O, THIS AIN'T GOOD
Manning, offense a complete no-show in Giants letdown
THIS sunny, warm October day practically begged for a shootout between Eli Manning and Drew Brees.
No one ever confused these Saints — or any Saints — with the ’ 85 Bears, right?
And Manning was Mr. October, right, a 36-15 won-lost record in Reggie Jackson’s favorite month.
And Odell Beckham Jr. had chipped off the rust and was ready to explode, right?
And Saquon Barkley was taking his first baby steps to Canton, right?
And Manning had provided hope that he could go back-toback to the future after all but rising from the football grave last week in Houston.
On this day, he should have been Saint Eli. Ain’t Eli instead. Ain’t Odell (5-17 receiving until Garbage Time) as well. Ain’t Giants, 33-18 losers. This was supposed to be an offense that would instill fear in opposing defenses: Take not what they give you, but what you want.
The exact offense Brees and coach Sean Payton happen to engineer.
The Giants owed more to their fans, who can be forgiven for forgetting what it is like to rally behind a big team with big ambition.
You simply cannot be a big team if you cannot win your home games, if you cannot stack wins. The Giants are not a big team. There was no rhythm to the Manning offense, no identity, no swagger, no sustained excellence, no sense that it could impose its will at any given moment.
Maybe that was why Pat Shurmur kept his three first-half timeouts in his pocket.
For too much of the day, until Manning engineered the 75-yard TD drive followed by a successful two-point conversion that cut the deficit to 26-18 with 3:44 left, Manning appeared to be at the helm of a sputtering tractor more than any Indy 500 race car.
Barkley only had six touches in the first half while Marshon Lattimore was singing “Me and My Shadow” to Beckham, who had two catches for minus 4 yards.
The boobirds first emerged early in the third quarter when Manning, following a Demario Davis sack, threw underneath for 6 yards to Sterling Shepard.
It was Saints 19, Giants 7 when Manning directed a field-goal drive that stalled at the New Orleans 14 late in the third quarter.
When it became evident Shurmur would press to get Barkley more involved, he was thrown for a 7-yard loss on first down on the last play of the third quarter. Then Manning held the ball, and held the ball some more, and was sacked.
Big Blue, which had been forced to bend all day, finally broke in the fourth quarter when Alvin Kamara’s 49-yard TD run
sealed the deal.
It was Saints 12, Giants 7 at intermission only because Big Blue would not let Brees in the end zone.
So much for the theory that you do not beat Manning kicking field goals.
Manning’s best moment, after his 2-yard TD toss to Shepard on his first possession, was preventing Lattimore from scoring on a Wayne Gallman fumble when he scurried to push him out of bounds following a 37yard return at the NYG 13.
Each time the Giants defense made a stand — Landon Collins denying a Benjamin Watson TD at the end of the half — you kept waiting for Manning & Co. to play complementary football. You’re still waiting. And Manning had picked up right where he left off against the Texans.
It started with an end-around to Beckham for 10 yards. It ended with Manning’s 2-yard TD pass on third down to Shepard. Manning was 6-for-7 for 41 yards.
Shepard and Beckham were soon grooving on the bench.
It would be their only moment of fun.