ALBANY — Eighty- five!
It’s the number that lingers as a reminder of how putrid the Giants finished their 8-8 season last year. It’s the total number of points the defense allowed in closing games against the Panthers and the Vikings, embarrassing a franchise and a fan base that never expected such futility.
But there’s another number serving as a motivating factor as the Giants conclude their first week of training camp today at SUNY-Albany — it’s 16. That’s the total number of points Eli Manning and the offense managed to score in those two games.
It’s tough to see the Giants beating the Panthers and Vikings, even if the offense had shown up. But the fact is it didn’t, and if nobody else is blaming Manning, he hasn’t let himself off the hook.
The best statistical season of his career wasn’t good enough to get to the playoffs, so Manning is using this training camp to find ways to improve his own game and follow coach Tom Coughlin’s mandate to “take it to the next level,” whatever that might be.
“He’s constantly focused on self-improvement, and he is always looking for the smallest of details,” new Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan said of Manning. “I think it comes down to the three big criteria that any successful quarterback has and that is his leadership, his decision-making and his accuracy. And those are our three areas within our scheme that I know he is committed to improving upon and being the best he can be.”
Seldom has a quarterback in this city taken as little heat as Manning for a season that ended in such disappointment. Though the demise of the defense was glaring, the offense wasn’t exactly blameless in losing 41-9 to the Panthers and 44-7 to the Vikings.
Manning was 29-of-43 for 296 yards and one touchdown against Carolina but a more pedestrian 17-of-23 for 141 yards against the Vikings, a game in which the Giants were down 44-0.
He escaped blame because of his season numbers: 317-of-509 for 4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. The completions, completion percentage (62.3 percent), yards, touchdowns and rating (93.1) were all career highs. But what good is it when your team crashes at the end of the year and doesn’t make the playoffs?
“Obviously, you’re going to look at things last year and things you need to improve on and areas that we need to make strides in,” Manning said. “But we’re focused on this year and getting ready and improving this team.”
Getting the offense in a rhythm has proven challenging in camp. Center Shaun O’Hara hasn’t practiced because of a swollen ankle, starting left guard Rich Seubert broke a bone in his left hand Thursday and is out indefinitely and wide receiver Steve Smith left yesterday’s practice early after tweaking his groin in a press coverage drill.
Undeterred, Manning had one of his best practices yesterday, throwing everything on target, including a 20-yarder over the middle to Hakeem Nicks, a 25-yarder down the sideline to Ramses Barden and a bullet over the middle to Mario Manningham.
Footwork, timing and a review of the fundamentals are a constant in camp, but Manning is seeking perfection.
“We sit and talk about where he has to go and what would be the next level of improvement for Eli and we chart it,” Coughlin said. “His completion percentage and his reduction of turnovers, touchdown passes — «all those things.”
Those numbers are fine, but in the end the only numbers that mattered most last year were 8-8, 85 and 16.