Eli Manning never said he was a “rocket scientist,’’ but that didn’t stop him from outsmarting the Redskins.
Manning said “thank you” in response to Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall’s contention the Redskins gave him and the Giants the game-winning 77-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 27-23 victory.
“I appreciate him giving it to me … thank you,’’ an uncharacteristically whimsical Manning said Wednesday.
Hall told reporters covering the Redskins the decisive play was more a matter of what the defense did not do than what Manning and the offense did do.
“I don’t feel like he made that play,’’ Hall said. “I feel we gave him that play. We just had one guy set his feet and one guy not do this. I could have thrown that ball and he would have scored. It wasn’t something where he was a rocket scientist and he figured something out. We just played that as bad as possible.”
Manning read those comments after practice and sounded amused.
“I didn’t say it took a rocket scientist to figure it out, either,’’ he said. “You got a guy running open and you hit him.
“I wasn’t offended by it. I never claimed it was some great read or something we had planned or figured out. Hey, Vic ran a good route, he was open, you hit him and that’s all I really think about it.’’
Justin Tuck also was taken aback and wondering about Hall’s comments.
“Well, DeAngelo is not that smart if they gave it to them,’’ Tuck said. “I love how DeAngelo plays, he is an awesome player. But to give a person a game-winning touchdown …’’
This is an ongoing trend with defeated opponents of the Giants. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and members of the 49ers expressed similar sentiments — we gave them the game — after the Giants beat those teams in last season’s playoffs.
“It doesn’t bother me,’’ Manning said. “If that’s the way they want to put it in their heads that is fine.’’ The fact is that was a coverage they messed up, that’s what you got to do as an offense, you got to take advantage of it, if a team wants to give up some plays or they don’t want to play well on a certain day it’s our job to play better and make the plays and take advantage of that opportunity.’’
Tuck said the more opponents want to give, he’s willing to take.
“I hope we have nine more giveaways this year and then three to four more giveaways, I will be a happy man with that,’’ he said. “So for all you guys out there listening, if you play us, if you feel like you want to give us something, I will take some sacks, I am sure Eli will take more 70-yard touchdown passes, Coach Coughlin will take a couple more wins to separate himself from Coach Parcells, there are all types of things.’’