Well, at least that was entertaining.
The Giants did not have anything to play for on New Year’s Day and yet they exchanged blow after blow with the Rams.
They had a chance to win it but they came up with some questionable play-calling in the closing seconds in a 26-25 loss at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants were down 26-19 when Gunner Olszewski escaped a sure tackle and sprinted away on a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown with 3:27 remaining.
That cut the deficit to 26-25 and coach Brian Daboll was content on tying the game, which Mason Crosby did with a successful extra-point kick.
But the Rams were called for encroachment on the play and Daboll switched up, opting to go for two from the 1-yard line, now trying to take the lead.
Tyrod Taylor took the snap, rolled to his right and could have run into the end zone.
He also had Saquon Barkley to his right and could have flipped the ball to Barkley for the conversion.
Taylor short-armed the toss, though, and it sailed behind Barkley and to the turf.
The Giants were out of timeouts and got the ball back with 1:08 remaining on their 35-yard line after Isaiah Simmons sacked Matt Stafford on third down.
Taylor scrambled for 31 yards to the Rams’ 32-yard line.
For some reason, the Giants then played for a long-range field-goal attempt by Crosby, running Barkley into the line, as he lost two yards.
Taylor threw the ball into the turf on third down and Crosby, the 39-year-old kicker signed earlier in the month, was well short on a 54-yard try with 30 seconds remaining to end the deal for the Giants.
One year ago the Giants partied on New Year’s Day, routing the Colts 38-10 to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011, and the fans at revved-up MetLife Stadium saluted Daniel Jones by chanting his name as he came off the field after he threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more.
One year later, the Giants spent Week 17 playing at home in front of so many empty gray seats.
At least they gave those who showed up something to see.
The Giants (5-11) are staggering to the finish line, losers of three consecutive games as they mercifully leave behind this miserable season with a Week 18 home game with the Eagles.
The Rams (9-7) extended their winning streak to three games and won for the sixth time in their last seven games.
The Giants hung tough, within 14-10 at halftime, but could not hang in forever.
They received the second half kickoff but Taylor was sacked twice on that first series.
The Rams looked to have a first down, and nothing more, when Stafford on third-and-4 found rookie Puka Nacua for a short gain.
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson was there for the tackle at the Rams’ 22-yard line, but failed to make the stop.
Nacua spun out of Jackson’s weak tackle attempt and raced up the right sideline for an 80-yard eruption to the Giants’ 2-yard line.
Kyren Williams ran in his second touchdown and the Giants were down 20-10.
That was not a knockout blow. Taylor uncorked a howitzer that Darius Slayton turned into an 80-yard touchdown, as Slayton ran past Ahkello Witherspoon and never had to break stride.
Crosby missed the extra point and the Giants were within 20-16.
Stafford then overthrew Demarcus Robinson and safety Dane Belton was there for the interception, the Giants’ third takeaway of the game.
The Giants had the ball on the Rams’ 34 but right guard Ben Bredeson was called for a holding penalty and the Giants settled for a Crosby field goal to cut the deficit to 20-19.
Back came Stafford, a true gunslinger. He found Robinson for 37 yards and Williams cut inside Bobby Okereke on a 28-yard touchdown run.
Rookie kicker Lucas Havrisik missed his second extra point and the Giants were down 26-19.
On the Rams’ second possession, Stafford went 4-for-4 on a methodical drive capped by Williams’ 4-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0.
The Giants responded by doing something that has been a rarity for them: They overcame their own mistakes.
There was a sack of Taylor and a holding penalty on tight end Daniel Bellinger on what turned into a 75-yard scoring drive, thanks mainly to Taylor going 6-for-6 for 56 yards, with a pinpoint throw to the right sideline to find Jalin Hyatt for 16 yards on third down.
That set up a perfectly executed jet sweep to Wan’Dale Robinson, who ran behind blocks by Andrew Thomas and John Michael Schmitz on a 24-yard touchdown run to pull the Giants even at 7.
Taylor did not look like the calm, cool vet he is when coach Brian Daboll opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Giants’ 47-yard line. Taylor was too quick as he was set for a quarterback sneak and fumbled the snap, ruining the gamble by Daboll and setting the Rams up near midfield.
Stafford picked apart a Giants secondary playing without rookie cornerback Deonte Banks — out with a shoulder injury — and cashed in by hitting Cooper Kupp on a 5-yard touchdown connection, with Kupp easing past Banks’ replacement, Nick McCloud.
It looked as if the Rams would build on their 14-7 lead when Taylor looked deep for Slayton but did not see safety Jordan Fuller, who raced in for an interception.
There was no building, though, as Robinson, after a 16-yard reception, had the ball punched out by Jackson, with Belton recovering the fumble on the Rams’ 43 with 58 seconds left in the first half.
Crosby’s 31-yard field goal as time expired pulled the Giants within 14-10.