play but will own all of the tiebreakers.

The Cowboys had won four in a row coming into last Sunday’s game against Arizona, and with a win would have been able to clinch the NFC East this weekend. Instead, Dallas lost to the Cardinals, and the division race is still very much up in the air.

NBC’s Cris Collinsworth thinks this situation could be reminiscent of the Giants’ big run four years ago, when they played New England very tough in a season finale — nearly denying the Patriots their undefeated regular season — then caught fire in the playoffs, carrying that all the way through to a Super Bowl victory.

“That Patriots game changed the Giants,” he said. “Whatever it was that they found that day they kept, and they rolled right through to the Super Bowl. You just wonder if that very similar game last week against the Packers — the Giants don’t win it, but here they take this undefeated team right to the wire — is that going to be the one that the Giants look back on?

“If that sort of thing happens, you can almost hear the comparisons.”

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – They have not won a game in a month, but the New York Giants hope their latest loss can fuel a last, desperate push to reach the playoffs.

Coming off a humiliating 49-24 walloping by the New Orleans Saints, the Giants battled the unbeaten Green Bay Packers (12-0) to the last gasp Sunday, falling 38-35 on a field goal kicked with no time left on the clock.

That dropped the Giants to 6-6 for the season with four games left, but the close fight showed the New Yorkers they could at least match it with the best of the NFL.

The Giants must reverse their fortunes starting Sunday night in Dallas against the Cowboys (7-5), who lead them in the NFC East by one game, or forget about the postseason.

No problem, according to one Giants defensive back Antrel Rolle.

“Without a doubt, we will be in that postseason,” he told WFAN radio.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning would not go so far as to guarantee a playoff berth, but both hoped the intensity the club showed would carry over.

“We have four games to go and three of them in our division,” Coughlin said.

“We have to regroup and I think this brings us together even tighter than we have ever been before as a team.

“It can be a positive if you play the way that we played, and if you give the effort that we gave and if you play with the intensity that we played with. Those are the kind of emotional things that bind you together.”

This week’s game is the first of two against the Cowboys. They also meet in the last game of the season on New Year’s Day. In between, the Giants play Washington and the New York Jets. A sweep of the final four games would guarantee the NFC East title for the Giants.

Manning said there was a lot the players could take away from their hard-fought loss.

“They’re playing the best football and we had them tied up with 58 seconds (left),” said Manning, who threw three touchdown passes. “I think we have to try to take something from this game, take some momentum into these next games.”

SPRINGBOARD LOSS

The Giants have used a defeat against an unbeaten team as a springboard before.

In the final game of the 2007 season, New York had already clinched a wildcard berth with no chance to improve their playoff status against the 15-0 New England Patriots.

Yet rather than rest some banged-up regulars, the Giants dedicated themselves to trying to stop the Pats from going undefeated, and fought fiercely before falling by the same 38-35 score they lost to the Packers.

Giving the Patriots such a fight seemed to boost the New Yorkers’ confidence.

New York went on to playoff road wins over Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay to reach the Super Bowl against the Patriots. The Giants beat them 17-14 to deprive New England of a perfect season and claim the NFL title for themselves.

“That game we lost, but I think everybody felt good about the way we played and had a little momentum going into the playoffs,” Manning said in recalling the 2007 title season.

“Obviously it’s going to be a similar feel with these next four games. They’re all going to be playoff-style games where we need to win.”

Coughlin hoped for the same bounce-back effect.

“We have four games to go and every one of these games is critical to our future,” he said. “We will battle. We will battle. We have to find a way to win.”

Manning said the urgency did not add pressure.

“That’s playoff atmosphere. You want to play in must-win games,” explained Manning. “We know if we win, then we’re in the playoffs. That’s exciting. It starts this week.”

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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The stadium was rocking, and the possibilities for the New York
Giants were delicious.

They’d just tied the Green Bay Packers _ yes, the undefeated,
defending champion Packers _ with 58 seconds remaining Sunday
night. Their only competition for the NFC East title, the Cowboys,
had lost at Arizona.

A Giants victory would erase their deficit behind Dallas, and
would snap Green Bay’s winning streak at 17, 11 this season. Just
stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ dynamic offense, get the game
to overtime, and perhaps pull off a season-defining win.

Instead, Rodgers marched his team 68 yards in five plays, Mason
Crosby kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, and the Packers
won 38-35, clinching a playoff berth.

