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[Note by Ed Valentine, 02/27/12 9:15 AM EST: OK, you guys had your fun. And you will notice that all of your 'fun' is no longer part of the comment thread in this post. Guys, we all love to look at beautiful women, but this is a FOOTBALL site. It's not a porn site, and the comment threads can't degenerate into excuses to post photos of women's boobs. I let you guys get away with some of this for a while, and now you have abused the privilege. So now that privilege is gone. Now, Brian and I have to start deleting boob shots from the comment threads.]
Week 13 saw the New York Giants lose to the then-unbeaten Green Bay Packers, 38-35. It marked the Giants' fourth consecutive loss, and left them with a 6-6 record and tenuous playoff hopes. More more than all of that, though, this was a game that began the Giants' turnaround.
True, there would be a bad loss to the Washington Redskins two weeks later. The way the Giants played in this game -- with pride and incredible energy -- made an important statement that while the Giants were reeling, they were still in the fight. Much like the season-ending loss to the New England Patriots in 2007 this was a game in which the Giants lost, but came away feeling better about themselves and knowing they could compete with the league's top teams.
This came down to a shootout between Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Eli Manning of the Giants, and Rodgers got the last word. Helped by a decision by Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to leave Will Blackmon (WILL BLACKMON, Perry, c'mon man!) in single coverage on Jordy Nelson that resulted in a 27-yard gain and set the Packers up at New York's 29-yard line with 44 seconds left, the Packers escaped with their perfect record still intact.
Manning passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns, while Rodgers ended with 369 yards and two touchdowns.