Davis Webb talks to the media after Wednesday’s practice during which he received some first-team reps. Art Stapleton/NorthJersey.com
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The trip down memory lane inside University of Phoenix Stadium represented the highest of highs for the New York Giants.
Ten seasons ago, there was all of this: a rousing upset of the 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII with a resilient fourth quarter performance by Eli Manning, a miraculous catch by David Tyree and a clutch game-winning touchdown reception by Plaxico Burress that delivered a Vince Lombardi trophy.
On Sunday, just as she did 10 years ago, Jordin Sparks sang the national anthem.
But for these Giants, this return to Arizona will now represents the lowest of lows in franchise history. Big Blue had never lost 13 games in a single season until now, falling to the Arizona Cardinals 23-0, and now the dubious distinction of being the worst team in terms of losses in the club's 92-year history is theirs.
Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese are gone after being fired earlier this month.
There's one game remaining in what has been an absolutely brutal season and there would be no Christmas miracle in the desert to serve as a Week 16 reprieve for the 2-13 Giants. The Giants were shut out for the first time since Week 6 of the 2014 season in Philadelphia in the game infamously remembered as being the night Victor Cruz suffered his devastating knee injury against the Eagles in Lincoln Financial Field.
The only saving grace is the chance to lock down the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft next Sunday either with a loss to the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium or a victory by the Indianapolis Colts, who are slated to pick third.
The winless Cleveland Browns clinched the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive season with their 14th loss against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen could find himself in position to wield some power at the top of the 2018 NFL Draft. His play might just be to force his way to the Big Apple.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning that Rosen is mulling his options as to whether to enter the draft, and he could ultimately decide to stay in school and return to UCLA rather than play for the Browns.
The ESPN report indicated that Rosen's preference would be to play for the Giants, where he could emerge in a competition to become Eli Manning's successor. Of course, Manning - with the urging of his father Archie - helped orchestrate his landing with Big Blue at the top of the 2004 draft.
Manning was selected No. 1 overall by the then-San Diego Chargers, for whom he had no interest in playing. The Giants were selecting fourth, and they drafted Philip Rivers for the Chargers, ultimately dealing him and a package of picks for the rights to Manning.
There are no guarantees the Giants would select a quarterback with their first round pick, considering they are currently in the process interviewing for their next general manager with the search for their next head coach on tap at season's end next week.
Rookie quarterback Davis Webb got first-team snaps in practice this week, but Giants interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo acknowledged that he would likely be inactive again Sunday for the 15th time this season - and he was.
Interim GM Kevin Abrams, former Carolina Panthers GM Dave Gettleman, ESPN analyst and former NFL front office exec Louis Riddick and Giants vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross all interviewed for the GM job this week. The search is expected to continue and could wrap shortly after the regular season ends.
But Rosen and USC quarterback Sam Darnold - two of the top prospects - are both underclassmen and can return to school. Neither has yet to declare his desire. Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson are draft eligible.
One more week and the Giants can officially turn all of their attention to next season.
Here is a look at the rest of our in-game analysis:
Cardinals 16, Giants 0, 6:55 left in 3rd quarter
Drew Brees? No, Drew Stanton is starting to carve up the banged-up Giants secondary.
Stanton just threw his second touchdown pass of the game, a 15-yarder to John Brown, as the Cardinals extended their lead to 16-0. Phil Dawson missed the point-after kick.
Named the starter this week upon returning from injury, Stanton has completed 17-of-27 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Larry Fitzgerald has nine catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. He's also completed a pass for 21 yards in the first half.
Halftime: Cardinals 10, Giants 0
It may be cliche, but certainly still applies: what a difference a week makes for the Giants' offense.
They've been shut out by the Cardinals so far and had just 5 first downs and 145 total yards. Remember, last week against the NFC East champion Eagles, they scored three touchdowns on their first three possessions.
Arizona coach Bruce Arians made a point earlier this week on a conference call with Giants beat reporters that Landon Collins shows up on the film, that No. 21 is hard to miss. What is also true: when No. 21 isn't on the field, teams pounce.
For the second time in three weeks, Collins went to the sideline for a play while dealing with an injury and the opponent found the end zone. The Cowboys did it two weeks ago with a Dak Prescott-to-Jason Witten strike and the Cardinals repeated the feat Sunday when Drew Stanton hit Larry Fitzgerald from 13 yards out with 1:01 left.
Fitzgerald had a monster first half with eight catches for 101 yards and that score.
Eli Manning is 12-of-20 for 126 yards and two interceptions.
Collins returned for the final play of the half: a kneeldown in victory formation from Stanton and the Cardinals. But he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Cardinals 3, Giants 0, 8:58 in 2nd quarter
The Giants have yet to crack the scoreboard after Aldrick Rosas missed wide left on a 33-yard field goal attempt with 8:58 left in the second quarter.
Rosas has now missed seven field goals - one blocked - and a pair of point-after kicks. If the Giants were more competitive this season, they would have been hard-pressed to keep sending the young first-year kicker out there week after week.
Cardinals 3, Giants 0, End of 1st quarter
What a wacky scene to end the first quarter.
Eli Manning completed a third down pass to Roger Lewis, but Lewis fumbled the ball, only to recover at the original line of scrimmage. It appeared from the outset that Lewis did not have control of the ball and it should have been ruled incomplete, but wasn't, so Cardinals coach Bruce Arians challenged the play.
Ultimately, all the challenge would accomplish is putting four seconds left on the clock.
If the call was upheld by replay, the Giants faced a fourth-and-2 from the 40.
If the call was overturned - and it was - the Giants faced a fourth-and-2 from the 40.
So thanks to Arians' challenge, the game went back in time from the second to the first quarter. But wait: there's more: the Giants kept their offense on the field and it looked as though they were going for it. This was all a facade, though, as Manning tried to get the Cardinals to jump offsides - to no avail, of course - and the Giants wound up punting the ball.
One disappointing note for the Giants: rookie tight end Evan Engram suffered a rib injury on the previous possession when Manning was intercepted by Antoine Bethea. He returned for one play, but did not return after that.
Cardinals 3, Giants 0, 5:29 left in 1st quarter
Phil Dawson's 21-yard field goal puts the Cardinals on top with 5:29 left in the first quarter. Arizona has not scored a touchdown in its last 10 trips to the red zone and the Giants bent defensively, but did not break.
The series included a duck of a flea-flicker from quarterback Drew Stanton to Larry Fitzgerald, who caught four passes on the scoring drive. Fitzgerald has now caught at least one reception in 210 consecutive games.
The Giants are using cornerbacks Brandon Dixon, Ross Cockrell and Darryl Morris with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie being used sparingly to this point and Eli Apple not at all on defense.
Apple committed the first of two Giants penalties on special teams.
Pregame
Landon Collins' streak lives. So does Davis Webb's.
Collins is active and will start in Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, while rookie quarterback Davis Webb is a healthy scratch and is inactive for the 15th time this season. Collins re-aggravated a left ankle injury last Sunday against the Eagles, but he has not missed a game in his career, extending his run to 47 games.
A surprise inactive for the Giants (2-12) is rookie defensive end Avery Moss, who has seen his playing time diminish in recent weeks even though he has impressed. Jason Pierre-Paul (finger) will play despite being listed as questionable.
The Giants have talked a lot about lessening the workload of Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon, but still have yet to do so.
More Giants coverage
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