“When you get a chance to knock out the champ, you got to knock
him out,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “You can’t let them hang
around and fight off the ropes.

“You’ve got to knock him out. There’s a reason they’ve won 18
straight.”

And there are lots of reasons the Giants (6-6) have lost four in
a row, from inconsistent offense to a porous secondary to a
difficult schedule that doesn’t get any easier with a trip to
Dallas next Sunday _ and concludes on New Year’s Day with the
Cowboys at the Meadowlands.

Still, one game in back of the Cowboys and having pushed the
Packers (12-0) to the limit, the Giants shouldn’t be hanging their
heads.

“A loss is a loss, no matter how it comes. It’s just a better
feeling than the previous one (Saints),” Tuck said, referring to a
49-24 rout in New Orleans last Monday night. “As long as we play
with passion, I don’t see why we can’t be in the playoffs. But
we’ve got a lot of work to do before we talk about that. I’m sick
to my stomach, but a win takes all that away. I just hope all my
teammates feel the same way.”

Eli Manning does.

“We did some really good things, and they’re the best team in
football right now,” Manning said. “I think we have to try to take
something from this game, take some momentum into these next
games.”

Coincidentally, New York fell 38-35 to unbeaten New England in
2007 season finale, then beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“Hopefully, we can take that same approach,” Manning said.

Rodgers hit three passes of more than 18 yards on the drive in
the final 58 seconds. That came after New York tied the game on Eli
Manning’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks and a 2-point
conversion run by D.J. Ware.

However, Rodgers, who threw four touchdown passes, wasn’t going
to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing
kickoff.

On first down, he hit Jermichael Finley just over the
outstretched hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams and the
tight end rumbled 24 yards up the right sideline.

A 24-yard pass to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline moved the
ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays
later got the ball to the 12.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and Crosby
delivered.

Rodgers, who was harassed by the Giants’ front and sacked three
times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes
of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver, 20 to Jennings and 12 to
Finley.

Linebacker Clay Matthews also returned an interception 38 yards
for a score in the second quarter.

Manning finished 23 of 40 for 347 yards. He had an early 67-yard
touchdown pass to Travis Beckum and touchdown tosses of 4 and 2
yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare
interception of Rodgers, and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals,
with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within
28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a 7-yard TD with 3:34 to go to
push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on two 15-yard
passes and connected with Victor Cruz for 22 yards to set up the
tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, and the Packers continued their run at
trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended
the Denver Broncos’ perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they
knocked off the Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when
Tom Brady and company were a game from perfection.

The Giants let the Packers know early they were going to be in
for a battle this week.

Manning and Beckum, who had one catch all season, combined on a
67-yard catch and weaving run on the third play of the game.

Rodgers tied the game with a 12-yard TD pass to Finley on Green
Bay’s second possession, only to see New York take the lead on a
38-yard field goal by Tynes.

New York seemed to be in control until Manning made a mistake on
a play-action pass on the first play of the second quarter. With
his primary receiver covered, Manning threw a sideline pass to
Ahmad Bradshaw in front of the Packers bench. Matthews jumped the
route and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10
lead.

Rodgers had been intercepted four times all season, but
linebacker Chase Blackburn, signed on Wednesday, picked him off at
the Green Bay 21 and returned the ball to the 12. Two plays later,
Brandon Jacobs plowed in from the 1 to give New York a 17-14
edge.

Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the
Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play an 11-yard
scramble on third-and-10 from the New York 43. Rodgers capped the
march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide-open
Donald Driver.

Rodgers pushed the lead to 28-17 on the opening series of the
second half with his fist TD pass to Driver, but Manning got New
York back in the game later in the quarter with his first TD to
Nicks.

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Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t going to wait until overtime.

It was the perfect choice for a team pushing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

“Those are the fun ones when they end up like that,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a number of games we won by a couple scores,” Rodgers said. “You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it’s very rewarding. It probably [ranks] right at the top.”

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game. Coupled with the Detroit Lions loss to New Orleans Sunday, the Packers captured the NFC North.

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

“I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine,” Williams said after the game. “Like I said, it’s a good throw and catch. He made some good throws.”

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with three seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

“It was a huge drive,” said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. “We haven’t had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It’s great to see what we could do at the end like that.”

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers practice the two-minute drive all the time. Having Rodgers at the helm is just a bonus.

“I’m running out things to say about him,” McCarthy said. “He’s a great quarterback. Playing against the pass rush they had tonight, he hung in there and made the plays.”

