It was a complete embarrassment, and it ended their playoff hopes.
Matt Moore and the Carolina Panthers (7-8) turned the Giants' 273rd and final game in the 34-year-old stadium into one of their ugliest moments in franchise history with a 41-9 rout on Sunday. Coupled with wins by Green Bay and Dallas, the loss eliminated the Giants (8-7) from playoff contention for the first time in five years, something totally unexpected after a 5-0 start.
"It's tough," Tuck said after a seventh loss in 10 games. "We had everything at stake playing a team that was only playing for pride, and I guess pride won today. We should have been playing with a little pride ourselves."
The stunning aspect was the Giants' no-show effort. After turning the ball over deep in Carolina territory on their first possession, they were horrible and the fans, who came expecting one great final effort at home, let the "boos" fly before heading home well before the game ended.
"For us to play the way we did today, there is obviously no excuse for it," coach Tom Coughlin said after his team turned over the ball four times and allowed the Panthers to score on six of their first seven possessions.
Moore threw three touchdown passes,
Jonathan Stewart rushed for a franchise best 206 yards and the Panthers shredded New York's defense for 416 yards, including 247 rushing.
"We had to come out here and play tough and play to win, regardless of what they had on the line," said Moore, who completed 15 of 20 passes for 171 in his seventh NFL start.
Coming off a 45- 12 throttling of Washington, the Giants came up with another weak effort after a big win, their trademark this season.
"I told someone on the sideline that exact quote, that we have been part of the highest of highs," Tuck said. "but as far as my vantage point, this is the lowest I have been in a Giants' uniform."
Stewart, who now has 1,008 yards rushing this season and joined teammate DeAngelo Williams (1,117) in the 1,000-yard club this season.
