GIANT Losses

Being the Giants ended up on the wrong side of history with Sunday’s epic collapse here’s a historic compilation of the most painful and gut-wrenching New York Giants losses.

November 19, 1978. The Miracle at the Meadowlands I:

At Giants Stadium vs. the Eagles with the Giants leading 17-12 with 31 seconds left, Giants QB Joe Pisarcik made the mistake of attempting a handoff instead of a QB kneel and that turned out to be fatal when he missed the connection to Larry Csonka. Herman Edwards picked the ball up at the Giants 26-yard line and took it to the end zone and the Eagles won 19-17 en route to a Wild Card season.

December 27, 1997: Vikings stun the Giants:

With the Giants hosting the Vikings in the 1997 NFC Wild Card game the Giants led 16-0 in the second quarter, then 19-3 at the half including four field goals by Brad Daluiso. In the third quarter Tiki Barber fumbled and Minnesota capitalized with a rushing touchdown by Leroy Hoard. After trading field goals, it was 22-13 but then with a minute and a half left in the game Randall Cunningham launched a 30-yard bomb to Jake Reed in the back of the end zone and the Giants clung to a 2-point lead. On the onside kick Chris Calloway muffed the ball instead of letting it bounce and it bounced off the chest of Calloway then picked up by Minnesota. With 1:09 to go Chris Carter made a clutch play to the Giants 35-yard line then a couple plays later Eddie Murray kicked a 24-yard field goal with thirteen seconds left to win 23-22 and the Vikings stunned the Giants and you could hear a pin drop at Giants Stadium.

January 5, 2003: Giants blow a 24-point lead to the 49ers:

The 2002 NFC Wild Card game in the Bay Area was tied 14-14 in the second until two touchdowns from Kerry Collins to Amani Toomer. Up fourteen at the half, Tiki Barber padded the lead with a 6-yard rushing touchdown, then Matt Bryant kicked a field goal and the Giants were up by 24, 38-14 with 4:27 left in the third. Late in the third, Terrell Owens sliced into the lead catching a Jeff Garcia touchdown pass and converting the 2-point conversion. After the Giants punted on their next possession, Dhani Jones made an unnecessary roughness penalty hitting the punt returner who called for a fair catch and that tacked on fifteen extra yards. Five seconds into the final quarter Jeff Gracia dashed 24 yards for a TD then threw a 2-point conversion to T.O. and the incredible shrinking lead was at eight (38-30 NY). The Niners converted on fourth and one, shortly after Jeff Chandler kicked a 25-yard field goal and it was a 5-point game. With three minutes to go in regulation Matt Bryant could not have kicked it worse wrenching a 42-yard field goal attempt far wide left as if he was aiming for the Pacific Ocean. San Fran drove the ball relentlessly and it culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Garcia to Tai Streets with one minute left. After missing the 2-point conversion, SF led NY 39-38. With the ball back the Giants moved down the field after two first down receptions by Ron Dixon then with five seconds to go a controversial travesty occurred. Matt Bryant was attempting a 41-yard field goal, but long snapper Trey Junkin botched the snap and placeholder Matt Allen could never get a hold of it. Allen in panic mode lobbed it to the end zone incomplete but lineman Rich Seubert an ELIGIBLE receiver was open and was tugged to the ground by defensive end Chike Okeafor. Instead of calling the blatant pass interference, the referees deemed Seubert as an INELIGIBLE receiver and the 49ers completed the 24-point comeback to win 39-38 ending on one of the most controversial calls still to this day.

