On a conference call Wednesday with the Minnesota media, Tom Coughlin was asked the inevitable question that comes to head coaches of teams that are struggling as badly as the 0-6 Giants are:
Has he considered benching his quarterback, Eli Manning, entering Monday night’s game against the Vikings?
Coughlin’s answer came swiftly and was definitive.
“I believe I said, ‘If I heard you correctly, no,’ ’’ Coughlin said Thursday.
Asked what his reaction was to being asked that question, Coughlin said, “You would not want to know what I think. I just quickly dismissed that question and, ‘Let’s get onto the next one.’ He’s the guy. We’re going to win again with Eli.’’
Despite his standout credentials, which include two Super Bowl MVP awards, Manning currently leads the NFL with 15 interceptions, eight of which have come in the fourth quarter. He also has lost two fumbles.
He is ranked 33rd in league in completion percentage (53.7) and 33rd in passer rating (64.0).
Asked if he has talked to Manning about his confidence sagging, Coughlin said, “We don’t talk about that. We talk about some of the issues, some of the problems that we’ve had and how we can handle that going forward. And usually, it’s a pat on the back and, ‘Let’s see if we can change this around.’ ’’