On Sunday, one team kept its playoff hope alive while the other's ended at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The Giants were on the wrong end as they fell to the Chargers, 37-14, closing the door on the playoffs for the second year in a row.
With the Giants dropping to 5-8, here is what they're saying around the league about Big Blue:
"It was fitting that the Chargers eliminated the New York Giants from the playoffs with a 37-14 victory. The Giants went 1-3 against the AFC West; the AFC West went 11-5 against the NFC East."
"Just a lost season for Eli Manning. Hakeem Nicks finally came alive, which is about the only bright spot from this game. New York was officially eliminated after this loss. Finally."
"Inevitability doesn't mitigate heartbreak. So even though this day had been coming for months, the New York Giants were glum in the wake of their 37-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers. The loss, combined with victories by the Eagles and Cardinals elsewhere, officially eliminated the Giants from contention for this year's postseason. There was no improving their mood on this matter."
"The Giants had gamely given life to their season by winning five of their previous six games, but it was not so much a transformation as it was a case study in resiliency. They still were guilty of turnovers and mental errors, but they mostly overcame them. And rediscovering the sort of physical line play that had given birth to a pair of Super Bowl runs added to their rejuvenation. But on Sunday, the Giants put themselves in an early hole, and kept on digging."
"With a trio of games left and no hope of making it into the playoffs, the Giants find themselves in a situation that seems to be a proper metaphor for their go-nowhere season. Three-and-out. Their 37-14 loss to the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium Sunday, coupled with the Eagles' win over the Lions earlier in the day, left the Giants three games behind first-place Philadelphia and mathematically unable to pass the Eagles in the NFC East standings. The 49ers' win over the Seahawks eliminated the Giants from wild-card contention. For the fourth time in the last five years, the Giants (5-8) will be watching the playoffs from the outside."
