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Normally I would take this opportunity to gloat and delight in the Giants playoff defeat. But I cannot/will not do that for two reasons. One, my Cowboys had a disgraceful end to the season, which means I am in no position to gloat. Two, because I loathe the Eagles as much or more than I hate the Giants. So instead of celebrating, I will give a quick recap.

There are two main culprits for the Giants loss today. The first is quarterback Eli Manning. The star of the postseason last January, Eli was abysmal yesterday. His 15/29, 168 yard, 0 touchdown, 2 interception performance was reminiscent of his first postseason game in January 2006. He missed open Giant receivers, connected with open Eagles defenders and could not for the life of him throw a tight spiral.  Eli’s throws were more wobbly than Wade Boggs walking off a cross-country flight. After a fantastic calendar-year 2008, yesterday was a vintage Eli performance, circa 2004-2006. I missed that Eli, and I certainly hope to see more of him next year.

The other guy who deserves most of the blame for the Giants loss is 2008 Pinhead of the Year candidate Plaxico Burress. But it was Plaxico’s absence that cost the Giants. Without their Pro Bowl receiver and #1 target, the Giants offense sputtered. And not just yesterday, but in the last six games. After getting off to a 10-1 start in which they looked unbeatable, the Giants sputtered to a 2-4 record after 11/28/2008. November 28, 2008 is the night Plaxico officially confirmed his status as a Grade A Pinhead by accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub. That was enough to earn him a suspension for the rest of the season, which clearly slowed down the Giants offense. After averaging 30 points per game before the shooting, the Giants managed just 18 a game after the shooting. No matter what some Giant fans may say, this team clearly missed their best receiver.

The main priority for the Giants this off-season has to be finding a #1 receiver. Some Giant fans will want Plaxico back (assuming he does not land in jail for the incident), but that would be stupid and irresponsible. Plaxico has had too many incidents beyond the shooting. He has become too much of a headache for Big Blue. They need to go out and look for a new #1 target via free agency or trade. Luckily, this is a good year for teams in the market for a big-time receiver. The free agent list at WR is headlined by T.J. Houshmandzadeh of the Cincinnati Bengals, who managed to catch 92 passes with poor backup Ryan Fitzpatrick under center for most of the year. The most obvious trade candidate is Arizona Cardinals All Pro receiver Anquan Boldin, who is likely to seek a trade this off-season.

No matter who they decide to pursue, the Giants must upgrade their receiving corps during the off-season. We have seen over the last six games that the Giants offense is not the same without Plaxico. For the New York Giants, finding a #1 receiver should be Priority #1.

Happy Birthday to Jack London, Joe Frazier, Kirstie Alley, Rush Limbaugh, Howard Stern, Oliver Platt, Rob Zombie, Oliver Martinez, Heather Mills, Rob Burrell, Cade McNown, Luis Ayala, Bobby Crosby, Dan Klecko, Chris Ray, Scott Olsen and the Human Highlight Reel Dominique Wilkins