Packers turn back Giants’ upset bid
Aaron Rodgers engineered a last minute drive to set up a 30-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.
Linebacker Clay Matthews also returned an interception 38 yards for a score in the second quarter.
Manning finished 23 of 40 for 347 yards. He had a 67-yard touchdown pass to Travis Beckum and touchdown tosses of 4 and 2 yards to Nicks. Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run after a rare interception of Rodgers and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals with a 50-yard in the fourth quarter getting New York within 28-27.
Rodgers atoned for the error on the next series, driving the Packers 80 yards in 11 plays with the biggest play being an 11-yard scramble on a third-and-10 from New York 43. Rodgers capped the march with a 13-yard, third-down touchdown pass to a wide open Donald Driver on a play in which the Giants secondary blew the coverage.
Rodgers pushed the lead to 28-17 on the opening series of the second half with his fist TD pass to Driver but Manning got New York back in the game later in the quarter with his first TD to Nicks.