So much for Odell Beckham Jr.’s vision of the Giants going on an 8-0 run to finish the season. So much for the Giants rising from the dead to win the awful NFC East division. So much for the Giants making December interesting. So much for making a statement against the defending Super Bowl champions.
The Philadelphia Eagles put an end to this nonsense on Sunday by beating the Giants 25-22 at Lincoln Financial Field. In a game that mattered when the going got tough, the Giants came up small by scoring only three points in the second half while the Eagles were moving up and down the field offensively. As a result, the Eagles scored five of their final seven possessions in the game.
The Giants did everyone a favor by losing this game. Now, there’s no doubt they will miss the playoffs this season, especially after their eighth loss of the season. The Giants fans and local media don’t have to fantasize about the Giants running the table. There’s no need to wonder whether Giants quarterback Eli Manning still has it anymore. There’s no reason to watch this team anymore this season. There’s no reason to be excited. There should be no reward for an awful team like the Giants winning the division, so now it comes down to the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.
Truth be told, the Giants never were a playoff team in the first place despite winning two in a row prior to this game. Any bad team can go on a winning streak in a season, so it was hard to take their two-game winning streak seriously. Even if they beat the Eagles, they were still not going to win the division. This offense and defense have been inconsistent all season for anyone to think the Giants would all of a sudden get hot.
The Giants offense and defense showed its true colors in the second half against the Eagles.
After ratcheting up 346 yards on offense in the first half, which helped the Giants score 19 points, they only mustered 56 yards and three first downs in the second half. Part of it was because Giants coach Pat Shurmur inexplicably did not have Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley (four carries) run the ball in the second half. Another was Manning struggling to throw in that half.
The Giants defense couldn’t sack Eagles quarterback at all, and they could not stop the Eagles’ running game. The Eagles found ways to get into Giants’ territory and got points out of it by scoring 14 points in that fourth quarter that ultimately determined the game.
The Giants offense couldn’t come up with a big play in the second half, and the Giants defense gave up too many big plays in that half. That has been the M.O. of the New York Football Giants not just this season, but the last few seasons.
To say the Giants now figured everything out was ludicrous. They wouldn’t be in the position they are in, in the first place if they were consistently good from the beginning. It comes down to they nflare not good enough. They are a flawed team.
Giants fans have been conditioned to think their team can make it happen based on them rebounding from awful start in 2011.What they don’t understand is the cast of characters are different and the Giants quarterback is not what he used to be anymore. Plus, that 2011 Super Bowl championship team was a better team than people give credit for
Yes, there are couple of teams in the NFC East that are not that good, either, but there is talent. The Redskins may be the best of the bunch since they have a better defense. They can survive losing quarterback Alex Smith since backup quarterback Colt McCoy can flourish under Jay Gruden’s offense based on his ability to throw deep.
The Giants can’t make a case for themselves. Even if they won, it would not change anything. Being a flawed team, they are who they are based on merit. When NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells once said you are what your record says you are, it certainly has its meaning for a 3-8 team on pace to lose 11 games this season.
Winning was prolonging the inevitable. The Giants were likely going to lose to the NFC North-division leading Chicago Bears at home this coming Sunday. Plus, they would likely lose to the Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Cowboys.
There is a good chance the Giants won their last game of the season, so it’s better not to get your hopes up and be disappointed.
The Giants did their fans a service by losing this game.
Now, they can focus on the task at hand, which is being awful enough to get the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft and get an offensive lineman who is worth his salt. They can also focus on hiring a new offensive coordinator next season rather than have Shurmur call the plays.
They were only fooling themselves and their fans if they kept winning. This flawed roster was going to catch up to them.
It certainly did in the second half of Sunday’s game in South Philadelphia.
