EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The tailgate parties in the parking lots around MetLife Stadium were more subdued Sunday. The music was quieter and the congregations less boisterous. Once the game began, as many as a fourth of the stadium seats were empty.
If the mood was somber, there was good reason.
Not only were the Giants playing their final game in a third successive losing season, but the years of disappointing results meant the home crowd could be witnessing Coach Tom Coughlin’s last game as the team’s coach.
As Coughlin ran onto the field before the game, many fans stood to cheer.