For the second straight week the New York Giants melted down in a game they absolutely needed to win, being routed Sunday by the Green Bay Packers, 45-17.
The Giants could have clinched a playoff berth with a victory over the Packers Sunday in Green Bay. Now, even if the Giants are able to rebound and defeat the Washington Redskins next Sunday they will need other teams — including the Packers — to lose in order to qualify for the playoffs.
At least this time the Giants did not tease themselves — or their fans — for 52 minutes and blow a 21-point lead, as they did a week ago in Philadelphia.
This time they dug themselves a 14-point first-quarter lead, dug their way out of it to tie the game at 14-14, then quickly played their way out of the game with a flurry of turnovers (six in all, four of them interceptions by quarterback Eli Manning) and awful play by the defensive secondary.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 404 yards and four touchdowns, and Green Bay totaled 515 yards, the first time the Giants have given up that many yards since 1980.
The Giants (9-7) may have now played their way out of the playoffs. In the midst of a second consecutive embarrassing season-ending collapse they may also end up playing head coach Tom Coughlin out of a job. Rest assured, the calls for Coughlin’s job will only grow louder after Sunday’s debacle.
Fittingly, the severe storms in the New York area Sunday night will not allow the Giants to travel home tonight. They will be stranded in Wisconsin for at least another day.