EAST RUTHERFORD: The Giants know their game against the Green Bay Packers is crucial on several levels.

For one, a win would give them a 7-4 record and a two-game cushion over the fading Cowboys and the surging Washington Redskins. The Redskins win on Thanksgiving left both with a record of 5-6.

Second, and more important, the Giants want to avoid one of their second-half swoons that have plagued the Giants during the Eli Manning era. The defending Super Bowl Champions were 7-7 before going on a run to win the title.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin was asked if the game against the Packers was suddenly a bigger game since Dallas lost.

“They’re all big games,” said Coughlin, who has a career 3-5 record as a head coach against Green Bay including last year’s first-round playoff win. “They’re all big games. In the sense of one at a time, all we’re looking at is this opponent Sunday night. We’re well aware of what happened yesterday; quite frankly, it doesn’t make it any easier. Here we go. Take care of your own business, that’s what I learned a long, long time ago. Take care of your own business.”

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora was a little more honest about the importance of their game that is on national television (NBC 8:20 ET).

“It’s a huge game,” Umenyiora said at his locker Friday. “A lot at stake and I’m anxious to see how we come out and play because I feel like we need to respond to the key games that we’ve lost and we also need to prove that we are still world champions and play like it at some point and hopefully this will be the game.”

Teams have had success sacking Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He is the most-sacked signal caller in the NFL. Despite being sacked 32 times this year, Rodgers has still thrown 27 touchdown passes and just six interceptions.

Manning however has been sacked just 12 times, has thrown just 12 TD passes and has been picked off 11 times.

“It’s always critical for us,” Coughlin said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Rodgers; it’s what we’ve built this defense around. It’s very important that we’re able to put pressure on any quarterback and be able to cause those things to happen more towards our time, than his.”

Umenyiora was asked if there are there any similarities between the Packers offense from this year and last year.

“Things pretty much change,” said Umenyiora, who had two sacks and a forced fumble in last year’s playoff win in Green Bay. “There’s some level of familiarity but at the end of the day I think they play different and I think we’re playing different now than we played against them (last year).”

Umenyiora was asked What are the biggest differences for them offensively from last year.

“They don’t have some of their weapons that they had last year,” he said. “They try to run the ball a little bit more this year and that’s pretty much about it. Some of the offensive linemen are missing that they had last year but that’s it though.”

Umenyiora was asked was has has happed with the Packers’ pass protection that has Rodgers the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL.

:I think there’s been a bunch of things,” Umenyiora said. “Some of the teams they’ve played against have been good rush teams and he’s not forcing it. He doesn’t want to throw interceptions so sometimes he will take a sack. But you know how teams play against us. It’s not going to be that type of party. So for us, we just want to get pressure and see if we can get our hands up whenever they go to that three-step drop because that’s what we’re expecting.”

Rodgers was asked when you face a front four like the Giants pass rush, does that add any level of intimidation.

“They have a great front four,” Rogers said “They really get after the passer. More than their front four, they have other guys that they can bring in to rush. It’s a talented defense. We’re going to have to be ready.”

Rogers was asked about the Packers – coming off a five-game win streak – and facing a Giants team in need of a win, what’s this game going to be like on primetime.

“I think you can expect a good game,” said Rodgers, who enters the game top QB rating in the NFL at 107.3 “They’re a really good football team, they’re first in the division, we’re tied for the division lead, and so, you have a couple of division leaders squaring off. I think that’s pretty exciting, plus the last two teams to win Super Bowls.

Rodgers was asked how would he compare his play this season to years past?

“I think it’s pretty close to the way last year went,” Rodgers said. “We were 10-0 last year at this point. You learn a lot as you go. You go along in your career and you gain experience and you see a lot of different looks. Obviously, you’re going to make some mistakes along the way, but I feel like I’m improving this season and just trying to find ways to get better.”

Green Bay will be missing two of its top players on defense. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy what’s it like game planning without Charles Woodson or Clay Matthews on the field.

“They’re obviously two of our best players on defense and two of the better players on our whole football team,” McCarthy said. “But that’s the game of football. That’s why it takes a team. They’re both playmakers, impact players, and it’s important for us to try and create other opportunities for the other guys on our defense. I’ve been very pleased with the last four weeks with the way our defense has responded to those guys being out.”

McCarthy was asked how much impact did last year’s playoff loss to the Giants have on the decision to revamp the defense this season.

“I think it was definitely something that went on all of last year,” McCarty said. “Our defense…we wanted to change some things personnel-wise and I feel like we were able to do that. More importantly, we felt that we needed to play our younger players earlier in the season. We’ve been able to do that. Then, with the injuries, we’ve had to do it. We’re clearly a better defense from a personnel standpoint than we were last year.”