November 26, 2006: Giants lose in devitalizing fashion at Tennessee:

The Giants who had Super Bowl expectations started off the 2006 campaign 6-2 and virtually collapsed in the second half. This was the defeat in which the team never recovered. The Sunday after Thanksgiving the 6-4 Giants were in Tennessee to face the 3-7 Titans. Giants led 21-0 at the end of three quarters after two touchdowns by Brandon Jacobs and one by Plaxico Burress. On the first play of the third quarter at the Titans 21 instead of kicking a 49-yard field goal the Giants opted to go for it on fourth and four and Eli Manning threw an incompletion to give Tennessee life. With thirteen minutes remaining Manning threw an interception to Pacman Jones. Vince Young rushed on fourth and nine and did not convert the first down but a Giants unnecessary roughness penalty gave Tennessee a new set of downs. Young threw a touchdown on third and goal then took it himself for a 1-yard touchdown scamper and it was 21-14 with just over five minutes to go. With under three minutes to play on fourth and ten from their own 24, Vince Young was on the cusp of getting sacked when Mathias Kiwanuka made a duncical play where he had Young wrapped up but gave up on the play as if Young was a sack dummy mannequin and Young escaped and rushed for a first down. With 44 seconds left Young threw a 14-yard touchdown toss to Brandon Jones and it was a tie game. With 23 seconds left Manning threw another interception to Pacman Jones and Tennessee took over at the Giants 49-yard line. After two Titans completions Rob Bironas kicked a 49-yard field goal through the uprights for a 24-21 Titans victory.

December 19, 2010: The Miracle at the Meadowlands II:

In another eerie twist of fate vs. the Eagles at MetLife Stadium the Giants collapsed in another crushing blow. Mario Manningham reeled in two touchdown receptions from Eli Manning for 35 and 33 yards and Hakeem Nicks hauled in an 8-yard TD pass from Manning and it was 24-3 Giants at halftime. After trading touchdowns in the second half, it was 31-10 then with seven and a half to go Michael Vick lobbed a pass to Brent Celek who jogged his way for a touchdown with practically no Giants secondary pressure for a 65-yard TD pass. The Eagles got the ball back on an onside kick then Vick threw to DeSean Jackson for a first down then ran 35 yards inside the Giants 10-yard line. Vick ran four yards on a quarterback draw to find the end zone and it was a 7-point game (31-24 NY). On the next Eagles possession with no timeouts and just under three minutes remaining on third and ten Vick found an open field with no coverage for a 33-yard QB rush then a couple plays later Vick ran right up the middle for 22 yards inside the NYG 25 as the clock struck the 2- minute warning. With 1:16 Vick found Jeremy Maclin for thirteen yards and a touchdown and subsequent to the extra point it was knotted at 31. After the Giants went three and out on their next possession concluding with Trevor Laws sacking Manning the Giants made the moronic choice to punt the ball inbounds to the NFL’s most dangerous punt returner and they paid for their sins. With twelve seconds left Matt Dodge kicked a line drive right to DeSean Jackson who bobbled the ball, recovered from his own 34, ran up the middle, got a block near the NFL logo at midfield, was off to the races down the sideline, hopped around in front of the end zone to make sure there was zero seconds left on the clock then waltzed into the end zone for a 38-31 Eagles victory in the New York cold. Both teams came into the game at 9-4, the Giants won one more game the rest of the way to miss the playoffs as both teams finished 10-6 but Philadelphia won the 2010 NFC East crown.

October 19, 2025: Giants vs. Broncos

The Giants led 19-0 after three quarters in Denver. Subsequent to two of the touchdowns Jude McAtamney missed the extra point then Big Blue failed on the 2-point conversion and those points ended up looming large. The Giants led 26-8 with just over five minutes left when Bo Nix scrambled seven yards to the right for a TD ensued by a 2-point conversion. Up by ten with 4:56 left at their own 35 Jaxson Dart threw right into the arms of Justin Strnad as if he forgot his team wears white not orange and Strnad took it deep into Giants territory. A short TD pass cut the lead to three (26-23). With 1:56 remaining Nix hustled eighteen yards for a rushing touchdown for Denver’s first lead of the game 30-26. With 40 seconds left Dart rushed for a 1-yard TD and it was 32-30 after McAtamney missed another extra point. Denver cut apart New York’s secondary with a half minute left then Wil Lutz kicked a 39-yard field goal and the Broncos were victorious 33-32.