MONDAY NIGHT PREVIEW
Might this be Eli Manning’s swan song performance with the New York Giants? Yup. In prime time to boot.
As his 16th and likely final season with the Giants winds to a disappointing close (not just for him), 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. Manning took all the firstweek reps.
Tonight, 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 last week that 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. Also, trying to get myself ready to play each week.”
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 on Saturday did not rule that out.