The bridge Tom Coughlin hoped to build from last year to this one has all but collapsed.
The defending Super Bowl champions are the same 8-7 they were at this time a year ago, but now they need to beat the Eagles and have the Bears and Vikings lose and the Cowboys lose or tie in order to make the playoffs.
“I don’t think they are pinning their hopes on all these things breaking right for them,” SiriusXM Radio host and Giants play-by-play man Bob Papa said. “The feeling that they have is we need to go out and win a game. None of these things matter if they don’t win.
“So I think from their mindset, it’s let’s end the regular season, put forth a good game, execute and do good things and then they’ll scoreboard watch and see what happens in the evening and see if they get in or not.”
The Giants were in control of the NFC East until back-to-back losses to the Falcons and Ravens, in which they were outscored 67-14, put them in this tenuous position. While all facets of the team have fallen apart, as they did in 2009 and 2010, Papa points to the offense because, that is the unit the team was able to lean on last season.
“When this team has needed a jump-start, the offense has been able to make some plays, move the ball down the field and score,” he said. “Outside of the New Orleans game, the offense’s inability to be consistent has really stunned everybody. Because that’s been the strength of this group, offensively when they need to move it, they move it.”
Eli Manning put his name among the best quarterbacks in the game after leading the Giants to the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl XLVI win over the Patriots 11 months ago. But like the rest of the team, he has faded with 311 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions the past two games. At the same time, the Giants have been outgained 927-442 and have had the ball a total of 41:42 over the two hours of game time.
It’s made for a situation where beating the 4-11 Eagles to even enter the playoff conversation is no longer a lock.
“The thing that’s been alarming is that they haven’t been able to do the routine,” Papa said. “Forget about making big plays on offense or force turnovers and make big plays on defense, they aren’t doing the little things right now. They aren’t executing the short passes, getting third-and-four stops when they have everything lined up on defense. And that’s just not common with this team.”
It was a year ago the Giants continued their run to the playoffs beating the Cowboys in prime time to claim the division. This year it will be the Redskins playing Dallas for the division and the Giants rooting for Washington — if they clear all the other hurdles earlier in the day.