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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FrankRizzo" data-source="post: 422045" data-attributes="member: 2232">From Jeff Chadiha<a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2011/story/_/id/7440145/nfc-divisional-round-playoff-preview" target="_blank">http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2011/story/_/id/7440145/nfc-divisional-round-playoff-preview</a> 3. Do the Packers need to run the ball better to win? Yes. As potent as Green Bay's offense has been all season -- it led the league with 35 points per game -- the Packers know full well how important balance was to their Super Bowl run last year. They got just enough out of <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13214/james-starks" target="_blank">James Starks</a> in those playoffs to keep defenses honest and emerge as the champs. This time around, they have far more backfield weapons (including their best runner, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9475/ryan-grant" target="_blank">Ryan Grant</a>), and, to date, far less interest in running the football. The Packers average only 97.4 yards per game on the ground. That's not going to get it done in January, not when the weather will be dicey in Lambeau Field and the upcoming opponents are the New York Giants. Anybody who has watched the Giants lately can see that their defense is peaking. An improved commitment to the run game could help the Packers deal with that.[+] Enlarge[ATTACH=full]10387[/ATTACH]If the Packers' offensive line struggles against the Giants' pass rush, Aaron Rodgers could be in trouble. 4. Will the Giants' pass rush cause problems for <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/8439/aaron-rodgers" target="_blank">Aaron Rodgers</a>? Yes. The Giants only had two sacks in their 24-2 NFC wild-card win over Atlanta, but the potential for disaster hovered over Falcons quarterback <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/11237/matt-ryan" target="_blank">Matt Ryan</a> on nearly every pass play. Now that front four faces a Packers offensive line that has been reshuffled for most of the second half of the season, all to compensate for injuries to various players (including tackles <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/2175/chad-clifton" target="_blank">Chad Clifton</a>, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13247/bryan-bulaga" target="_blank">Bryan Bulaga</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13972/derek-sherrod" target="_blank">Derek Sherrod</a>, a backup now on injured reserve). It's one thing to handle pass-rushers such as <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/8488/justin-tuck" target="_blank">Justin Tuck</a>, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13256/jason-pierre-paul" target="_blank">Jason Pierre-Paul</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/4514/osi-umenyiora" target="_blank">Osi Umenyiora</a> when you're at your best. When you have a line that has been as beat up as Green Bay's, you're asking for trouble. The good news is that Rodgers releases the ball as quickly as any quarterback in the league. The bad news is that if he's a second too late on any pass play, the Packers will regret the consequences. [ATTACH=full]10388[/ATTACH]7. Will <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/11325/jermichael-finley" target="_blank">Jermichael Finley</a> be a difference-maker? That depends on how you define making a difference. The Green Bay tight end has put up decent numbers this season, catching 55 passes for 767 yards and eight touchdowns. The problem is that Finley is capable of posting phenomenal numbers when he's at his best. He's got size, speed, agility, leaping ability and … a nagging habit of not living up to his potential. In a season when tight ends such as New England's <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13229/rob-gronkowski" target="_blank">Rob Gronkowski</a> and New Orleans' <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13232/jimmy-graham" target="_blank">Jimmy Graham</a> became breakout stars, Finley hasn't been nearly as dominant, and drops also have plagued him.  In his defense, he isn't the only weapon in the Packers' arsenal. He also hasn't let his status as a third or fourth option on many plays drive him into a funk. That being said, Finley has only 13 receptions in his past four games. He has to be better than that. 8. Has Eli Manning become that dangerous? It's hard to argue with the way he has played all season, especially lately. When the Giants needed to beat Dallas in the season finale to clinch the NFC East title, Manning completed 72.7 percent of his passes and threw three touchdown passes in a 31-14 win. In Sunday's 24-2 wild-card win over Atlanta, Manning threw for three more scores while looking as confident as ever. And can you blame the guy for feeling good right about now? He finally has a decent running game after going a season with one that was hurt by injuries and inconsistency. He's got two big-time playmakers in receivers <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/12586/hakeem-nicks" target="_blank">Hakeem Nicks</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/13553/victor-cruz" target="_blank">Victor Cruz</a>, both of whom seem to step up their games if the other is controlled (Nicks was that player Sunday, with six receptions for 115 yards and two scores). At this point, there's every reason to think the Giants will be a tough matchup for the Packers in Green Bay. New York lost 38-35 when these two teams played Dec. 4. Manning's brilliance should make for an equally close finish.</blockquote>

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