Sunday, Jan 20, 2008 10:22 PM

Grant struggles in game against former team

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Ryan Grant's runs added balance to the Green Bay Packers' offense in the second half of the season, but Grant was uncharacteristically quiet against his former team on Sunday.

A week after setting a franchise postseason record with 201 yards rushing, the New York Giants held their former teammate to only 29 yards on 13 carries in their 23-20 overtime victory over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field.

"They shut down the run pretty well, so we had to try some different things passing the ball," Grant said. "But we tried to stay with it -- they just played better than us."

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the offensive line didn't do a good enough job knocking the Giants' defensive line off the ball, then blamed himself for not sticking with the run in his play-calling.

The Giants traded Grant to the Packers for a sixth-round draft pick a week before the start of the season, and were worried the move was going to come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

Instead, they shut him down.

"The first thing we wanted to do was stop the run," Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Ryan Grant had a great game last week. Stopping the run was very key."

After turning the Packers into a one-dimensional offense, the Giants were free to tee off on Brett Favre in the pass rush. They didn't sack him, but Strahan said they made him uncomfortable.

"We didn't have to sack him," Strahan said. "We just had to make him uncomfortable in the pocket."