A Giant sized disappointment

They did it again.  Decided underdogs on the road in the playoffs, the New York Giants unceremoniously ended a glorious season for the defending Super Bowl champions, knocking the Packers out of the post-season with a convincing 37-20 victory before 72.080 fans.   The visitors played the Pack tough at home just five weeks ago and came to town after a 24-2 Wild Card victory over Atlanta, while the Packers' excitement of the first home playoff game since the bitter 2007 NFC title game loss to yes, the Giants, seemed to have been dulled by the turbulent week leading up to kickoff.  It wasn't just the tragedy that struck Joe Philbin's family, the Packers lost their number two personel man in Reggie McKenzie which led to speculation some Green Bay assistants were high on his list to coach his Oakland Raiders.  There was the shocking Monday learning of the death of Michael Philbin, the wake on Thursday, the funeral on Friday and the Packers quite frankly, played very distracted football.  After fumbling only 6 times all year, they lost three and it could have been five.  There were more dropped passes, at least a half dozen from nearly every receiver and there was an embarrassing hail mary touchdown on the final play of the first half that gave the Giants a 20-10 lead at intermission.  Hakeem Nicks out jumped Charles Woodson and Charlie Peprah for a stunning 37 yard score from which the Packers could not recover.  The teams traded field goals and touchdowns on the game's first four posessions.  Green Bay should have had the first touchdown but Aaron Rodgers missed an open Greg Jennings at the five which led to Mason Crosby's tying 47 yard boot.  Nicks then took a medium pass a long ways, bouncing off a Peprah hit for a 66 yard touchdown.  The Pack came right back with John Kuhn scoring on an 8 yard pass from Rodgers.  The Packer special teams and defense then made a couple of plays, Brad Jones blocked a Lawrence Tynes field goal try and Morgan Burnett intercepted an overthrown pass from Eli Manning, about the only mistake he made.  But four snaps later, Kuhn fumbled which led to a Tynes field goal and when the Packers couldn't move, punted the ball away.  The Giants were without a timeout with 41 seconds left in the half and faced third and one at their own 40 with 15 seconds remaining.  Ahmad Bradshaw then reversed his field on a sweep left and gained 23 yards getting out of bounds with :06 to go.  Manning then heaved the ball deep and Nicks silenced the Lambeau crowd with his catch.  The Packers deferred on the coin toss and had it first ini the third quarter, moving to the New York 30 but Osi Umenyiora knocked the ball out of Rodgers' hand and Deon Grant recovered.  The Packers got it back which led to a Crosby 35 yard field goal and Green Bay was within 7 and forced another three and out.  McCarthy gambled on a 4th and 5 at the New York 39 and Rodgers was sacked by Michael Boley.  The Giants tacked on three more before the backbreaking turnover arrived.  Ryan Grant fumbled at the 44 and Chase Blackburn picked up the loose ball and returned it to the 4 yard line.  On the next snap, Manning hit Mario Manningham for a touchdown that made it 30-13.  A Donald Driver touchdown catch of 16 yards pulled Green Bay to within 10 but New York recovered the onside kick and Brandon Jacobs closed out the scoring with a 14 yard with only 2:36 remaining.  New York outgained the Packers 420-388 as Manning outperformed Rodgers to the tune of 330 yards passing and a rating of 114.5 to Rodgers 264 and 78.5.  New York won the turnover battle 4-1 and had far fewer mistakes.  Rodgers was also sacked 4 times and got flushed enough that he was the game's leading rusher with 66 yards on 7 scrambles.   Green Bay is now just 2-4 in it's last 6 playoff games at home with the visitors from the Big Apple winning the last two.  The 15-1 regular season and the number one seed went poof! in an agonzing 3 hours and 14 minutes.  On the link below, post-game quotes from both the winning Giants and the embarrased and very disappointed Green Bay Packers.