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.

Tomlinson & Rivers Hurt

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson left Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts with a bruised knee. Tomlinson was hurt with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half of the Chargers' 28-24 victory. He was hit by Marlin Jackson at the end of an 8-yard run. Quarterback Philip Rivers also was injured and forced out of the game on the final play of the third quarter.

The 2006 league MVP, Tomlinson was seen rubbing the inside of his left knee on the sideline and later riding a stationary bike. While the team announced his return as probable, Tomlinson never left the sideline. After the game, Tomlinson said he thought he could have went back into the game, but the knee stiffened up on him and the decision was made to keep him out.

Rivers was injured on a seemingly harmless play. He threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles on the final play of the third quarter, but appeared to land awkwardly and limped off the field. Backup Billy Volek replaced Rivers and led the go-ahead touchdown drive, capping it with a 1-yard sneak with 5:17 left to play. Rivers insisted he was fine and said he could have gone back in if needed - but did not want to break Volek's rhythm. "It's nothing with the left knee," Rivers said. "It was an injury from Tennessee and I'm not sure how it happened, but it's fine."

Michael Turner replaced Tomlinson and rushed for 71 yards on 17 carries. Coach Norv Turner said both players will be listed as questionable for next week's AFC championship game at the New England Patriots.

Harrison Expected to Meet Bolts

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison practiced on Thursday, and is expected to play for the first time in 12 weeks. Harrison's return would be a big boost for Indianapolis (13-3), which hosts the San Diego Chargers (12-5) in the AFC divisional playoffs on Sunday.

An eight-time Pro Bowler, Harrison was hoping to return for the Colts' regular-season finale against Tennessee, but was held out. The 35-year-old also practiced Monday and Wednesday this week. Still, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy would not say definitively whether or not Harrison would play. "I probably can't say without any doubt that he'll play," Dungy said Wednesday afternoon. "I thought that he might play the last week and it didn't work out that way. He's practicing and we're planning on him starting, but we'll have to see how it goes."

Harrison has missed 10 games since suffering a bruised left knee in a 38-20 win over the Denver Broncos on September 30. The 12-year veteran returned to catch three passes for 16 yards in Week Seven against Jacksonville, but hasn't played since. Harrison is third on the all-time touchdown list with 123, behind Terrell Owens (131) and Jerry Rice (197). Harrison had 20 catches for 247 yards and one touchdown this season.

AFC Playoff Preview - Jags @ Pats

Ticker Preview

Jacksonville Jaguars (12-5) vs. New England Patriots (16-0)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Saturday, 5 p.m., CBS

Coaches' playoff records:
Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville, 1-1 Bill Belichick, New England, 13-3

Last meeting:
December 24, 2006 at Jacksonville, Florida. Tom Brady threw one touchdown passes and the Patriots held off a late comeback by the Jaguars in a 24-21 victory. Brady completed 28-of-39 passes for 249 while running backs Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney each had a rushing touchdown. Maurice Jones-Drew, starting in the place of an injured Fred Taylor, scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 74 and 1 yard. David Garrard also threw a 33-yard scoring pass to Matt Jones to cut the lead to 24-21 with 3:03 to play.

Jacksonville offense against New England defense ------------------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew vs. NFL's 10th-ranked run defense
QB David Garrard vs. NFL's 6th-ranked pass defense
WR Reggie Williams vs. CB Asante Samuel
C Brad Meester vs. NT Vince Wilfork
RT Tony Pashos vs. LB Mike Vrabel

The Patriots have been vulnerable against the run in the second half of the season, with three backs rushing for over 100 yards against them. In last season's matchup, Jones-Drew rumbled for 131 yards and two touchdowns while Taylor sat out with an injury. Taylor ripped off five straight 100-yard games at the end of the season before being held to 48 in Jacksonville's wild card victory in Pittsburgh. Garrard had just three interceptions vs. 18 TD passes in the regular season, but struggled against the Steelers, going 9-of-21 for 140 yards, one TD and two picks. His mobility hurt Pittsburgh and could be a factor against New England's slow inside linebacker tandem of Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau. Still, the Jaguars need to control the ball with the running game, not wanting Garrard trying to match points with Brady and Co.

New England offense against Jacksonville defense ------------------------------------------------
Key Matchups:
QB Tom Brady vs. NFL's 15th-ranked pass defense
RB Laurence Maroney vs. NFL's 11th-ranked run defense
WR Randy Moss vs. CB Rashean Mathis
WR Wes Welker vs. FS Reggie Nelson
LT Matt Light vs. RE Paul Spicer

Expect the Patriots to do what they have all season - come out with Brady throwing deep to Moss and underneath to Welker. The Jaguars were unable to stop Pittsburgh's passing game, which is an ominous sign against an offense that produced a league-record 589 points. Unlike the Steelers, the Patriots likely won't even attempt to establish the run unless weather conditions are adverse. Mathis had two interceptions against Pittsburgh, but he'll have his hands full keeping up with Moss, who led the league with an NFL-record 23 TD receptions. Jacksonville, which had only 37 sacks during the regular season, must find a way to generate pressure on league MVP Brady, who threw for 4,806 yards, an NFL- record 50 TD passes and just eight interceptions. While Maroney has had only 185 carries, he did finish the season with two 100- yard games in his last three.

Three keys to the game ----------------------
1) Back-to-back successes: Jaguars will need to control the clock with the running of Taylor and Jones-Drew to keep New England's high-powered offense on the sideline.
2) Wes-coast Offense: Moss caught at least one touchdown pass in 13 of the 16 games, so stopping him is near-impossible. Slowing Welker, who had 112 receptions, is a must for Jacksonville.
3) Weather the storm: Even though Jacksonville is a warm-weather franchise, it might need a little snow or at least an arctic blast to help rein in New England's offense.