Can the 6-5 New York Giants slay the dragon on Sunday? Meaning, of course, can they hand the 11-0 defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season?
There might not be a “recipe” for beating Green Bay, but every team can be beaten. The Giants, off three straight losses, would seem like an unlikely candidate to pull off that feat. There seems to be a growing opinion among prognosticators, though, that there might be an upset Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Packers, though, remain a seven-point favorite.
Let’s quickly break down the Packers.
On offense, Green Bay is led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is the first player in NFL history to post a 100-plus rating in 11 straight games. He also has a 110-plus rating in 19 of his past 22 contests (including postseason). In last season’s 45-17 victory over the Giants, he completed 25-of-37 throws (67.6 percent) for 404 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 139.9 rating.
Green Bay’s best receiver is Greg Jennings (58 catches, 835 yards, eight touchdowns). Jordy Nelson has 44 catches and nine touchdowns.
Green Bay’s offense is first in scoring (34.7 ppg), fourth in total yards (401.7 ypg), third in passing (304.1 ypg) and 28th in rushing (97.2 ypg). On defense, the Giants are 27th in points allowed (25.2 ppg), 28th in yards allowed (381.6 ypg), 26th against the pass (251.2 ypg) and 24th against the run (130.5 ypg).
Defensively, the Packers might be a little bit vulnerable. They are 30th in the league allowing 393.4 yards per game, but have made up for that with a league-leading 22 interceptions.
Randall Cobb is a dangerous return man who has brought a kickoff and a punt back for a touchdown this season.