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October-4th-2007, 05:39 AM
By ERNIE PALLADINO
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: October 4, 2007)
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/SPORTS01/710040398/1108
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For a while there, it looked as if the questions might actually disappear.
The completion average was up, at least close to the targeted 60 percent. The third-down success ratio was healthy and bolstered by a strong performance two weeks ago against Washington, the league's best third-down defense at that point.
So what was Eli Manning doing yesterday, answering those recurring questions about sagging completion rates and missed scoring opportunities as he pointed his offense toward the Jets?
Well, a quarterback doesn't have a second half like Manning did last week without raising some questions. Even Tom Coughlin stood aghast at the figures that came out of a 3-for-9, 22-yard post-intermission performance in which the offense converted one third-down chance against the vulnerable Eagles.
"Let's face it," Coughlin said, "two weeks ago in the second half alone, we had tremendous numbers on third down, period. It was a little bit of a startling setback to have the numbers we had in last week's game, so we focus on that."
All of which makes for more scrutiny of Manning, both from inside the meeting rooms and out. The last thing the staff wants is for Manning's stats to fall off the way they have the second half of the last two seasons. Such a nose dive at this point could lead to disaster.
That's why the alarms went off last week.
"We're always critical of ourselves," Manning said. "If you have a great game but one bad series, you always look at that series. If I can play better, I need to play better than I did last week. That's what I'm working on."
Not all the sirens were around him. Some big drops helped bring the numbers down. So did some bad execution in critical spots, such as a quick third-and-nine throw to Plaxico Burress on the first second-half series that zipped past the receiver 2 yards ahead of him.
Burress blamed his own mental error on that, a function of taking one backward step too many off the line of scrimmage. Burress said Manning has been on-target with most of his passes despite minimal time together on the practice field because of the receiver's sprained right ankle.
"Eli's doing a phenomenal job," Burress said. "It's up to us to catch the balls. We just have to help him out a little bit more."
Manning has been more accurate with his throws than any time in his career. His instances of outright misfires have been few.
That doesn't make everything better, though. The numbers have exited the neighborhood of the elite. His 81.9 passer rating puts him well below this week's opposite number, Chad Pennington, whose 105.8 places him fifth in the league. He has five interceptions, which almost neutralizes the seven touchdown passes.
He has tried to force some throws.
The Jets have just three sacks on the season - two by defensive end Shaun Ellis and one by linebacker Victor Hobson. It's a big reason they're looking into the abyss right now at 1-3. But it's also a reason the Giants and Manning must be wary of a possible breakout Sunday.
Avoiding that means hitting receivers against the blitz. It means no touchdown-depriving throws inside the red zone, where the Eagles' Omar Gaither intercepted him on a pass to Jeremy Shockey at the 8.
"I don't think about every play," Manning said. "We can play better as an offense, but at least we're winning.
"I've played better. We've got to get back to playing good football and winning games and not making tons of mistakes."
Winning makes things easier to take. But it doesn't eliminate the problems, like the drops that have kept his percentage below 60 percent since the opener.
"Certainly we want it to be better and we need to be better," Coughlin said, adding it's not just Manning's problem alone. "We need to eliminate the drops and we need to be a product of outstanding execution and poise, and the confidence that comes from being in the right place at the right time and the ball being delivered at the right time."
If he can do it this week, maybe the questions will go away.
Notes: Running back Brandon Jacobs returned to full practice and should be ready for the Jets game. Coughlin said he'd determine how Jacobs and Derrick Ward will split up the carries at the end of the week. ... The Giants waived wide receiver Anthony Mix and signed Domenik Hixon, a kickoff and punt returner waived by the Broncos on Tuesday. ... Defensive end Michael Strahan and safety Gibril Wilson sat out practice with, respectively, a sore knee and a hip injury. Strahan is expected to return to full work today. ... The MRIs on right guard Chris Snee's knee and cornerback Sam Madison's bruised right shoulder came up negative. Snee participated in limited practice yesterday and Madison took a full practice.