Rodgers, harassed by the Giants’ front four and sacked three times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver and 12 to Finley in addition to the one to Jennings.

The loss was another heartbreaker for New York, which played exceptionally well after being blown out by New Orleans on Monday night.

The Giants tied it on a two-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks, and a 2-point conversion run by D.J. Ware on a Manning audible with just under a minute to play.

However, Rodgers wasn’t going to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff.

“He’s a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense,” Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “You know, it’s not like Jesus in cleats. He’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense.”

The three-point victory was the Packers’ smallest winning margin this season.

“We’re 12-0 and we’re focused on that,” said linebacker Clay Matthews who scored on a 38-yard second-quarter interception. “It’s been something we’ve been talking about since we were 7-0 or 8-0. So we’ll keep going from that.”

For the Giants, everything wasn’t terrible. Dallas also lost, leaving New York a game behind the Cowboys with four games to go. The teams will play twice over that span.

“It gives us relief to know we’re still right in the mix,” said Manning, who was 23 of 40 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. “If we handle our business and win out, we’ll be in the playoffs. It’s a playoff atmosphere now.”

Manning’s touchdowns covered 67-yards to Travis Beckum and 4 and 2 yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare interception of Rodgers and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within 28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a seven-yard TD with 3:34 to go to push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on two 15-yard passes and connected with Victor Cruz for 22 yards to set up the tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, though, and the Packers continued their run at trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended the Denver Broncos perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they knocked off the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when Tom Brady and company were a game from perfection.

New York seemed to be in control until Manning made a mistake on a play-action pass on the first play of the second quarter. With his primary receiver covered, Manning threw a sideline pass to Ahmad Bradshaw in front of the Packers bench and Matthews jumped the route and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10 lead.

Rodgers had only been intercepted four times all season but linebacker Chase Blackburn, signed Wednesday, picked him off at the Green Bay 21 and returned the ball to the 12. Two plays later, Brandon Jacobs plowed in from the one-yard line to give New York a 17-14 edge.

Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play being an 11-yard scramble on a third-and-10 from New York 43. Rodgers capped the march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide-open Donald Driver on a play in which the Giants secondary blew the coverage.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn’t going to wait until overtime.

It was the perfect choice for a team pushing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

“Those are the fun ones when they end up like that,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a number of games we won by a couple scores,” Rodgers said. “You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it’s very rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top.”

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game. Coupled with the Detroit Lions loss to New Orleans Sunday, the Packers captured the NFC North.

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

“I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine,” Williams said after the game. “Like I said, it’s a good throw and catch. He made some good throws.”

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

“It was a huge drive,” said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. “We haven’t had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It’s great to see what we could do at the end like that.”

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers practice the two-minute drive all the time. Having Rodgers at the helm is just a bonus.

“I’m running out things to say about him,” McCarthy said. “He’s a great quarterback. Playing against the pass rush they had tonight, he hung in there and made the plays.”

Rodgers, harassed by the Giants’ front four and sacked three times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver and 12 to Finley in addition to the one to Jennings.

The loss was another heartbreaker for New York, which played exceptionally well after being blown out by New Orleans on Monday night.

The Giants tied it on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks, and a 2-point conversion run by D.J. Ware on a Manning audible with just under a minute to play.

However, Rodgers wasn’t going to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff.

“He’s a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense,” Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “You know, it’s not like Jesus in cleats. He’s Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense.”

The three-point victory was the Packers’ smallest winning margin this season.

“We’re 12-0 and we’re focused on that,” said linebacker Clay Matthews who scored on a 38-yard second-quarter interception. “It’s been something we’ve been talking about since we were 7-0 or 8-0. So we’ll keep going from that.”

For the Giants, everything wasn’t terrible. Dallas also lost, leaving New York a game behind the Cowboys with four games to go. The teams will play twice over that span.

“It gives us relief to know we’re still right in the mix,” said Manning, who was 23 of 40 for 347 yards and three touchdowns. “If we handle our business and win out, we’ll be in the playoffs. It’s a playoff atmosphere now.”

Manning’s touchdowns covered 67-yards to Travis Beckum and 4 and 2 yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare interception of Rodgers and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within 28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a 7-yard TD with 3:34 to go to push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end Jake Ballard on two 15-yard passes and connected with Victor Cruz for 22 yards to set up the tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, though, and the Packers continued their run at trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended the Denver Broncos perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they knocked off the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when Tom Brady and company were a game from perfection.

