Odell Beckham Jr. make apology to team, coaches, teammates and fans after he learned his one-game suspension was not reversed. Photo by Al Thompson

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Notes and statistics from the Giants’ 38-35 loss to the Carolina Panthers:

*The Giants lost for the fourth time in five games, and fell to 6-8. They are one game behind Washington in the NFC East. Philadelphia, the third team tied for first place before the Week 15 games, plays Arizona Sunday night. The Giants can still win the division, but according to the Elias Sports Bureau, if the Eagles win Sunday night, the Giants will need the Philadelphia-Washington game next Saturday to end in a tie.

*With eight losses, the Giants are assured of finishing no better than .500 for the third consecutive season.

*Seven of the Giants’ eight losses have been by a total of 21 points, and six of them have been by four points or less.
*The Giants have lost three consecutive home games for the second consecutive season.

*Carolina kicker Graham Gano scored the game-winning points on a 43-yard field goal as time expired. It was the third time this season the Giants lost on a last-play field goal (also at New Orleans, and vs. the Jets in overtime). They also lost by a point to New England on a field goal with one second remaining, and in Dallas by a point on a touchdown with seven seconds left.

*The Panthers improved to 14-0, and the Giants fell to 1-5 in regular-season games against teams that are 10-0 or better.

*The Giants trailed in the third quarter, 35-7. According to Elias, it is the first time in their history the Giants rallied from a 28-point deficit to tie a game.

*The Giants rushed for 161 yards on 27 carries (6.0-yard average), the third game this season in which they exceeded 100 yards, and their highest total since they ran for 193 yards vs. Houston on Sept. 21, 2014.

*Rashad Jennings led the way with 107 yards on 16 carries, including a 38-yard touchdown. Jennings ended the Giants’ 14-game streak without an individual 100-yard rusher. The last to do it was Andre Williams, who had 110 yards at St. Louis on Dec. 21, 2014.

*Jennings’ 107 yards was his highest total since he rushed for 176 vs. Houston on Sept. 21, 2014. His 38-yard score was the Giants’ longest touchdown run of the season, and second-longest rushing attempt overall. Orleans Darkwa had scored on a 15-yard run vs. Dallas on Oct. 25, and Shane Vereen had a 39-yard run in the same game.

*Vereen led the Giants with eight receptions for 43 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown, and was second with 29 rushing yards on four attempts.

*Eli Manning completed 29 of 46 passes for 245 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. The four scoring throws increased his season total to a career-high 32, the third-highest figure in Giants history. Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle threw 36 in 1963 and 33 in 1962. Manning’s previous best was 31 touchdown passes in 2010.

*Manning increased his career total to 291 touchdown passes. That moved him past another Hall of Famer, Johnny Unitas (290), and into ninth place on the NFL’s career list.

*Manning also threw four touchdown passes last Monday night in Miami. This is the first time in his career he has had back-to-back games with at least four scoring throws in each in one season.

He did accomplish the feat in the 2012 season finale (five vs. Philadelphia) and 2013 opener (four at Dallas).

*Odell Beckham Jr. caught six passes for 76 yards, including a game-tying 14-yard touchdown on fourth down with 1:46 remaining in the game.

*Beckham did not have a catch in the first half for the first time in his career. He has caught just one pass in a first half seven times. On Nov. 15, his lone first-half catch was an 87-yard touchdown. In the season opener in Dallas, his one reception gained three yards, his low output until this game. Beckham caught his first pass with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.
*Beckham’s streak of consecutive 100-yard games ended at six, a franchise record. His last sub-100-yard game was on Oct. 25, when he had 35 yards on four receptions vs. Dallas.

*Beckham has 13 touchdown receptions this year, tying the single-season franchise record set by Homer Jones in 1967. He had 12 touchdowns as a rookie last season, and has scored 25 in his 26-game NFL career.

*Rueben Randle’s 27-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter was his sixth score of the season, tying the career high he set in 2013. Randle’s touchdown totals in his four seasons are three-six-three-six. Randle finished with four catches for 47 yards.

*Tight end Will Tye caught Manning’s fourth touchdown pass, an eight-yarder that started the comeback in the third quarter, and was his second touchdown in as many games.

*In the fifth game since his debut last month, Jason Pierre-Paul picked up his first sack of the season, a nine-yard takedown of Cam Newton in the second quarter. JPP also batted down a third-down Newton pass to set up the Giants’ final touchdown drive.

*Robert Ayers had 1.5 sacks and leads the team with 6.5 this season. Linebacker J.T. Thomas was credited with the other half-sack.

*Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocked Gano’s 34-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, the Giants’ second this season. On Nov. 29 in Washington, Jay Bromley blocked Dustin Hopkins’ 51-yard try.

*Newton completed 25 of 45 passes for 340 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, and he rushed for 100 yards on eight carries. He is the second quarterback to throw for at least five touchdowns vs. the Giants this season; New Orleans’ Drew Brees threw for seven scores on Nov. 1. Newton is the first quarterback to throw exactly five touchdown passes against the Giants since Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck on Sept 24, 2006.

*Newton is the first quarterback to rush for 100 yards against the Giants since Seattle’s Russell Wilson ran for107 yards on Nov. 9, 2014.

*Newton’s season-long 47-yard dash to set up the Panthers’ first touchdown was the longest run by a quarterback against the Giants since the 1970 merger. The previous long was 46 yards by Washington’s Robert Griffin III on Dec. 3, 2012.

*Safety Cooper Taylor left the game with a concussion, as did wide receiver/return specialist Dwayne Harris with a shoulder injury and fullback/defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock with a knee injury.

*Bromley made his second start of the season, and in his career, for Markus Kuhn, who was inactive with a knee injury. He had three tackles (two solo). Bromley also started on Oct. 11 in the victory over San Francisco.

*Kerry Wynn started at right defensive end in place of Ayers, who was on the field for the defense’s second play. Wynn started six games at left end earlier this season.

*Defensive tackle Barry Cofield, signed last week, made his 2015 debut, but did not have a tackle.

*The Giants’ inactive players were linebacker Devon Kennard (foot/hamstring), defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (knee), defensive end George Selvie (concussion), cornerback Jayron Hosley, wide receiver Geremy Davis, and offensive linemen Adam Gettis and Emmett Cleary.

Holsey had been in uniform for every game this season, and his 13 games played are a career high. He started six games, one at left cornerback when Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was sidelined with a concussion and five on the right side when Prince Amukamara was unable to play because of a partially torn pectoral muscle.

*The Giants’ game captains were Justin Pugh and Craig Dahl, who joined season-long captains Manning and Cullen Jenkins.

*Defensive end Stansly Moponga made his Giants debut on special teams.

*The Giants are 28-31 in games following a Monday night game, including 10-10 since 2000.

*Carolina coach Ron Rivera won a replay challenge with 3:20 remaining in the second quarter. At the end of a two-yard run to the left side, Rashad Jennings fumbled, but was ruled down by contact. Rivera challenged the ruling, saying Jennings lost the ball before his knee hit the ground. After review, referee Terry McAuley said Jennings coughed up the ball before he was down, and reversed the call on the field, giving the ball to the Panthers. Giants opponents are 2-2 this season, and 35-40 in Tom Coughlin’s 12-year tenure, on replay challenges.