It was an illusion, of course, and a delusion that the Giants could stage a miracle run into the playoffs, a pipe dream that they can now stop smoking, because they do not belong in Roger Goodell’s postseason.
They were Dead On Arrival long ago and didn’t know it, they are officially dead now and they know it, and so does everyone else.
“Obviously it hurts,” Eli Manning said. “You want to try and make the playoffs and obviously we didn’t play well enough early in the year to put ourselves in a good position.