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: October 4, 2007)
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071004/SPORTS01/710040398/1108
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For a while there, it looked as if the questions might actually disappear.
The completion average was up, at least close to the targeted 60 percent. The third-down success ratio was healthy and bolstered by a strong performance two weeks ago against Washington, the league's best third-down defense at that point.
So what was Eli Manning doing yesterday, answering those recurring questions about sagging completion rates and missed scoring opportunities as he pointed his offense toward the Jets?
Well, a quarterback doesn't have a second half like Manning did last week without raising some questions. Even Tom Coughlin stood aghast at the figures that came out of a 3-for-9, 22-yard post-intermission performance in which the offense converted one third-down chance against the vulnerable Eagles.
"Let's face it," Coughlin said, "two weeks ago in the second half alone, we had tremendous numbers on third down, period. It was a little bit of a startling setback to have the numbers we had in last week's game, so we focus on that."
All of which makes for more scrutiny of Manning, both from inside the meeting rooms and out. The last thing the staff wants is for Manning's stats to fall off the way they have the second half of the last two seasons. Such a nose dive at this point could lead to disaster.
That's why the alarms went off last week.
"We're always critical of ourselves," Manning said. "If you have a great game but one bad series, you always look at that series. If I can play better, I need to play better than I did last week. That's what I'm working on."
Not all the sirens were around him. Some big drops helped bring the numbers down. So did some bad execution in critical spots, such as a quick third-and-nine throw to Plaxico Burress on the first second-half series that zipped past the receiver 2 yards ahead of him.
Burress blamed his own mental error on that, a function of taking one backward step too many off the line of scrimmage. Burress said Manning has been on-target with most of his passes despite minimal time together on the practice field because of the receiver's sprained right ankle.
"Eli's doing a phenomenal job," Burress said. "It's up to us to catch the balls. We just have to help him out a little bit more."
Manning has been more accurate with his throws than any time in his career. His instances of outright misfires have been few.
That doesn't make everything better, though. The numbers have exited the neighborhood of the elite. His 81.9 passer rating puts him well below this week's opposite number, Chad Pennington, whose 105.8 places him fifth in the league. He has five interceptions, which almost neutralizes the seven touchdown passes.
He has tried to force some throws.
The Jets have just three sacks on the season - two by defensive end Shaun Ellis and one by linebacker Victor Hobson. It's a big reason they're looking into the abyss right now at 1-3. But it's also a reason the Giants and Manning must be wary of a possible breakout Sunday.
Avoiding that means hitting receivers against the blitz. It means no touchdown-depriving throws inside the red zone, where the Eagles' Omar Gaither intercepted him on a pass to Jeremy Shockey at the 8.
"I don't think about every play," Manning said. "We can play better as an offense, but at least we're winning.
"I've played better. We've got to get back to playing good football and winning games and not making tons of mistakes."
Winning makes things easier to take. But it doesn't eliminate the problems, like the drops that have kept his percentage below 60 percent since the opener.
"Certainly we want it to be better and we need to be better," Coughlin said, adding it's not just Manning's problem alone. "We need to eliminate the drops and we need to be a product of outstanding execution and poise, and the confidence that comes from being in the right place at the right time and the ball being delivered at the right time."
If he can do it this week, maybe the questions will go away.
Notes: Running back Brandon Jacobs returned to full practice and should be ready for the Jets game. Coughlin said he'd determine how Jacobs and Derrick Ward will split up the carries at the end of the week. ... The Giants waived wide receiver Anthony Mix and signed Domenik Hixon, a kickoff and punt returner waived by the Broncos on Tuesday. ... Defensive end Michael Strahan and safety Gibril Wilson sat out practice with, respectively, a sore knee and a hip injury. Strahan is expected to return to full work today. ... The MRIs on right guard Chris Snee's knee and cornerback Sam Madison's bruised right shoulder came up negative. Snee participated in limited practice yesterday and Madison took a full practice.