Packers-Giants Divisional Playoff Preview

If any of you don't know, whether it's because you stumbled upon this by mistake or because you are one of our Chinese followers and don't get American football news, the Giants defeated the Falcons 24-2 on Sunday and advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoff round. They will go to Green Bay to face the Packers at 4:30 EST (3:30 CST) on Sunday, January 15th.

The Giants have the look of that team that gets hot at the end of the year and nobody wants to play. Much like the Packers were last season. We here at the Malnarn agree that we would have rather played the Falcons, but I am confident that the Packers have what it takes to win this game. Here are some things to watch for.

1. Packers O-line vs Giants' Pass Rush - Rodgers is one of the best QBs in the league against the blitz. The problem here is that the Giants have possibly the best defensive line in the NFL and do not need to blitz much. This allows them to focus more on coverage. The Packers offensive line will be as healthy as they have been all season with the return of Bryan Bulaga and Chad Clifton. If they can keep Aaron clean, the game will be lopsided in the Packers' favor.

2. Giants Receivers vs Packers' Secondary - We really miss Nick Collins. To me it's the biggest reason for the Packers' last place passing defense. The Giants have very good WRs as well (not as good as the Packers, but that's beside the point). Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz have been lighting it up the past 4 weeks. Tramon Williams and Sam Shields will need to pick their game up and become lock down corners.

3. The Return of Greg Jennings - Jennings missed the final 3 games of the season with a torn MCL in his left knee. He has since returned to practice and is expected to be close to full strength against the Giants. The Packers proved that the offense can function without him, but the margin of improvement from James Jones to Greg Jennings is significant. Every Packer fan will be happy to see #85 back on the field.

4. Clay Matthews and Dom Capers - The Packers have thrived on forcing turnovers this season. It's been the one redeeming factor in an otherwise loose defense. Turnovers almost always start with pressure on the opposing QB, especially in Capers' 3-4 scheme. Will Dom bring back the psycho defense and add some new wrinkles to get Clay more opportunities? I hope so. We all know that Eli is prone to mistakes when he's under duress.

5. Running Game - This is something to watch for on both sides of the ball. James Starks' status is still in question for the game and the Packers have been neglecting the run ever since he went down with an ankle injury several weeks ago. Can he return and give the Packers' run game a boost like he did in 2010? If we can run the ball and control the clock, it will help the defense to rest and be absolutely huge for the offense. On the flip side, the Giants' RBs have been phenomenal as of late. The return of Ahmad Bradshaw gave them a new look on offense and that honestly scares me a little. We will need Raji and Pickett to be dominant up front to close any holes that the Giants' o-line opens up.

6. Special Teams - On a cold day at Lambeau, special teams could be the difference. I don't anticipate either team punting too often, but when they do they will be trying to flip the field. I also don't anticipate many field goals being attempted, but at the end of the 1st half and at the end of the game last second field goals could be the difference...much like the meeting in the regular season between these 2 teams.

The Packers are favored in this game, but I think that the Giants match up really well with us. I think if the offense can execute and the defense can come up with a handful of stops that the Packers will win by 10+. But if the offense struggles and the defense shows no improvement then it's going to come down to a last second field goal. We'll all hope for the former! GO PACK!

The Claymaker Strikes!

It was ugly…but it counts! The Pack looked like the better team during the first half on Sunday vs the Eagles, but the 2nd half was a different story. Michael Vick looked like the Pro Bowl QB for the Atlanta Falcons that seems like such a distant memory, and almost pulled the comeback victory that would have certainly won him the starting job in Philly (if it hasn’t already). But a win is a win, and we’re in 1-0.

Here is what I noticed in the game:

CLAY MATTHEWS IS AWESOME! He looked like a pro bowler. If he continues play like that, he will certainly be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year for 2010.

Ryan Grant out for the season. This is a HUGE blow to the offense. With Brandon Jackson and newly acquired Dimitri Somethingorother (who cares what his real name is), the running game will be suspect to say the least. Let’s hope that either Jackson will emerge as a great RB, or that Thompson will be willing to trade for a decent one (i.e. Marshawn Lynch, etc).

Tramon Williams looked solid. He looked like he deserved the be the starter. He didn’t give up any big plays or commit any pass interferences. Let’s hope that good play continues.

Morgan Burnett solid as well. Didn’t see anything that led me to believe that he wont be a good starter for years to come in the Green & Gold.

Sam Shields. This is definitely the weak spot on the defense. Sheilds is fast as lightning, but made a bunch of rookie mistakes, and the better QBs in the league will pick on him all year.

AJ Hawk did not play. With the nickel and dime defenses on the field the whole game, Hawk did not have a chance to get into the game at all. This will change against more run-heavy teams and I’m not concerned. It does say something about his value…especially for how much he’s being paid.

That’s a quick recap. Bring on the Bills! GO PACK!

Packer Buzz: Un-Drafted Free Agent CB Sam Shields

So the draft has come and gone and all of the teams in the NFL are sifting through the un-drafted players, looking for the next special teams gem.

Well, from the sounds of it, the Packers may have found one in former Miami Hurricane CB Sam Shields. Shields visited a couple of teams after the draft and decided that Green Bay seemed like a good fit for him. Shields is a speed demon! Clocked in around 4.3 in the 40 on his pro day at Miami.

Shields is going to be playing for a spot on special teams. My first thought was, "OK! We got a guy who has nasty wheels and those should come in handy when he is returning punts and kicks!" But I was mistaken. Shields' strengths are covering punts and kickoffs. His speed and aggressiveness make him very disruptive.

This is not that exciting as he wasn't even drafted, but the Pack desperately needs work and help on special teams and I'm happy that we are working on those needs. So keep your eye on this kid and hopefully he will surprise us!