With the stench from his three-interception performance in Sunday’s 36-21 Giants loss to the Eagles still hanging in the air like city smog, there are knee-jerk reactionaries, lining up like tourists cueing up in the “TKTS” line at Times Square waiting to buy discount theater tickets, who are ready to turn on Eli Manning.
To those of you who are on that anti-Eli line, chill out.
Despite the alarming numbers next to his name — third-to-last in the league with a 65.8 quarterback rating (only Josh Freeman and Blaine Gabbert are worse), an NFL-high 12 interceptions and a Sanchez-ian 53.7 completion percentage — Manning did not become a bad quarterback overnight.
He is simply playing bad football at the moment, and he is not alone as the Giants limp into Chicago to play the Bears Thursday.
We all know Manning’s performance this season has not been within two time zones of the standards he set while he was helping the Giants win two Super Bowl titles and earning himself two Super Bowl MVP awards.
Manning is certainly not to be exonerated for his gaffes, but there are contributing reasons for them, and to blame all of the 0-5 Giants’ woes on Manning is wrong.
He is playing behind an offensive line that has gotten old quickly and one that cannot stay healthy.
David Diehl, who played right guard on Sunday, is in his 11th season and just came back from a thumb injury that kept him out of the first four games. Center David Baas, in his ninth season, is out with a neck injury after battling his way back from a preseason knee injury.
Guard Chris Snee, in his 10th season, was put on season-ending injured reserve last week with a hip injury. Fifth-year left tackle Will Beatty, who signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract before the season, has struggled.
The Giants are ranked last in the NFL in rushing offense with David Wilson, whose most memorable contribution so far this year has been two lost fumbles against the Cowboys in Week One, not who the Giants hoped he’d be when they let Ahmad Bradshaw go in the offseason.
And now, with Wilson having injured his neck Sunday, the Giants will go to Chicago with 31-year-old Brandon Jacobs as their feature back.
Because of these factors, the Giants offense has been reduced to Manning heaves downfield to receivers Victor Cruz or Hakeem Nicks hoping they’ll haul them in. There has been little to no intermediate passing game and virtually no running game, leaving the Giants with few sustained drives. The Giants are last in the league in time of possession, holding onto the ball 26 minutes a game, a full eight minutes less than their opponents.
So blame Manning for his share of the Giants troubles, but make sure you place equal blame to those around him, including general manager Jerry Reese, who is responsible for allowing the offensive line to deteriorate and the running back situation to become unglued.
“I know that we’re maligning my quarterback today, and believe me there’s a bunch of people involved in that,’’ Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said Monday. “Criticizing the quarterback for the outcome and for everything there at the end of the [Eagles] game is not right.’’
Cruz said Monday shouldering blame “is the type of person’’ Manning is, but added, “It’s everyone. It’s the receivers. It’s the offensive line. Everyone is to blame. You can’t just put the blame on one person.’’
Coughlin said he “can understand what the football world may think’’ of the team’s struggles as they relate to Manning, but he added, “People should shift it to me. The guy [Manning] is trying to play the best he can. He’s certainly trying to do too much. I’m not making any excuses [for him], either. We all know the number of turnovers is in a terrible state.’’
As terrible a state as the Giants find themselves in, if you think it would any better with someone else at quarterback you are very misinformed.