EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was a subdued gathering of Giants fans arriving at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Giants were not only playing their final game in a third straight losing season, it appeared the disappointing years were going to conclude with the retirement, resignation or firing of the longtime coach Tom Coughlin.
The tailgate parties in the parking lots around the stadium were more subdued with the music quieter and congregations less boisterous. Once the game began, as many as a fourth of the stadium seats were empty, although eventually a late-arriving crowd packed most rows and sections.