Collins goes down just in time for defense to fold

Big plays missed and made against the Giants. Big injuries. That sums up the Giants season.

That’s how you become 2-11 and safety Landon Collins was the latest Giants star knocked out of action Sunday in the 30-10 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.

Collins suffered a sprained left ankle on Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley’s 54-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 10-10.

With Collins down and out, the Giants completely fell apart as the Cowboys scored three touchdowns in a span of 4:41 of the fourth quarter, including a 20-yard reception to tight end Jason Witten, the first play after the strong safety hobbled off the field.

The Giants defense has no chance without Collins. he left the stadium in a walking boot and will have an MRI exam on the ankle Monday.

“It’s a mild ankle sprain,’’ Collins said. “X-rays were clear.’’

There are no mild inju- ries for the Giants, bad teams find a way to come up with bad injuries. And this was the same ankle Collins injured earlier in the season.

“When I landed,’’ Collins said of the play, “I guess I turned a different way and my body went over my foot, something tweaked, I guess.’’

It all goes hand in hand. When Collins was asked how did the Giants go from one of the best defenses to the mess they have become, he answered, “Injuries.’’

As for the complete collapse in the fourth quarter, he had no explanation, saying, “That happened quickly. I didn’t watch the rest of the game after I got hurt, I walked inside. For myself, not being on the field to help my guys make plays, yeah it frustrates me.’’

As for Manning, Collins said, “Everybody loves Eli. I love him, too. He did his thing out there and defensively we couldn’t finish for him.’’

The Giants have been finished for awhile and it’s not just because of injuries.