BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE
New York Giants back to work a day after being eliminated
EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. (AP) >> Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning thinks the New York Giants are heading in the right direction, and the soonto-be 38-year- old believes he has enough in the tank to lead them on another championship run.
A day after the Giants (59) were eliminated from postseason contention for the sixth time in seven years, Manning said Monday the team didn’t win enough of the close games earlier in the season in their 1-7 start. He was encouraged how the team rebounded after the bye week, winning four of five games before being shut out by Tennessee on a rainy Sunday.
“Yeah, I know I can play, I can make the throws,” said Manning, who has thrown for 3,689 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions while hitting almost 66 percent of his passes this season. “Yesterday, I made some good throws. So, it still feels like I can run around and make plays, and do a lot of good things. When there was a stretch when we were playing good football,
ALBANY, N.Y. >> After leading the University at Albany football team in receiving yards this past season, wide receiver Dev Holmes has been named a HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-America Honorable Mention.
Holmes, a native of Troy, N.Y., caught 50 passes for 734 yards with five touch- downs. A three-time Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week, he had three 100-yard receiving games, including a 238-yard performance in a win over Morgan State that was just 13 yards short of the program’s single-game record.
Holmes started all 11 games as a true freshman, beginning with his collegiate debut at Pittsburgh, where he caught nine passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.