Manning set for one last hurrah
Might this be Eli Manning ’s swan song performance with the New York Giants? Yup. In prime time to boot.
As his 16th and probably final season with the Giants winds to a disappointing close, the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback suddenly last week found himself thrust back into the thick of things, offensively.
Rookie Daniel Jones, who replaced Manning in Week 3, suffered a high ankle sprain in last week’s home-field loss to Green Bay, which dropped New York’s record to 2-10. He couldn’t practise this past week. On Monday night, the Giants play at the 5-7 Philadelphia Eagles, in a game loaded with playoff importance for the home side. No doubt it’s important for Manning, too.
In his typically polite, non-disruptive, ever-positive manner, the 38-year-old would not even admit the previous 11 weeks of watching Jones take all the game snaps was difficult.
“A little different, trying to adjust to it,” he said, “(but) always being prepared to go.
“Trying to get Daniel as prepared as possible each week. I faced a lot of the teams that we have been playing, looking through old notes and tips on trying to diagnose defences.”
Jones was spotted on the Giants practice field on Saturday, without a walking boot. Might Jones return to game action next Sunday, at home against Miami? Giants head coach Pat Shurmur did not rule that out.
“We’ll have to see,” Shurmur said. “He didn’t practise this week, and we’ll just have to see when we come back to practice next Wednesday how much he can do. Then we’ll take it from there.”
Shurmur added he “absolutely” was encouraged by Jones’ rapid progress.
All of which means that this might well be a onegame cameo back in the saddle for Manning — who, if he doesn’t retire at season’s end, is not expected to return to the Big Blue in 2020.
Shurmur commended Peyton’s younger brother for his unwavering professionalism during his nearly three months as second-stringer this fall.
“No matter what his role has been, he’s been the same every day,” Shurmur said. “Same energy level, and he’s had a great week of practice.”
As for the Eagles, they’re in some kind of strange, reverse-success race with Dallas to win the NFC East. The Cowboys, after their latest ugly loss at Chicago on Thursday, dropped to 6-7.
With a defeat of the Giants, the Eagles could join the Cowboys at 6-7, well ahead of 3-10 Washington and the two-win Giants.