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The Giants yesterday finally avoided playing a close game that took them down to the frantic closing seconds.
They ditched the late dramatics in a startlingly effective way: They barely played at all.
“I can’t say it any more bluntly,’’ a subdued Tom Coughlin said after the carnage. “I expected more.’’
He could not have gotten less.
PHOTOS: REDSKINS BEAT GIANTS, 23-10
Beaten on the ground, in the air, early, often and on first, second and third downs by the going-nowhere Redskins, the Giants yesterday spread some holiday jeer to their groaning and increasingly underwhelmed fans. They displayed many of their trademark defensive lapses and added in a new wrinkle of shoddy play by Eli Manning and his receivers, a combination that led to a desultory and numbing 23-10 loss that was never close but actually does not kill off their playoff aspirations.
“We looked like the four-win team out there today, rather than the Redskins,’’ defensive tackle Chris Canty said. “It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed.’’
This was beyond embarrassing. Manning threw three interceptions and the defense for the second time this season made Rex Grossman look like a winner. The Giants trailed 17-0 in the second quarter, 17-3 at halftime, 23-3 in the fourth quarter and did not get their first and only touchdown until 33 seconds remained, with the empty gray seats at deserted MetLife Stadium serving as witnesses to this football crime.
“I’ve got as big knot in my stomach for the way we just played,’’ Justin Tuck said.
As sick as they looked, their postseason chances did not expire. The Giants (7-7), losers of five of their last six games, are now one full game behind the Cowboys (8-6) but still have control of their playoff destiny. On Christmas Eve, they can be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Jets and the Cowboys beat the Eagles. That would create a two-game gap and make the Giants-Cowboys regular-season finale on New Year’s Day meaningless.
But despite not at all looking like a playoff team, the Giants will be one if they win their last two games. If they win out, they will be 9-7 and the NFC East champs, because they would will have beaten the Cowboys twice. The possibility remains for a three-team gridlock with the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles all owning records of 8-8, the Eagles will win the tie-breakers and the Dream Team will move on.
The loss, though, did eliminate the Giants from the wild-card picture.
Of course, linking the Giants and the playoffs could be seen as blasphemous. They performed as if they had nothing to play for, which was the case for the Redskins (5-9) except no one told the Redskins.
“We just didn’t have enough fight throughout the entire game,’’ said safety Antrel Rolle, who offered several theories but not many solutions as to the plight of the Giants. “It’s football, man. If you don’t have enough fight, then you don’t deserve to be on the field.’’
Rolle said he believes the Giants have heart but, “Honestly I don’t know why we don’t go out and display it every game.’’ He also went on a riff about players needing to practice despite “nicks and bruises.’’
After the season-opening loss to the Redskins Rolle said the Giants would beat them 95 out of 100 times. If that’s the case, the Giants had better win 95 of the next 98 games because the Redskins are 2-0 on them this season.
“We’re 10 times better than what we showed out on the field today,’’ Rolle said. “I don’t know, man.’’
Nothing worked for the Giants. Manning misfired on his first six passes. The Giants intercepted two of Grossman’s passes in the first quarter and got nothing out of it. Hakeem Nicks dropped what should have been a 54-yard touchdown pass. Rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara was so tentative in coverage that he was benched in the second half. Coughlin challenged a ruling and lost — the seventh consecutive lost challenge by Coughlin, once the king of challenges.
“They played better than us, that’s what it came down to,’’ understated Manning.
“It’s shocking, it [stinks], it’s tough to swallow,’’ added Mathias Kiwanuka. “You never see something like this coming.’’
What’s coming next is a battle with the Jets, who yesterday were hammered in Philadelphia. The winner lives on, the loser is in big trouble.
“I’m not worried,’’ Rolle said. “When it slips away I’ll just say it slips away. Hopefully it doesn’t get to that point. I’m not worried because I’m very confident in our team.’’