If the loss to the Panthers wasn't depressing enough for you, just wait until this Sunday. If the Giants beat the Vikings in Minnesota, there will be a whole new mess of reasons to be disappointed.
Depressing Outcome #1: The Giants beat the Vikings, the Cowboys beat the Eagles and the Cardinals beat the Packers. Under this scenario, the Giants would hand the second seed in the NFC playoffs to the Cardinals. Why is that depressing? If the Giants hadn't turned the ball over four times to hand an October game to the Cardinals in the Meadowlands, they wouldn't be in position to capitalize and get a first-round bye. Of course, this scenario is almost as depressing if the Packers win.
Depressing Outcome #2: The Giants win, the Cowboys win and the Cardinals lose. Congratulations, Giants, you've just handed the second seed in the NFC playoffs to a team you beat twice this season! The Eagles are currently the #2 seed in the conference and you could probably live with a team that's owned the Giants getting such a spot in the playoffs. But the Cowboys? Yee-owch.
Depressing Outcome #3: The Giants win and the Eagles win. As we said above, this would just maintain the status quo in the NFC entering the weekend. Hard as it is to take, you can't argue that the Eagles haven't earned the spot. This is just depressing because the Giants will go on the road to beat a team with 11 wins and a ton to play for seven days after they couldn't beat a hopeless team in their own building.
What a way to kick off a new year.
Of course, there's always the chance that the Giants lose and Brett Favre gets to run around flailing his arms in the air with his grey hair flapping in the climate-controlled breeze. There's not enough lipstick in the world to get this pig of a season ready for the Miss America pageant.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
