Three things to know: Giants (5) at Packers (4) wild-card preview
A preview of the NFC wild-card matchup between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers
When: Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
Where: Green Bay's Lambeau Field
Line: Packers (-4.5)
Injuries:Giants -- DE Jason Pierre-Paul (core muscle) is listed as questionable, but didn't practice all week and almost surely won't suit up. Packers -- FB Aaron Ripkowski (shoulder) questionable, CB Quinten Rollins (neck, concussion) and RB James Starks (concussion) are out and T Bryan Bulaga (abdomen), WR Randall Cobb (ankle), LB Nick Perry (hand), CB Damarious Randall (knee), LB Joe Thomas (back), C J.C. Tretter (knee) and FB Aaron Ripkowski (shoulder) are all questionable.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Familiar foe: Giants coach Ben McAdoo spent eight seasons as a Packers assistant, six as tight ends coach and the last two as Aaron Rodgers’ quarterbacks coach. He helped the Packers win a ring during Super Bowl XLV. And in Week 5 this season, Green Bay hosted the Giants and beat them 23-16. But the Giants stunned the Packers in the 2011 divisional round 37-20 en route to their last Super Bowl title. So these two teams are very familiar with each other.
2. Championship QBs: Between Rodgers and Giants quarterback Eli Manning, they own three Super Bowl titles, so experience in big-game situations isn’t an issue. But Rodgers is currently performing at a much higher level. He has played himself into the MVP race after throwing for a league-best 40 touchdowns versus only seven interceptions for a hot team that's won its past six games. Manning has plenty of talent, but he hasn’t been as sharp as usual. But one thing New York has to like? In his career, Manning has won both his playoff games at Lambeau, including the 2007 NFC Championship Game.
3. Expensive D: All that money Giants general manager Jerry Reese spent to lure defensive linemen Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon, and cornerback Janoris Jenkins has proven to be well spent. The Giants are allowing only 17.8 points per game. And after a slow start, the pass rush has been ferocious, generating eight sacks in the last four games. Rodgers may be playing the best at his position in the league right now, but New York’s defense will be his toughest test yet. This might be the matchup that decides the game.
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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes
PHOTOS: Week 17 NFL action