What do you guys think about this.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone,
Aaron Rodgers
wasn’t going to wait until overtime.

It was the perfect choice for a team pushing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by
Mason Crosby
on the final play, and the
Green Bay Packers
remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the
New York Giants
on Sunday.

“Those are the fun ones when they end up like that,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a number of games we won by a couple scores,”
Rodgers said. “You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it’s very
rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top.”

The defending Super Bowl champions (12-0) won their 18th straight game. Coupled with the
Detroit Lions
loss to New Orleans Sunday, the Packers captured the NFC North.

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting
with a 24-yard laser to tight end
Jermichael Finley
just over the hands of rookie linebacker
Jacquian Williams
.

“I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine,” Williams said after the game. “Like I said, it’s a good throw and catch. He
made some good throws.”

The second one covered 24 yards to
Jordy Nelson
down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to
Greg Jennings
two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

“It was a huge drive,” said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. “We haven’t had one like that at the end in a while.
It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It’s great to see what we could do at the
end like that.”

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers practice the two-minute drive all the time. Having Rodgers at the helm is just a bonus.

“I’m running out things to say about him,” McCarthy said. “He’s a great quarterback. Playing against the pass rush they had
tonight, he hung in there and made the plays.”

Rodgers, harassed by the Giants’ front four and sacked three times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes
of 7 and 13 yards to
Donald Driver
and 12 to Finley in addition to the one to Jennings.

The loss was another heartbreaker for New York, which played exceptionally well after being blown out by New Orleans on Monday
night.

The Giants tied it on a 2-yard touchdown pass from
Eli Manning
to
Hakeem Nicks
, and a 2-point conversion run by D.J. Ware on a Manning audible with just under a minute to play.

However, Rodgers wasn’t going to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff.

“He’s a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense,” Giants defensive end
Dave Tollefson
said. “You know, it’s not like Jesus in cleats. He’s
Aaron Rodgers
. He’s a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense.”

The three-point victory was the Packers’ smallest winning margin this season.

“We’re 12-0 and we’re focused on that,” said linebacker
Clay Matthews
who scored on a 38-yard second-quarter interception. “It’s been something we’ve been talking about since we were 7-0 or 8-0.
So we’ll keep going from that.”

For the Giants, everything wasn’t terrible. Dallas also lost, leaving New York a game behind the Cowboys with four games to
go. The teams will play twice over that span.

“It gives us relief to know we’re still right in the mix,” said Manning, who was 23 of 40 for 347 yards and three touchdowns.
“If we handle our business and win out, we’ll be in the playoffs. It’s a playoff atmosphere now.”

Manning’s touchdowns covered 67-yards to
Travis Beckum
and 4 and 2 yards to Nicks.
Brandon Jacobs
scored on a 1-yard run after a rare interception of Rodgers and
Lawrence Tynes
kicked two field goals with a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter getting New York within 28-27.

Rodgers hooked up with Driver on a 7-yard TD with 3:34 to go to push the lead to 35-27.

However, Manning hit tight end
Jake Ballard
on two 15-yard passes and connected with
Victor Cruz
for 22 yards to set up the tying score that New York thought would send the game to OT.

Rodgers had other ideas, though, and the Packers continued their run at trying to match Miami’s perfect season in 1972.

It’s not surprising New York gave them a game. The Giants ended the
Denver Broncos
perfect season at 11 games in 1998 and they knocked off the
New England Patriots
in the Super Bowl in February 2008 when
Tom Brady
and company were a game from perfection.

New York seemed to be in control until Manning made a mistake on a play-action pass on the first play of the second quarter.
With his primary receiver covered, Manning threw a sideline pass to
Ahmad Bradshaw
in front of the Packers bench and Matthews jumped the route and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 14-10 lead.

Rodgers had only been intercepted four times all season but linebacker
Chase Blackburn
, signed Wednesday, picked him off at the Green Bay 21 and returned the ball to the 12. Two plays later,
Brandon Jacobs
plowed in from the 1 to give New York a 17-14 edge.

Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play being an 11-yard
scramble on a third-and-10 from New York 43. Rodgers capped the march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide-open

Donald Driver
on a play in which the Giants secondary blew the coverage.

