The Green Bay Packers are now out of the 2012 NFL playoffs after the New York Giants were able to pull off the upset on Sunday night. I actually picked the Giants to beat the Packers -- and got ridiculed for it via email from Packers fans -- and I made that pick because I felt the Giants could come up with a similar game plan as the Kansas City Chiefs.
As you know, the Chiefs were the only other team beat the Packers this year and after that game many people wondered if KC had exposed the blueprint for beating Green Bay.
As it turns out, the Chiefs did do that because the Giants did very similar things as the Chiefs to beat the Packers.
- They rushed four most of the game and dropped pack into coverage. This worked for New York because they have some very good pass rushers. The Chiefs had, for the most part, Tamba Hali bring the pressure.
- They gave them nothing deep. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers make big plays all the time. They're a lot like the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints in that they can put up multiple touchdowns in the snap of a finger. So the Giants did what the Chiefs did and eliminated the big plays.
- The Giants also took few risks offensively. They turned it over just once and dominated the turnover battle, 4:1. They created fumbles, picked off Rodgers and turned those into points.
So, in the end, the Chiefs did offer up the blueprint on beating the Packers. Too bad KC had to demonstrate that in the regular season and not the Super Bowl.