The drought is over just a few days shy of the five-year mark. The New York Giants have finally returned to the playoffs with a much different team than the last time they qualified for the postseason.
The Giants (10-5) weren't able to secure their spot Thursday night, when they lost 24-19 in Philadelphia. They needed help Saturday, and it came from Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints to make for a joyous Christmas Eve.
The Saints beat the Bucs 31-24 to guarantee the Giants a wild-card spot.
The Giants are now locked-in as the first wild card and the No. 5 seed in the NFC. Their opponent in the postseason remains to be determined over the next nine days, with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons all possible.
Right now that is inconsequential. After four straight seasons out of the playoffs it's an accomplishment for the Giants to return to the postseason, whether they clinched it themselves or not.
"As long as we get in, I don't care which way, shape or form we get in," veteran wide receiver Victor Cruz said Thursday night. "We just want to get into the dance and see what happens."
Cruz and most of the Giants players said they would be keeping their eyes on Saturday's action. They needed to wait until late Saturday after the Packers and Falcons won earlier in the day.
The last time the Giants made the playoffs was during the 2011 season. That team was coached by Tom Coughlin and anchored defensively by safety Antrel Rolle and defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. All three are long gone, and Coughlin is gone, too.
This Giants (10-5) team has won eight of their last 10 games under first-year coach Ben McAdoo. They're anchored defensively by Olivier Vernon, Landon Collins, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison. Three of the four are prized offseason acquisitions; Collins was a second-round pick last year.
Only six players on the active roster remain from the Giants team that won the Super Bowl during the 2011 season. They are quarterback Eli Manning, long-snapper Zak DeOssie, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, offensive lineman Will Beatty, Cruz and linebacker Mark Herzlich.
The Giants now have little to play for on the road next Sunday in their regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins. Some of their key players could benefit from the extra rest prior to the postseason.
The Giants' defense, in particular, is banged up heading into Week 17. Jenkins (back), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (knee), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (knee) and cornerback Eli Apple (ankle) are all dealing with minor injuries. They could use the additional time to get healthy if they’re held out next week.
"That would be great if we could [rest], if we're in that situation," Casillas said after Thursday night's loss. "I think it would benefit everybody, especially myself, coming off a little knee [injury] I had."
Casillas also added that McAdoo has made good choices all season, and he would trust him to make the right decision this time as well.
McAdoo wouldn't tip his hand Friday. He called it "hypothetical" to think about that. He also didn't offer insight into whether he sees any difference between the NFC's fifth or sixth seed, even though that is now inconsequential.
"No, I mean we got to go down to Washington and take care of business, that's No. 1," McAdoo said Friday. "When we turn on the tape, we've got to look better than we looked last night. Washington's a good team, they're a physical team, they have a ton of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, and we need to go down there and play good football."
The Redskins will also be facing a good football team. A playoff team.