The Green Bay Packers and New York Giants have played 64 games including 26 games that have been decided by 8 points or less:[14] Below are eight notable games from the rivalry.
In the 1938 NFL Championship Game, the Giants and Packers met in their first playoff game. It was a battle between an 8–3 Packers team and an 8–2–1 Giants team. The Giants took an early 9–0 lead, but the Packers got a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to make it 16–14 at the half. The Giants played well on defense in the second half, holding the Packers to 3 points. They won their third championship in their history, 23–17, and their first playoff game against Green Bay.[15]
In the 1944 NFL Championship Game, the Giants and Packers met in their third playoff game. It was a battle between two teams that got 8 wins in the regular season, with the Giants being 8–1–1 and the Packers being 8–2. The Packers scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and never looked back. They held a shutout through 3 quarters, and won the game 14–7. The Packers overall playoff record against the Giants is now 2–1.[16]
In the 1962 NFL Championship Game, the Giants and Packers played their last playoff game until 2007. The Packers were 13–1 while the Giants were 12–2. The Giants didn't score until the third quarter, but still were within 6 heading into the final quarter. However, the Packers got a game-sealing field goal in the 4th quarter to secure a 16–7 win. The Packers improved to 4–1 against the Giants in the playoffs.[17]
In 1971, the Giants and Packers met for the first time in the 1970s. The Packers got a 100 yard field goal return in the first quarter to take a 7–0 lead. The Giants then went on a 28–0 run, that included two Fran Tarkenton touchdown passes, a defensive touchdown, and a special teams touchdown. The Packers got a touchdown at the end of the half to make it 28–14. It was a blowout heading into the fourth quarter as the Giants led 42–24. The Packers got a couple touchdowns and a safety to make it 42–40, but came up just short in the highest scoring game of the rivalry. For the Giants, Fran Tarkenton threw for 4 touchdown passes and had a 120.2 rating.[18]
In the 2007 NFC Championship game, The Packers and Giants met in their first playoff battle since 1962. The game was -1°F at kickoff, one of the coldest in NFL playoff history.[19] The Packers were favored to win as they finished 13–3 to the Giants 10–6. Two Lawrence Tynes' field goals gave the Giants a 6–0 lead with 11:41 in the 2nd quarter. The Packers got a quick response with a Donald Driver 90 yard touchdown catch and led 10–6 at halftime. The teams got off to hot offensive starts to the second half, as the Giants won the 3rd Quarter with 14 points to the Packers’ 7, now ahead 20-17. Brandon Jacobs, Donald Lee and Ahmad Bradshaw were the players who scored touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. With 11:46 left in the 4th quarter, the Packers tied the game on a Mason Crosby 37 yard field goal. The game remained tied at 20 for the rest of regulation, so it went into overtime. The Packers won the toss, but Brett Favre threw an interception to Corey Webster, who got 9 yards on the return into Packers territory. This was Brett Favre's last pass as a Packer. Even though the Giants went three and out, they were in field goal range. Lawrence Tynes, who missed two field goals earlier, was the man who got the 47 yard field goal to win the game. This NFC Championship game sent the Giants to the Super Bowl where they pulled off a huge upset and beat the 16–0 Patriots by the score of 17–14.[20]
In 2011, the Packers and Giants battled it out in December as they played in an important regular season game. The Giants were 6–5 heading into the game, while the Packers were still undefeated at 11–0. Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers both threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter, as the Giants led 10–7 at the end of this quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Clay Matthews III returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown. The Packers and Giants then traded touchdowns at the end of the half to make it 21–17 Green Bay. In the third quarter, Greg Jennings and Hakeem Nicks caught touchdowns to make it 28–24 at the end of the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Giants trailed 35–27 inside the two minute warning, but Eli Manning led a drive that was capped off by a Hakeem Nicks touchdown catch. The Giants got the two point conversion to tie the game at 35 with 58 seconds left. However, on the final drive of the game, Aaron Rodgers completed a 24 yard pass to Jermichael Finley and a 27 yard pass to Jordy Nelson to get Green Bay well into field goal range. Mason Crosby finished it off with a game winning field goal with no time left to win it 38–35 for Green Bay.[21]
In the 2011 NFC Divisional round, the Giants looked for revenge from their Week 13 loss to Green Bay. The Giants were heavy underdogs, finishing the regular season at just 9–7 to the Packers’ 15–1. The game was a fast start for the Giants, as after the teams traded field goals Eli Manning found Hakeem Nicks for a 66 yard touchdown to give the Giants a 10–3 lead at the end of the first quarter. John Kuhn then caught an 8 yard touchdown early in the second quarter to tie the game at 10. It was 13–10 Giants with one play left in the first half. Eli Manning completed a 37 yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks to give the Giants a 20–10 lead just before the half. The Packers fell behind 30–13 but did get a touchdown from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver with 4:46 left in the fourth quarter. However, the hope for Green Bay was short lived, as the Giants only took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to make it a three score game. The game ended with the Giants winning 37–20, as they moved on to the NFC Championship Game. The Giants eventually won Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots 21–17.[22]
