NFL

Packers’ Matthews won’t play vs. Giants

A Giants victory over the Packers tomorrow night won’t include a dose of payback for Clay Mathews.

The All-Pro Green Bay linebacker, who raised the Giants’ ire in the offseason by claiming the Packers beat themselves in January’s 37-20 playoff home loss to Big Blue, was ruled out for the rematch yesterday because of a hamstring injury that kept Matthews out of practice all week.

It will be the second consecutive missed start for Matthews and a potentially huge loss for the 7-3 Packers, who will try to replace the three-time Pro Bowl pick with the combination of undrafted rookie Dezman Moses and third-year pro Frank Zombo.

That is likely to be a big break for Eli Manning and the Giants’ scuffling offense, considering Matthews is among the NFL leaders with nine sacks this season (although six of them came in the season’s first two games).

Matthews’ uncertain status all week might have been among the reasons the Giants steadfastly refused to fire back at the Green Bay star for underplaying their lopsided playoff win.

“That’s over and done with,” Antrel Rolle said yesterday. “We’ve been crowned for last year, and it doesn’t really matter at this point.”

* The Giants’ running game got a boost when Ahmad Bradshaw practiced for the first time this week and pronounced himself ready to go against the Packers.

Bradshaw was held out of workouts Wednesday and Thursday with a foot injury, but bounced back strong yesterday and was listed as probable on the injury report.

“I feel firm on my feet and good after a day of practice,” he said.

The Giants will be without wide receiver Domenik Hixon (ankle) and linebacker Jacquian Williams (knee) tomorrow night, but defensive tackle Linval Joseph — a question mark all week with a knee injury — is probable.

* Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has endured an NFL-high 32 sacks, but Osi Umenyiora is not expecting a big night by the Giants in that department.

What Umenyiora is expecting instead is what seemingly everyone does to counteract the Giants’ rush — lots of short drops and quick throws.

“You know how teams play against us,” Umenyiora said. “It’s not going to be that type of [sack] 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.”

* Packers wideout Greg Jennings practiced all week on a limited basis, so it was a bit of a surprise when he was listed as questionable and not probable on the injury report.

Jennings has not played since Week 4 because of groin and abdomen injuries.