NFL Playoffs: A Pre-Game Look at the 2007-2008 NFC Championship Game
The Cowboys were heavily favored going into the game as the NFC's #1 seed in the playoffs, sporting a 13-3 record and having locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their loss gives the NFC Championship game to Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers haven't hosted an NFC Championship game since 1997, when they defeated the upstart Carolina Panthers 30-13, enroute to their Super Bowl XXXI victory over the New England Patriots.
The Packers, for their part, fell behind early in their Divisional Round game to the Seattle Seahawks - giving the ball away to the Seahawks twice deep in their own territory on their first two possessions and trailed 14-0. By the end of the first quarter, though, the Packers had tied the game at 14 and didn't look back again. Running back Ryan Grant, who on his first three rushing attempts, fumbled the ball, finished the day with an astounding 201 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
The Giants have faced the Packers 5 times in the playoffs - all in the days before the Super Bowl pitted the AFL Champion against the NFL Champion - the last time in the 1962 NFL Championship game, won by the Packers 16-7. Of those 5 match ups, the Giants have won the Championship only once - in 1938 the Football Giants won 23-17.
Their history includes 17 trips to the NFL/NFC Championship Game, of which they have won 6: The NFL Championship in 1934, 1938, 1956; the NFC Championship in 1986 and 1990 (their two Super Bowl winning years) and in 2000.
The Green Bay Packers also have an extensive history with this game, having advanced 14 times in their past and winning 11 of those games: The NFL Championship in 1936, 1939, 1944, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967; the NFC Championship in 1996 and 1997. The 1966 and '67 NFL Championships were the first two such games not to be terminal - 1966 was the first time the NFL and the AFL met to determine the "World Championship" between the two leagues, which would later merge.
All time, these teams are quite evenly matched with the Packers holding a slight edge in the record: 25-21-2.
The Packers led the NFL this year in several defensive categories: Total Defense (200.0 yards per game), Rushing Yards per game (28). They placed third behind Pittsburgh and Dallas in passing yards per game with 172. The Packers were second in overall offense with 308 yards a game, and rushing yards a game (235).
The Giants placed fifth in both Total defense (303.5 yards per game) and Passing yards per Game (192).
The NFC Championship game kicks off at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 6:30 PM.
Published by Mo Morrissey
Mo has a lifetime of experience as a suffering Red Sox fan, but is a general jack of all trades. View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentBeen travelling, so I'm a bit behind in AC stuff. Well, your Pats won, but I was pretty close on the Charger game. 2/2 .....hard to pick this week, tho, and all of your stats help support that.
Great job! The game should be an interesting battle between Green Bay's offense and New York's defense. And with Eli getting hot, vice versa is also true.
Nice. No mention of Yoko Romo. That's good. Although he is an idiot for going on vacation before the playoff game, I don't think Jessica Simpson should be blamed for the loss.