Packers rout Giants, advance to NFC Divisional Round
The Green Bay Packers are heading to Dallas to face the Cowboys after beating the New York Giants at Lambeau Field. What did we learn?
The Green Bay Packers had won six straight games going into their Wild Card round battle against the New York Giants. Through most of the first half, it appeared New York was going to pull off the upset over them. However, Green Bay turned the tides, scoring two touchdowns in the final 140 seconds of the first half. This gave them an incredible amount of momentum, as they added 24 points in the second half to beat the Giants 38-13. So what did we learn from this dominant performance?
1. Aaron Rodgers is elite
Some teams have all the luck. Immediately after all-time great Brett Favre left, Aaron Rodgers has stepped in and become one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. Today was a typical game for him. He has put his team on his back for most of his career, making big plays whenever they need them. Rodgers showed a lot of toughness and poise, especially on his touchdown pass to Davante Adams. It takes a special kind of quarterback to be as comfortable in the face of adversity as he is.
2. Green Bay’s defense continues to impress
Though this wasn’t their most dominant performance, the Packers defense bended often, but never broke against the Giants. In the red zone, Green Bay held New York to two field goals and a touchdown. If they can continue to limit opponents, they’re going to be a very difficult team to beat, especially with Rodgers leading their offense.
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3. Green Bay won’t miss Jordy Nelson too much
Losing a guy like Jordy Nelson can be devastating. He got injured early in the game and didn’t return. The extent of his injury isn’t known. That said, Green Bay might be able to pull of a Super Bowl run even if he’s out for the playoffs. This says far more about Randall Cobb and Adams than it does about Nelson. The receiving duo destroyed the Giants, with each receiver notching at least 100 receiving yards. Cobb got three touchdowns on five receptions while Adams got seven receptions and a touchdown. Regardless of the nature of Nelson’s injury, Green Bay’s offense is going to keep on rolling.