Pinned
Link copied
The snow game at MetLife Stadium -- a field covered in white -- had the looks of a shootout early. The Giants stopped themselves from staying on the field after getting the ball first when they failed to convert a third-and-1 for the second consecutive week, but after Aaron Rodgers led a touchdown drive on his first possession, the game has featured two more scoring drives -- and two more passing touchdowns -- one from Packers quarterback Rodgers and one from Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.
From that point, the game's pace drastically slowed down. Look no further than the Giants' 18-play drive ending in a 6-yard field goal that ate 9:31 of game clock -- spanning nearly the entire second quarter. The Giants actually won the time of possession battle through three quarters, but costly defensive penalties on three third-down stops, and allowing a fourth-and-10 conversion is a recipe for falling apart. And that is exactly what happened in the final quarter.
The Packers went on to score multiple fourth-quarter touchdowns en route to what ended as a blowout victory. The Giants have now allowed the opposing team to score at least 31 points in seven games -- the most games in franchise history -- and there are still four games to play. That is the state of the Giants defense. On offense, Jones had moments of promise but ultimately his three-interception day can't be ignored.
On the flip side, the Packers have put themselves in position at 9-3 to hold the sole lead of the NFC North division depending on the outcome of the Vikings' Week 13 game against the Seahawks. The Packers weren't at their best -- with the exception of Rodgers and Davante Adams -- but they didn't have to be, or anywhere close to it.
Catch up with every key takeaway from the game in our live blog below.
Why the Packers won
Green Bay won this game because it was able to capitalize on big passing plays when faced with both third-and-long situations and one fourth-and-long situation. Rodgers was barely touched in a game where the Giants struggled to create pressure on third down after doing a better than expected job on the early downs to force third-and-longs. The Packers won because they converted 7-of-13 third downs with a 10-yard conversion on their only fourth-down attempt. As is typically the case, the Packers were very protective of the football -- Rodgers didn't turn it over once. As is typically the case in victories, the Packers won the turnover battle 3 to 0. That played a key factor in the win.
Why the Giants lost
It was the second game this season where the Giants won the time of possession battle and out-gained the opposing team in total yards, but the end result was an 18-point loss. In addition to allowing back-breaking third-down conversions and committing two holding penalties away from the football to prolong drives after third-down stops, what looked like a promising start for Jones soon turned into a disaster. Jones threw two interceptions in the second half where he simply missed his target. Entering Week 13, Jones had a 17:8 touchdown to interception ratio -- an excellent ratio for a rookie. He had minimized interceptions -- at least for a rookie -- due to his overall ball placement and accuracy. That was not the case on two of his interceptions -- and the other was a bad decision on a late throw.
Turning point
With the third quarter coming to a close, the Giants held a 10-minute time of possession lead and were trailing the Packers by just four points (17-13) when they forced Green Bay into a fourth-and-10 situation from New York's 35-yard line. Rodgers connected with Geronimo Allison on a 15-yard completion. A few plays later, the Giants forced a third-and-goal situation from outside the 10-yard line when Rodgers connected with Adams for another touchdown.
Play of the game
The previously referenced fourth-and-10 conversion was also the best play of the game by any individual player. Despite being pressured and hit by Giants linebacker Markus Golden, Rodgers was able to drop a pinpoint pass over the middle to move the chains. Rodgers completed the throw from an off-balanced base while falling away from the throw. That's the kind of special arm talent he so clearly has.
Quote of the game
"We feel like we should win a game like that against that opponent but you still have to execute," Rodgers said after the game, via Rob Demovsky.
It was all smiles for Rodgers after the game, and although he likely didn't mean to take a shot at the Giants, his comment shows the state of the Giants franchise. They have morphed into one of the NFL's most uncompetitive franchises.
What's next
The Giants will travel to play the (5-7) Eagles in Philadelphia on "Monday Night Football" in a game that really shouldn't be featured in the primetime slot. On the positive side of things, the Giants moved into sole possession of the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after Sunday's loss because both the Redskins and Dolphins got to three wins in Week 13. Speaking of Washington, the Packers will host the Redskins at Lambeau Field in Week 14.
