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You think this is bad? Eli Manning can think of an even worse scenario for the Giants.
That’s hard to fathom, as the road to the playoffs for Manning’s team is not filled with potholes, it’s barely been paved. After back-to-back losses by a combined 67-14, the Giants aren’t deserving of getting anything for Christmas other than a DVD of Super Bowl XLVI to remind them how to play like champions. Almost cruelly, they are not yet eliminated from this year’s post-season tournament but their chances of getting in are, in Tom Coughlin’s words, “remote,’’ which might as well be “nil.’’
The Giants need to win on Sunday against the Eagles, who once again will have Michael Vick at the helm, and winning on Sundays has proven to be too much of a challenge for nearly two months. Then, the Giants need to see the Lions upset the Bears and the Packers beat the Vikings in order to stay alive until Sunday night, when they need the Cowboys to lose or tie the Redskins in what amounts to an NFC East title game in Washington.
What could be worse than hoping for all this?
“The worst feeling you could have is if all of those teams lose and we don’t handle our business and we lose,’’ Manning said. “You never know what can happen, it’s a crazy game, it’s a crazy sport. Obviously, the scenarios are very possible. It’s not like a bunch of huge upsets have to happen. These are three divisional games being played and in the division, you never know what might occur.’’
Coughlin said “stranger things have happened’’ but this would rank up there as one of the all-time domino-effect breaks if everything falls into place for the Giants. More likely, they pack their bags Sunday afternoon and turn their backs on a confounding season. They appeared primed for a healthy Super Bowl defense after getting out to their customary 6-2 start. In the past two games, Coughlin’s club has failed to function at all on offense or defense.
Case in point: Early in the fourth quarter of the 33-14 loss in Baltimore, the Ravens, leading 30-7 and in complete control, were satisfied with running the ball and eating away at the clock. A simple handoff to rookie Bernard Pierce designed to gain a few yards instead broke for a 78-yard eruption.
“They were running a lead draw late in the game that goes for 78 yards … that’s our inability to stop a basic football play,’’ lamented Coughlin, who added “We’re not making any plays.’’
What the Giants aren’t doing is obvious. The reasons why are less so.
“The pedigree of this group is very, very good and for us to be getting beat the way we’ve been getting beat these last two weeks, obviously there’s something lacking,’’ said Osi Umenyiora, most likely gearing up for his last game with the Giants. “Is it physical talent? You can’t say it’s physical talent because we have the ability, but obviously it has to be something and so the only thing I think you can point to is confidence. It just doesn’t seem like we’re playing with a lot of confidence and it’s showing out there on the football field.’’
Coughlin bristled a bit when asked why the Giants, with so much to play for, came up so small the past two weeks.
“Don’t tell us we haven’t had hope,’’ he said. “We’ve had it.’’
They haven’t shown it, which is why the Giants realize this is the end of the line.
“Even if it is the last game, let’s end it on a high note,’’ Manning said.
“Football is life,’’ added Umenyiora. “I think people like to differentiate football from life, but it is what it is. You’re not going to win the Super Bowl every year. Luckily I’ve been here where we’ve won two championships and I’m going to hold my head high no matter what because of that. Did this year play out the way out any of us wanted it to? No, but at the end of the day, we still have a chance to go out there and give one last good impression or one good showing of ourselves and I think we’re going to do that.’’
paul.schwartz@nypost.com