If football games are won during the week, the Packers have already lost. The big, bad, New York Giants are the best team in the NFL. Just ask them. Jason Pierre-Paul led the charge Antrel Rolle followed suit. Too bad we have to waste time play the game.
One thing we can do is stop wasting time comparing this game to the 2007 NFC Championship game. That Packers’ team was a rag-tag bunch with the likes of Koren Robinson, Vernand Morency and Bubba Franks on offense and had Atari Bigby and Brady Poppinga starting on defense. Not to mention the aging quarterback who couldn’t play in cold weather anymore. The Giants still had Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress and already had won two playoff games. Like the 2010 Packers, they were on a mission.
Since then the Packers took one year to get used to Aaron Rodgers but have been getting better by the year and captured a Super Bowl title of their own. The Giants have bounced back this year after missing the playoffs two years in a row. Currently they have beaten two mediocre teams and one just good team to get a chance at the Packers, who have won 21 of their last 22 games.
Many a team talked about beating the Packers this year, the one team that didn’t talk got the job done. The Packers may not have a bulletin board but judging by the results of the regular season word gets around. I have a feeling the Packers will be more than ready to take the field come Sunday.
There is simply no way to determine how the death of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin’s son affects the team and there is no reason to even think about it. It is a horrible tragedy and every player will deal with it in a different way. Maybe it brings them together even more on Sunday or maybe they try too hard and play poorly. We all remember how Brett Favre played a day after his dad died, but there is only one Brett Favre when it comes to toughness. Hard to expect that of anybody else.
Friday is going to be a rough day for the team with the funeral being on everyone’s mind. I certainly would not expect Philbin to be at the game Sunday, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was. They don’t call it the “Packers’ Family” for nothing.
RIP Michael Philbin