The New York Giants have had some weird moments across their 101-year history. Plenty of bad ones, plenty of dumb ones, and more than a few that qualify as both. But nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to what went down in the 2002 NFC Wild Card round.
Up 38-14 late in the third quarter, the G-Men were already mentally on a flight to Tampa. Quarterback Kerry Collins was on fire. Amani Toomer had three touchdowns. Tiki Barber cracked 100 rushing yards. And the defense was making 49ers QB Jeff Garcia look like a backup. Then the fourth quarter happened. And then a long snapper named Trey Junkin happened. And then 15 minutes changed everything.
San Francisco scored 25 unanswered points. Terrell Owens torched the secondary. Giants safety Shaun Williams got ejected. Jeremy Shockey melted down. And with six seconds left, the Giants lined up for a 41-yard field goal to save the win. Fans probably already know what happened next, but if you don’t, you’re in for something.
That one time the Giants blew a 24-point lead in the playoffs in the worst way possible
Let’s start with the context. Dan O’Leary, the Giants’ long snapper, got hurt in Week 16. So the team, operating on blind optimism, pulled 41-year-old Trey Junkin out of retirement for one job. And on the final snap of the game, Junkin bounced it back to holder Matt Allen like he hadn't played the position for 30-plus years.
Allen rolled right and threw a desperation duck to Rich Seubert, who was tackled as the ball fell incomplete. Curtains. Game over... or so it seemed.
Seubert had reported as an eligible receiver. He was dragged to the ground. It was clear-as-day pass interference. It was also third down. The referees flagged the wrong player for being illegally downfield and missed the blatant DPI.
The NFL later admitted the officials blew it. Awesome in hindsight, but it changed nothing.
You can blame the defense for coughing up 25 straight. You can blame Shockey’s dropped touchdown or Matt Bryant’s earlier field goal miss. You can even blame head coach Jim Fassel for letting it all unravel. But at the end of the day, a retired long snapper sealed the most absurd and shocking postseason collapse in team history.
The 49ers never backed down. Garcia threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another 60 and a score, and let Owens do the rest. The game devolved into nonsense, complete with fights, missed flags, and a Big Blue sideline watching the 39-38 final light up the final scoreboard.
There have been uglier moments for this franchise. There have been worse teams. But nothing tops the sheer weirdness of bringing in a retired long snapper to save your season... only for him to fire the ball into the dirt with the game on the line after blowing a 24-point lead in the playoffs.
And that, in a century of bizarre moments, is how you earn the title of “weirdest in Giants history.”