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MINNEAPOLIS — The Giants had been half-hour from the playoffs.
After they headed into the visiting locker room at U.S. Financial institution Stadium, they had been trailing the Vikings 10-7 … whereas the Lions had been down 21-7 at Carolina on their option to 24-7 on the half, and the Seahawks had been down 17-0 at Kansas Metropolis on their option to 17-3 on the half.
All of the Giants wanted was half-hour of sensible, powerful, reliable soccer and a stirring upset of the house workforce, and losses by the Lions and Seahawks, and they might have been within the postseason for the primary time in six years, as a result of they might not have wanted the Commanders to lose to the 49ers.
Simply half-hour from the playoffs.
After 5 stinking years watching the playoffs … 30 stinking minutes.
However after Vikings 27, Giants 24 ended on a 61-yard subject purpose by Greg Joseph, was no celebration within the visiting locker room, no dancing from Brian Daboll, solely the bus trip within the arctic chilly from U.S. Financial institution Stadium to the constitution flight again simply in time for Christmas Day.
No playoff berth ready for the Giants underneath the Massive Blue tree.
Not but, anyway. Beat the Colts on New Yr’s Day, and they are going to be a playoff workforce once more.
“I’ve been within the playoffs,” Jon Feliciano advised The Submit. “I do know what a playoff workforce seems like.”
The Giants will proceed to maintain the blinders on and shut their ears to the skin noise, and if they’re the one ones who imagine they’re a playoff workforce, so be it.
They gained’t let this bah-humbug heartbreaker damage their Christmas, nor ought to they.
They fought to the bitter finish, generally preventing themselves — with a Daniel Jones fourth-quarter interception and a Jamie Gillan blocked punt that arrange Kirk Cousins’ 17-yard landing toss to Justin Jefferson that the ultimate nail within the coffin.
The Giants wouldn’t let it’s.
An explosive Saquon Barkley (14-84, 8-49 receiving) raced 27 yards for a TD, and it was 24-22 with 2:01 left.
Jones (30-42, 334 yards, one TD, one INT, 4-34 speeding) hit tight finish Daniel Bellinger for the 2-point conversion and it was 24-24.
“I feel he sort of balled out right this moment,” Feliciano stated. “He was throwing the ball throughout the sector and picked up some massive first downs together with his legs. I feel he put us in place to win.”
Till Cousins and Jefferson mixed on a 17-yard display that received Joseph shut sufficient.
The Seahawks misplaced. The Lions misplaced.
Bah, humbug.
“Our focus was on right this moment and successful the sport right this moment, so the truth that we didn’t do that’s definitely disappointing,” Jones stated.
However the Giants held their heads excessive simply the identical.
Nah, humbug.
“They had been nervous ’trigger we had been comin’,” Jihad Ward advised The Submit.
“That’s the definition of playoff soccer proper there. That s–t is gorgeous!”
Barkley wasn’t even conscious that he had missed his first postseason alternative. He talked in regards to the struggle and the center of the Giants as a substitute.
“We made extra errors than them,” he stated. “Massive video games, gotta make extra performs.”
It was early within the fourth quarter and it was 17-13 Vikings, and the Lions had been nonetheless dropping massive and the Seahawks had been nonetheless dropping massive when Jones started driving for the playoffs, to the playoffs. There he was, 32 yards from the playoffs when he seemed for brand new greatest pal Isaiah Hodgins over the center and was intercepted by Patrick Peterson.
“Simply threw it behind him,” Jones stated.
Then Richie James dropped a primary down go from Jones on the Minnesota 27.
Vikings 17, Giants 16.
6:24 to the playoffs.
The Giants’ protection pressured a three-and-out. Jones had it again at his 25.
4:24 to the playoffs.
Three-and-out.
Josh Metellus blocked Gillan’s punt. Cousins had it on the Giants’ 29.
4:02 to the playoffs.
Cousins-to Jefferson, 17-yard TD in opposition to Fabian Moreau and Jason Pinnock with three minutes remaining.
Bah, humbug.
I requested Darius Slayton if he was conscious that the Lions and Seahawks had misplaced.
“I’m now,” he stated.
And?
“It’s laborious to even take into consideration the playoffs proper now simply ’trigger that was a helluva soccer recreation on the market, you already know?” he stated.
Sixty extra minutes to the playoffs.
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