NFC Championship Game Preview

New York Giants (12-6) vs. Green Bay Packers (14-3)
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin,
Sunday, 3:30 p.m., FOX

Coaches' playoff records:
Tom Coughlin, NY Giants, 6-6 Mike McCarthy, Green Bay, 1-0

Last meeting:
September 16, 2007 at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Brett Favre threw three second-half touchdown passes and the Packers took advantage of a slew of turnovers to post a 35-13 victory over the Giants. Green Bay led by just a point, 14-13, entering the final quarter before Favre's scoring pass to tight Donald Lee pushed the advantage to eight points. After Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Favre capitalized with a TD pass to Donald Driver. Green Bay then turned it into a rout, intercepting Eli Manning to set up the final TD, a 38-yard run by DeShawn Wynn.
NY Giants offense vs. Green Bay defense ---------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Eli Manning vs. NFL's 12th-ranked pass defense
RB Brandon Jacobs vs. NFL's 14th-ranked run defense
WR Plaxico Burress vs. CB Al Harris
WR Amani Toomer vs. CB Charles Woodson
DT Kareem McKenzie vs. LE Aaron Kampman

The Giants have played very conservatively in their two postseason victories, not turning the ball over once. Eli Manning has thrown for just 185 and 163 yards, but also has four touchdown passes and zero interceptions. With Plaxico Burress hindered by a gimpy ankle in Sunday's 21-17 victory over top-seeded Dallas, fellow wideouts Amani Toomer and Steve Smith provided needed production. The running game, always considered to be a requisite for success in the postseason, has been surprisingly ineffective for New York, totaling 90 yards in each playoff win. Brandon Jacobs, who missed the regular-season meeting with an injury, is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and likely will need to improve on that in what is expected to be frigid conditions at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay offense vs. NY Giants defense ---------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Brett Favre vs. NFL's 11th-ranked pass defense
RB Ryan Grant vs. NFL's 4th-ranked run defense
WR Donald Driver vs. CB Corey Webster
WR Greg Jennings vs. CB R.W. McQuarters
LT Chad Clifton vs. RE Osi Umenyiora

In what hardly registered a blip on the radar, the Giants traded Ryan Grant to the Packers for an undisclosed future draft pick on September 1. Grant has turned out to be the find of the season, rushing for 956 yards in the regular season - all but 27 coming in the final 10 games - and set franchise records with 201 yards and three touchdowns in the divisional playoff win over Seattle. The Packers employ five-receiver packages at times, which is a matchup nightmare for New York's injury-wracked secondary. With Grant still not in the plans, Green Bay's running game was non-existent in the first meeeting between the teams, but that didn't prevent Favre from completing 76 percent (29-of-38) of his passes as New York's defense only managed one sack.
How they got here -----------------
Giants 24, Buccaneers 14: After spotting Tampa Bay a 7-0 lead, New York responded with 24 unanswered points. Manning led a clock-eating 15-play, 92-yard drive to put away the game.

Giants 21, Cowboys 17: New York fell behind, 14-7, allowing consecutive length-of-the-field drives, but Manning directed a touchdown march in the final minute of the first half and the Giants allowed just a field goal to the high-powered Cowboys thereafter.
Packers 42, Seahawks 20: Two early fumbles put Green Bay in a 14-0 hole just 4:01 into the game, but Favre threw three TD passes and Grant ran for 201 yards and three TDs to turn the game into a rout.

Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Chasing a legend: With its secondary banged up, New York must apply pressure on Favre, particularly when Green Bay spreads the field with five receivers.
2) Lambeau leap: Weather aside, there may be no better home-field advantage in the NFL than Lambeau Field in January. Packers are 15-2 all-time in the postseason.
3) Icy reception: The forecast calls for temperatures to be in the single digits at kickoff, putting the onus on the running games.