Giants vs. Packers 2017 live updates: Scores, highlights, and news from NFL playoffs
A classic NFC rivalry was reignited on a cold day in Wisconsin.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Final score: Packers 38, Giants 13
The Packers dominated the final three quarters to move on to the next round. Up next: a date with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4:40 p.m. ET.
Fourth quarter (2:49): Packers 38, Giants 13
Clay Matthews stripped the ball from Eli Manning and recovered the fumble.
The Packers then added another touchdown — from Aaron Ripkowski, not Randall Cobb — and it’s a bloodbath at Lambeau Field.
Fourth quarter (9:19): Packers 31, Giants 13
Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb for the THIRD time today and this game is all but over.
The Packers did get a scare when Ty Montgomery had to be helped off the field, but he returned later in the quarter.
Third quarter: Packers 24, Giants 13
Make that 10 unanswered points for the Packers, who added a 32-yard field goal.
Third quarter (2:53): Packers 21, Giants 13
Aaron Rodgers is dealing. The Packers answered the Giants score right back with a four-play drive that ended in another Randall Cobb touchdown.
Third quarter (5:23): Packers 14, Giants 13
The Packers went for it on fourth-and-1 on their own 42-yard line and got stuffed. That gave the Giants great field position, and they quickly took advantage of it. Two plays later, Eli Manning connected with Tavarres King for a 41-yard TD.
Halftime: Packers 14, Giants 6
Aaron Rodgers did it AGAIN. He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the half and Randall Cobb came down with it to give the Packers an eight-point lead.
Wow:
Fun fact: Eli Manning threw a near-identical Hail Mary against the Packers, in the same end zone, five years ago.
Second quarter (2:20): Packers 7, Giants 6
Brad Wing’s 37-yard punt gave the Packers terrific field position. Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams for a 31-yard gain to get Green Bay in the red zone.
From there, Rodgers danced around for more than 8 seconds to buy time and then threw a laser to Adams for the touchdown — and the lead.
Second quarter (7:24): Giants 6, Packers 0
A 51-yard catch from tight end Will Tye set the Giants up for a score. They couldn’t find the end zone again, but Robbie Gould tacked on a 40-yard field goal.
Even worse for the Packers: Jordy Nelson took a big hit to the ribs and is questionable to return.
First quarter: Giants 3, Packers 0
The Giants were moving the ball and Eli Manning has been sharp, but they’ve had a few key drops — two from Odell Beckham Jr. and one from rookie Sterling Shepard. Their second drive stalled, though they still came away with points thanks to a 26-yard field goal from Robbie Gould.
The Packers went three-and-out on their first possession, and despite a thigh injury to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Giants weren’t giving Aaron Rodgers any place to throw.
At least there was a nice moment between former teammates, when Christine Michael and Eric Pinkins celebrated a punt together.
Before the game
Aaron Rodgers turned the 4-6 Packers into one of the NFL’s hottest teams behind an MVP-caliber performance. Can his stellar play help Green Bay extend its season past Sunday’s Wild Card matchup with New York?
The Giants will head to Wisconsin in a classic Lambeau Field playoff showdown. The weekend’s forecast calls for a high of just 17 degrees — a chilly day that still won’t touch the -1 temperature that turned then-New York coach Tom Coughlin into classic Captain America villain Red Skull for an evening.
The frozen tundra will have to resist the scorching temperatures of Rodgers’s late-season heat check. The veteran quarterback hasn’t thrown an interception since mid-November, leading his team to a 6-1 record over that stretch. Green Bay dispatched quality teams like the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions to pull head coach Mike McCarthy off the hot seat and into his eighth straight postseason invitation.
But the Packers have plenty of questions to answer on the defensive end, and they’ll deal with one of the league’s most explosive scoring threats on Sunday. Odell Beckham Jr. finished the 2016 regular season third in the league with 1,367 receiving yards and added 10 touchdowns as New York’s brightest offensive star. He’ll be salivating at the opportunity to carve up a Green Bay secondary ravaged by injuries and player departures.
The Packers ranked just 26th in opponent passer rating this fall and allowed nearly 270 passing yards per game — the second-worst mark in the league. Cornerbacks Sam Shields and Demetri Goodson wound up on injured reserve during the regular season, and Quinten Rollins’s Week 17 neck injury could turn a weak spot into a fatal flaw.
The good news for Green Bay is Eli Manning has had a forgettable season, by his standards. The two-time Super Bowl champion threw for more than 4,000 yards, but his quarterback rating of 86.0 is one of the lowest in his past decade of work.
Pregame reading
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