Watch: Packers-Giants Monday Night Preview

The Green Bay Packers are on a three-game winning streak. The New York Giants have won two in a row and are coming off their bye. They’ll square off on Monday night.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Not long ago, the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants were in the thick of the battle for top-five NFL Draft positioning.

Entering Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium, the Packers are 6-6 and are streaking toward a playoff berth. The Giants are only 4-8 but won back-to-back games before last week’s bye.

Behind the surging performance of quarterback Jordan Love, who is second in the NFL with 14 touchdown passes since Week 7, the Packers are 6.5-point favorites at SI Sportsbook. They’re coming off an impressive sweep of the Chargers, Lions and Chiefs. The Giants beat only the Commanders and Patriots.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur is an incredible 16-0 in December. That’s the longest December winning streak by a coach in NFL history and second-longest for a team behind the Chargers’ 18-game run from 2006 through 2009.

Win No. 1 came at the Giants in 2019.

Perhaps LaFleur’s biggest challenge this week, other than his porous run defense tackling Saquon Barkley, will be keeping his team focused. That’s probably why he twice told reporters this week that his team is only 6-6; it’s messaging he probably shared with his players, as well.

“I think every opportunity, I think especially with a young team, sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know,” LaFleur said. “You’ve got to bring your best each and every week. I don’t care who you’re playing, it’s got to be your best, and that’s been the emphasis I’d say all season long.

“I think we’re starting to improve as a football team, but like we’ve said so many times, you’re only as good as your last game. You’ve got another challenge in front of you, again a primetime game on the road against a team that beat us last year. I think that’s plenty of motivation.”

That message might be resonating with a couple of quality practices to start the week.

“We don’t need a reminder at all. We know exactly what position we’re in,” Love said. “Every game’s like a playoff game for us. We know the mentality. We’ve got to win out. This team doesn’t need a reminder of that.”

Kraft: ‘Repetition Breeds Confidence’