Odell Beckham walks over Josh Norman after touchdown catch

But it wasn’t easy, as they gave up a 35-7 third quarter lead, allowing the Giants back into a game they appeared to have little interest in being in, or being allowed in. The Giants trail Washington by one game in the NFC East, and have lost in the final minutes six times.

Ray Mallouf, Mal Kutner and Elmer Angsman led that 1948 team to an N.F.L.-leading 32.9 points per game, slightly more than the 31.2 points averaged by this year’s squad, with an aerial attack led by Carson Palmer.

Beckham, one of the most high-profile players in the National Football League, picked up no fewer than three personal fouls during an ill-tempered battle with the Panthers defense where he frequently lost his cool.

The Giants tied it when Odell Beckham Jr., at the center of the contentiousness along with Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, got behind Norman for a 14-yard touchdown catch with 1:46 to go. On the second possession the Giants went three-and-out after taking over at midfield.

At one point, Cam Newton had a bag of ice taped to his left knee.

“It shouldn’t have been a thriller, I can tell you that”, said Newton, who threw five touchdown passes and gained 100 yards on eight runs.

The Giants struck back with a 27-yard scoring pass from Eli Manning to Rueben Randle with 1:24 left in the first quarter.

Then Newton calmly guided the Panthers 49 yards to the winning kick. The Giants were their own worst enemy here.

To ruin perfection, the Giants needed to play a flawless game.

Johnny Manziel threw a 7-yard TD to Gary Barnidge on the first drive for the Browns (3-11).

Beckham didn’t slow down after that – after atomizing Cortland Finnegan and picking up major yardage and a first down, he mocked Cam Newton’s signature first down celebration. With the 2015 MVP award already leaning in his favor, Newton orchestrated a smooth, effortless drive to get into field goal range, using his mobility to connect with tight end Greg Olsen, and a laser of a throw to hit Ted Ginn Jr. – both for big first downs. James White caught seven passes for 71 yards, including a 30-yard catch-and-run touchdown, and Keshawn Martin added a 75-yard kickoff return to set up another score. In the process, the Panthers dealt the Giants playoff hopes a major blow with the 38-35 victory. Wasn’t it Coughlin, who earlier in the season not only benched now former defensive end Damontre Moore for his stupidity and out of control play against the Eagles, a play that left Coughlin openly admitting as to whether he could trust Moore again?

The Giants got another opportunity when Kerry Wynn recovered a Newton fumble at the Carolina 14-yard line with 6:50 remaining. Jerick McKinnon, a forgotten man this season after a promising 2014, had 86 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. But Carolina prevailed with a last-second field goal to secure a 38-35 win and keep its flawless season alive.