Notes: Giants C
David Baas
was a late scratch because of headaches.
Kevin Boothe
moved from center to guard and second-year pro
Mitch Petrus
made his first start. … Packers CB
Charles Woodson
suffered a concussion. … Giants S
Kenny Phillips
sprained his left knee. … Cruz had seven catches for a game-high 119 yards. … Rodgers had a 106.2 passer rating, extending
his NFL record to 12 straight games of 100 or better. He also has thrown at least two touchdowns in every game this season.
… The Giants inducted Carl Banks, Mark Bavaro, Alex Webster, Dave Jennings and the late Brad Van Pelt into their ring of
honor at halftime.

© 2011 STATS LLC

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

Defensive linemen and pass rushers don’t need a constant reminder about the lofty expectations inherent with playing for the New York Giants.

It’s there anyway.

Alumni who built Hall of Fame careers on crushing quarterbacks are among the Big Blue legends celebrated across the top of the team’s oval-shaped locker room. This homage provides a constant reminder of the high standard set for those following in their footsteps.

“You look up and they’re sitting there,” said Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, nodding his head Friday in the direction of names like Lawrence Taylor and the late Andy Robustelli.

“The legacy of pass-rushing here is huge. That’s why we have the guys we have here. They expect it out of us.”

That puts even more pressure on the Giants to rebound from a dreadful performance and make their predecessors proud in Sunday’s home game against Green Bay on Fox.

New York is coming off a 49-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints that was even more disheartening than the score. It wasn’t just failing to register a sack for the first time since Week 10 of last season. The lack of second-half effort is what should truly outrage ex-Giants and embarrass the current ones.

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka astutely described the outing as “all-around bad.” The inability to stop a 577-yard bludgeoning by the Saints — the most yardage allowed by the Giants since 1943 — and confusion with defensive substitutions led to sideline bickering and half-hearted tackle attempts.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to the Saints for doing a hell of a job by taking us out of the game,” Tollefson said. “But damn, we let them, too. A couple bad things happen here and there and we’re on the sideline complaining about coulda, woulda, shoulda. You can’t be like that.

“Next thing you know, they get the ball back and we’ve got to be out there. We ain’t figured anything out being on the sideline bitching at each other about what wasn’t going our way.”

Little has gone New York’s way recently. While the Packers (11-0) can clinch a postseason spot with a win Sunday, the Giants (6-5) are on the outs in the playoff race following three straight losses.

Two of New York’s hallmarks — a strong running game and pass rush — are being hindered by injuries and poor execution. The latest casualty is defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who is second on the team in sacks with seven. He won’t play Sunday because of a sprained ankle.

New York has registered only three sacks in the past three games after leading the NFL in that category through the season’s first nine weeks. Teams like the Saints were able to use more maximum-protection blocking schemes because of New York’s inconsistent pass coverage.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers showed first-hand the damage he can cause when given time to pass in last December’s 45-17 rout of the Giants. Sacked only once, Rodgers butchered the Giants for 404 four yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell acknowledges the lineup shuffling has hurt his unit. Fewell, though, isn’t using that as an excuse for the defense being what he described as “outplayed,” “outhustled,” and “out-coached” in New Orleans.

Even if sacks aren’t being registered, Fewell wants to see the defensive line setting the tempo once again.

“They know that they lead this team because we all gain from their energy,” Fewell said. “We play better when they are on their game and hustling, hitting and sacking the quarterback. They take a lot of pride in setting the tone of our football team.”

Ex-Giants defensive end and FOX analyst Michael Strahan was concerned enough about what happened against the Saints that he spoke Wednesday at a defensive line meeting.

“You just see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice when talking about it like, ‘This is the New York Giants. I don’t give a damn if we’re 0-16. We’re getting after the quarterback,’ ” said Tollefson, who keeps in regular contact with Strahan.

“That’s the legacy of the Giants. When you play us, you have to protect your quarterback.

“Last week, the Saints did that and we were kind of like, ‘Ohhh,’ rather than, ‘Let’s go! Let’s be the spark that energizes us.’”

Against a team as talented as the Packers, New York will need the type of effort from its front four that led to an upset of another previously undefeated team four seasons ago — the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

“There’s an extreme sense of pride and a lot of pressure that comes with playing for the Giants’ (defense),” said Kiwanuka, a key part of New York’s pass-rush and blitz packages.

“We know what it’s about and how important it is to have a strong showing up front, because that’s what this team is built on.

“You go back in history, and there have been some great ones that played there. That includes recent history.”

New York’s pass rush needs to start carving its own place in franchise lore. Otherwise, the 2011 Giants may be history.

What are your opinions.