East Rutherford, N.J. - The New York Giants' defense wanted another shot at Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers after a last-second loss last month. They got their wish.

And this time it might be a fair fight.

The last time the Giants (10-7) faced the Packers, Rodgers shredded the defense for 449 yards and four touchdowns, winning the game with a 68-yard drive in the final minute to set up a 31-yard field goal in a 38-35 decision.

That's ancient history. The Giants' defense has come light years in five weeks. The front four is dominating, led by All-Pro Jason Pierre-Paul, with Justin Tuck finally healthy, and Osi Umenyiora recovered from an ankle injury.

The secondary is covering receivers and opponents are being stuffed on the run. It's shutdown football, as was evident on Sunday in a 24-2 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC wild-card game at MetLife Stadium.

That set up the rematch with the Packers (15-1) at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

"We wanted to see them again, but we realized in seeing them again it would be in a playoff game like this, so obviously we wanted to see them again," Tuck said Monday. "But yeah, we felt like we let one slip through our hands. I am sure Green Bay is saying to themselves, "We didn't play our best game.' All of that is in the past. We'll get our opportunity to settle all those question marks on Sunday."

The Giants have played five games since facing the Packers on Dec. 4 and the defense seemingly has gotten better each week. After giving up 34 points in a three-point win over Dallas on Dec. 11, New York has given up 53 points in the last four games.

There is a theory that by playing well against the-then undefeated Packers, the Giants gained confidence.

""We didn't need that game to understand that," safety Antrel Rolle said. "I think that's all within ourselves. We understand that we are a great team, we just have been complacent all year long. Right now, we are peaking and we are jelling, and we are playing great team football."

When the Giants played the Packers, weak side linebacker Michael Boley was coming off a hamstring injury and middle linebacker Chase Blackburn had just been signed in the wake of an ankle injury to rookie Mark Herzlich. Umenyiora was out of the lineup with a high ankle sprain and Tuck, bothered by shoulder and groin injuries earlier, was dealing with an ankle problem.

While the line was able to sack Rodgers twice, there was never consistent pressure and it allowed the All-Pro quarterback to pick and choose his receivers on a day he was 28 of 45 and connected with eight targets.

The Giants' line has been creating havoc for opponents in recent weeks. New York had 11 sacks in closing the season with wins over the Jets and Cowboys, and Matt Ryan of the Falcons looked very tentative on Sunday despite being sacked only twice.

Backup defensive lineman Dave Tollefson said the defense's confidence is high, especially after limiting the Falcons to 247 yards, including 64 rushing.

"It's just a matter of everything going well," Tollefson said "Communication is a big part of the defense."