Giants WR Ramses Barden is flagged for offensive pass interference on Eagles CB Nnamdi Asomugha with 25 seconds remaining in Sunday's game. The penalty pushed New York back to the 36-yard line where K Lawrence Tynes missed two attempts at a game-winning, 54-yard field goal in a 19-17 loss. (US Presswire)

The chance was there.

Trailing 19-17, the New York Giants had the ball at the Philadelphia Eagles’ 26-yard line with 25 seconds remaining in Sunday night’s divisional battle. Kicker Lawrence Tynes -- the reigning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week was waiting on the sideline for his chance to knock in a game-winning 44-yard field goal. For a golf enthusiast like Tynes, someone who has made a living making important field goals, it was practically a gimme -- a sure thing.

But Tynes never got to attempt the 44-yarder.

Coughlin said he “definitely” thought about running the ball again and clocking it to set up the game-winning field goal.

“Quite frankly that’s what we were doing on the next play, but we never got to that,” he said. “It’s always a woulda, coulda, shoulda.”

With 25 seconds remaining, quarterback Eli Manning took one last shot at the end zone. Wide receiver Ramses Barden -- a hero in last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers and the beneficiary of two pass interference calls on the drive -- was flagged for offensive pass interference, which pushed the ball back to the 36-yard line.

“We tried what we thought was a safe call,” Coughlin said. “The pass interference was one of those things that when you saw it happen you shake your head.”

Coughlin would go on to add that the pass interference call on Barden was “the worst that could happen.”

“You can have no idea how I feel about the play right now,” a solemn Barden said. “I did not know how to react when the flag was thrown. I did think it was on [Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha].”

“Looking back on it, I had the corner up top and I should have tried to throw to Barden’s back shoulder to keep it away from the corner,” Manning added. “I would have rather not thrown it so far down the field to cause the pass interference.”

Yes, the Giants still had 15 seconds, but Coughlin feared the Eagles would keep the play in bounds and he didn’t want to risk the chance of not having enough time for the field goal.

“Fifteen [seconds] is right there at the edge,” Manning said, explaining the Giants’ thinking in the final moments of the game. “To get four or five yards [you might be able to do it], but 15 yards down the field, it’s hard to spike it.”

The alternative, as Giants fans know by now, was to attempt a 54-yard field goal.

“It’s a tough kick, a kick I can make, a kick I made in my career to win a game before,” Tynes said.

Instead, Tynes missed the kick twice on Sunday night. The first attempt landed wide left, but was negated by a Philadelphia timeout. The second attempt fell short, prompting the Eagles players to swarm the field with one second remaining.

Coughlin is right. It is always “woulda, coulda, shoulda” when you lose a game like New York did on Sunday. The Eagles gift-wrapped a win with two pass interference calls on the final drive. A victory was within reach and instead, the Giants players spent the postgame reminding the media of all the times they’ve gotten off to poor starts, only to come through in the end.

And yes, the Giants do have a good track record in recent years. They’ve been able to correct mistakes and win important games, including two Super Bowls. But they’ve also been on the bubble of the playoffs each of the last three seasons, missing the postseason completely in 2009 and 2010.

So when the Giants players tell us that they’re not worried about being 0-2 in the NFC East, they’re only remembering half of the story.

“I think if we win out in our division, that puts us in the playoffs,” defensive end Justin Tuck said.

He’s right. Winning out in the NFC East would effectively guarantee a playoff berth.

The problem is, the chances of that aren’t nearly as favorable as Tynes connecting on a 44-yard field goal, and that’s the opportunity the Giants left on the table in Philadelphia.

Follow the Giants and Alex Raskin @CBSGiants and @AlexRaskinNYC.