Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is tackled by New York Giants' Jacquian Williams (right) in the second quarter of their NFL game on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Tied with less than a minute to play and 80 yards from the end zone, Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to wait until overtime.

It was the perfect choice for a team pushing perfection.

Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards in a lightning-quick five-play drive to set up a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby on the final play, and the Green Bay Packers remained undefeated and clinched a playoff berth with a 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

"Those are the fun ones when they end up like that," Rodgers said. "We've had a number of games we won by a couple scores," Rodgers said. "You get the ball on the 20, under a minute, and we get it down there for a chip-shot field goal, it's very rewarding. It probably (ranks) right at the top."

The defending Super Bowl champion (12-0) won its 18th straight game. Coupled with the Detroit Lions loss to New Orleans on Sunday, the Packers captured the NFC North.

Rodgers hit all four of his passes in the 58-second drive that sent the Giants (6-6) to their fourth straight loss, starting with a 24-yard laser to tight end Jermichael Finley just over the hands of rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams.

"I thought it was mine. I thought it was mine," Williams said after the game. "Like I said, it's a good throw and catch. He made some good throws."

The second one covered 24 yards to Jordy Nelson down the left sideline and moved the ball to the New York 29. An 18-yard pass to Greg Jennings two plays later moved the ball to the 12. The third toss was a 1-yard loss.

Green Bay called time out with 3 seconds to go, and then Crosby delivered his winning kick.

"It was a huge drive," said Jennings, who also caught a 20-yard touchdown. "We haven't had one like that at the end in a while. It was very quiet in the huddle, actually. You could see everybody was focused. It's great to see what we could do at the end like that."

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Packers practice the two-minute drive all the time. Having Rodgers at the helm is just a bonus.

"I'm running out things to say about him," McCarthy said. "He's a great quarterback. Playing against the pass rush they had tonight, he hung in there and made the plays."

Rodgers, harassed by the Giants' front four and sacked three times, finished 28 of 46 for 369 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 7 and 13 yards to Donald Driver and 12 to Finley in addition to the one to Jennings.

The loss was another heartbreaker for New York, which played exceptionally well after being blown out by New Orleans on Monday night.

The Giants tied it on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks, and a 2-point conversion run by D.J. Ware on a Manning audible with just under a minute to play.

However, Rodgers wasn't going to settle for overtime after a touchback on the ensuing kickoff.

"He's a great quarterback, but I expect more out of us on defense," Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson said. "You know, it's not like Jesus in cleats. He's Aaron Rodgers. He's a great quarterback, but we have to do a better job of finishing on defense."

The three-point victory was the Packers' smallest winning margin this season.

"We're 12-0 and we're focused on that," said linebacker Clay Matthews who scored on a 38-yard second-quarter interception. "It's been something we've been talking about since we were 7-0 or 8-0. So we'll keep going from that."

Associated Press