Fassel’s Farewell Spoiled

The Carolina Panthers spoiled Jim Fassel’s final game with the New York Giants and set up a wild-card playoff matchup against former Giant coach Bill Parcells.

Jake Delhomme threw two touchdown passes in Carolina’s biggest point total of the season, and former Giant assistant John Fox and the Panthers posted a 37-24 victory Sunday in Jim Fassel’s final game after seven seasons with the Giants.

The victory was the third in a row for the Panthers (11-5), and it set up a rematch with the Cowboys (10-6).

Dallas, which was beaten by New Orleans, 13-7, on Sunday, defeated Carolina, 24-20, earlier this season in Dallas.

The loss was the eighth straight for the Giants (4-12), who started the season with Super Bowl hopes but saw it turn into a disaster after giving away two games early in the season and then being racked with injuries.

Fassel’s eyes welled as he reviewed his tenure, which included three postseason appearances, including the 2001 Super Bowl.

“I feel maybe it is a better place than when I came in,” Fassel said. “I know a lot of the older players have said that to me, and that has stuck with me a lot.”

Steve Smith scored on a 53-yard punt return, Ricky Manning Jr. had a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown and John Kasay kicked field goals of 42, 33 and 34 yards as the Panthers prepped for only their second trip to the postseason by opening a 20-0 lead.

This is the first Giant team to finish the season with eight consecutive losses since 1966, when the team was 1-12-1.

Fassel left the Giants with a 58-53-1 record, the third most coaching wins in franchise history.

The almost 3 1/2-hour game was never in doubt, but it was wild. Referee Bernie Kukar was knocked out of the game in the third quarter after being hit in the back by a Giant player trying to recover a blocked punt.