In the 2016 Wild Card round, the Packers and Giants played their most recent playoff game. The Packers finished 2016 with a 10–6 record while the Giants finished the season at 11–5. However the game was on the Packers’ home turf as they won their division, while the Giants finished behind the Dallas Cowboys in their division. It was a slow start for Green Bay as they fell behind 6–0. The Packers got their first points with 2:20 left in the second quarter, as Aaron Rodgers completed a 5 yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams. This started giving Green Bay offensive momentum. Similarly to the 2011 Divisional round between these teams, there was one play left in the first half, and it was a Hail Mary. Aaron Rodgers, who completed two Hail Maries in 2015, completed another one from 42 yards away to Randall Cobb to give Green Bay a 14–6 lead before halftime. The Packers offense continued their dominance, scoring 24 points in the second half. The Giants defense, which was the second best in points allowed, never gave up 30 points in the regular season, but allowed 38 in this game. Aaron Rodgers finished with 362 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win. The Packers went on to beat the Cowboys 34–31 in the Divisional, before losing to the Atlanta Falcons 44–21 in the NFC Championship Game.[23]
In the Packers' first international game in franchise history,[24] the 3-1 Giants faced the Packers, also 3-1, as 8 point underdogs. The Packers expectedly started strong by claiming a 0-10 lead with a Mason Crosby 46 yard field goal and an Aaron Rodgers 4 yard touchdown throw to Allen Lazard. The Giants answered with a Graham Gano 48 yard field goal to close the first quarter, resulting in a 3-10 score. The Packers would immediately respond on their subsequent drive with a Rodgers 2 yard touchdown to Marcedes Lewis, increasing the Packers' lead to 3-14.This would be the last touchdown the Packers would score in the contest. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones then lead an 86 yard drive culminating in a 2 yard rushing touchdown by Daniel Bellinger. With 1:15 left in the half, Rodgers would lead the Packers to a 48 yard field goal to close the half at 10-20. The Giants started the second half by scoring a 37 yard field goal, making the score 13-20. More importantly, their defense shut out the Packers for the rest of the game, while the Giants offense slowly chipped away at their deficit. After forcing a punt, the Giants then conducted a long 92 yard drive ending with a Gary Brightwell 2 yard touchdown. New York then forced a three and out and had a 60 yard drive ending with a Saquon Barkley rushing touchdown. Green Bay, finding themselves behind for the first time in the contest, attempted to lead a game-tying touchdown drive down 27-20 with 6:08 left in the fourth quarter. Rodgers lead Green Bay to the Giants' six yard line, but New York's defense forced an incompletion on 4th and 2 with 1:02 left in the contest. The Giants would then intentionally allow a safety to run out the clock, giving Rodgers the ball back with 0:11 left in the game. However, on his Hail Mary attempt, Rodgers was sacked by Oshane Ximines, and New York completed their upset over Green Bay with a final score of 27-22. [25]
Club success
As of 2023, the Packers and Giants have won a combined 21 championships in the league's history, including 8 Super Bowls.
Fifth and final NFL Championship Game between the two teams, resulting in the Packers being 4–1 in NFL Championship Games against the Giants. This would be the last time that the Packers and Giants met in the playoffs until the 2007–08 NFL playoffs.
NFC Championship Game. First playoff battle between the two teams since the 1962 NFL Championship. Game was -1° at kickoff, and went into overtime. On his last pass as a Packer, Brett Favre threw an interception to Corey Webster, allowing Lawrence Tynes to rebound from 2 earlier missed field goals by hitting a 47-yarder to send the Giants to Super Bowl XLII.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' first game against the Giants, and his first 400-yard regular season game. The Packers' win allowed the eventual Super Bowl XLV champions to earn a tiebreaker over the Giants for the NFC's sixth seed.
NFC Divisional Round. Giants avenge their Week 13 loss to the Packers en route to their Super Bowl XLVI win. The game's most notable play came when Eli Manning found Hakeem Nicks on a Hail Mary just before halftime to make it a 20–10 game, and the Giants would end up winning 37–20.
Originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football, but got flexed out when Aaron Rodgers sustained a broken collarbone two weeks earlier and would miss the game as a result. Backup Scott Tolzien would throw three interceptions in the 27-13 Giants victory.
NFC Wild Card Round. Packers avenge their previous home playoff losses to Eli Manning. The most memorable play of this game came right before halftime, as Aaron Rodgers found Randall Cobb for a 42 yard Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the first half, similar to the Hakeem Nicks Hail Mary against the Packers in the 2011 playoffs.
