Inside what used to be a football stadium, their football stadium, the place they actually dreamed they might be playing on Super Sunday, the Giants, disgraceful 36-21 losers, lay dead and buried in what was suddenly a Big Blue cemetery, where Eagles danced on their grave.
R.I.P. New York Football Giants.
Now known as the Bad News Giants. Historically bad Giants.
Woe-and-5, over-and-out.
On a day when maybe only Peyton Manning could have saved them, Eli Manning (three fourth-quarter interceptions) could not.
At a time when the franchise is crumbling all around him, the franchise quarterback so desperate to carry the franchise above the rubble, crumbled along with it, and shockingly became Eliability.
On a day when all Big Blue needed to do was make a stand against backup quarterback Nick Foles (16-for-25, 197 yards, two touchdowns) after Mike Vick (hamstring) couldn’t even make it to intermission, they could not.
On a day when the Giants needed to find a way to win, they failed to finish again and found another way to lose.
“You got to win these games in the fourth quarter,” David Diehl said.
On a day when the Giants needed to be the tougher, smarter, more poised team, more desperate team, they were not.
On a day when Tom Coughlin pleaded for help from the 12th Man, he and the 11 men playing for him earned their scorn and derision instead.
On a day when Coughlin needed to be more decisive on a failed third-quarter challenge that immediately followed his called timeout, he was not, and when Manning burned a timeout with 4:41 left in the third quarter, there were none left.
With David Wilson (neck) knocked out of the game in the first half, it was Brandon Jacobs’ turn to fumble away a field goal.
Except for an occasional burst to the quarterback from Jason Pierre-Paul, there was little or no pass rush (one sack) once again.
The boobirds wasted no time venting on Manning’s three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half.
And then, as if a cruel tease handed down from the football gods, Manning brought the Giants back.
His 26-yard bullet to Rueben Randle made it Eagles 19, Giants 14.
Now here came that 12th Man, with all its sound and fury.
Manning scrambled left, away from Trent Cole, and found Randle with the 6-yard pass that made it Giants 21, Eagles 19.
Justin Tuck was asked what he was thinking at that point. “Find a way to win this football game,” he said.
Why can’t this team find a way to win?
“I don’t know. I’m searching for those answers too,” Tuck said.
It was Eagles 22, Giants 21 — a 27-yard interference penalty against Prince Amukamara started the dominoes falling — when Manning got the ball back.
Inside a traffic-laden pocket, Manning, first-and-20 at his 41, with Brandon Boykin nipping at his heels, threw an ill-advised blooper off center Jim Cordle’s helmet that Mychal Kendricks intercepted and returned to the Giants’ 25.
It was Eagles 29, Giants 21 with 10:26 left when Foles hit Brent Celek on the next play.
“When we keep him upright and he’s comfortable and he had his feet, he’s the best quarterback in the NFL, I have no doubt about that,” Diehl said.
Manning, according to Cordle, apparently thought he had a free play after getting whacked with a forearm across the helmet and facemask.
“Where’s the call?” Giants offensive linemen raged at the zebras.
“It kind of came out of my hand funny,” Manning said. “That’s on me. … I just got to be smarter. If I feel pressure, can’t try to throw that ball in there.”
It was Eagles 36, Giants 21 after Boykin out-wrestled Victor Cruz for a panicked sidearm delivery from a hounded Manning at the Giants’ 38 and Foles, four plays later, threw his second touchdown of the game.
“I knew I probably couldn’t get everything on the ball that I’d like to get, and step into the throw,” Manning said. “You got to make that final decision: Can you get it in, or is it too risky? And unfortunately, I made the wrong decision there.”
The state of the Giants?
“Very frustrated, very down,” Coughlin said.
They’re 0-5 on merit.
“I lose the games, they win ’em,” Coughlin said.
Wait ’til next year.