Sunday's 38-35 loss to the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium felt like the final nail in the Giants' coffin for the 2015 season. And, there is a good chance they will be eliminated from postseason contention by the time they take the field next.

But, mathematical elimination is not official yet for the Giants, thanks to the Cardinals' win over the Eagles. So for at least one more week, a miracle will technically remain on the table for the team. The Giants, in theory, can still win the NFC East.

Extremely heavy emphasis on the "in theory" part.

Here is what has to happen for the Giants to miraculously win the division:

WEEK 16:

* The Eagles beat/tie the Redskins AND the Giants beat/tie the Vikings: If Washington wins the game, they will clinch the NFC East title and eliminate the Eagles and Giants from playoff contention (the Giants are already out of the wild card hunt).

If the Eagles and Redskins tie, the Eagles would appear to be eliminated from playoff contention. If the Giants lose to the Vikings, they would be eliminated from playoff contention if they already had not been.

WEEK 17:

* The Giants beat the Eagles AND the Cowboys beat/tie* the Redskins: Even if the Giants were to beat the Vikings on the road and then return home and beat the Eagles, they would still need help.

Also: An Eagles-Giants tie would eliminate the Giants. If the Eagles beat the Redskins, they would then be in line to clinch the division with a win over the Giants. Last, if the Redskins tie both of their next two games, they would win the division. So while the Giants can have Washington tie one game or the other, they can't have the Redskins tie both.

So, to sum this whole far-fetched thing up as succinctly as we can: The Giants cannot lose another game, and the Redskins cannot win another game. And when push comes to shove, the Giants would also need Matt Cassel or Kellen Moore to assist in this whole operation.

Hey, we told you it was hopeless.

James Kratch can be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.