PHILADELPHIA — It isn’t always Santa who is standing between you and your first playoff berth in five seasons.
Sometimes, it is The Grinch who steals Christmas.
Sometimes, there are 53 Ebenezer Scrooges dressed as Eagles, chanting “Bah humbug” at Eli Manning and the New York Football Giants and their playoff dreams.
Manning used to win games like these.
Not Thursday night.
This was one for the Birds from Manning (three interceptions) and the undisciplined, penalty-plagued Giants, 24-19 losers who didn’t deserve to barge back into the playoffs again on this night, and will have to be content backing into the postseason with cooperation from the Packers or Bucs or Falcons or Lions … unless the football gods demand they beat the Redskins at FedEx Field on New Year’s Day.