ELI’S SAFE - FOR NOW
Shurmur sticking with Eli for now, but puts him on notice
It is less a threat, more matter-of-fact, but it is the reality Eli Manning now faces as he braces for the second half of a lost season and tries to hold onto his job. Win and you keep playing. Continue to lose and we have to replace you.
These are the marching orders coach Pat Shurmur recently presented to Manning, the 37-year-old quarterback in his 15th year with the Giants. The next game is Monday night against the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., and Manning will be the starting quarterback. After that, there is no guarantee, which is part of the uncertainty when a team is 1-7 and trending downward.
“I spoke to Eli a couple times this weekend and I explained to Eli he’s gonna start Monday,’’ Shurmur said Tuesday as the Giants reconvened following their bye week. “I also explained to Eli that everybody needs to play better and as we go through this it’s important we’re not ‘almost’ in these games, we do what we need to do to get it over the top and win football games. So we’ll just take it from there.’’
Shurmur added he relayed this message to the entire team, but felt the need to convey it personally in a one-on-one conversation with Manning.
“Because it’s the quarterback,’’ Shurmur said.
Manning has been the starting quarterback since the 10th game of his rookie year in 2004, but his hold on his beloved position has never been more tenuous. There is no groundswell in the organization to send Manning to the sideline, not after all he has done for the franchise and certainly not with the candidates on the roster as alternatives. Kyle Lauetta is a rookie from Richmond and his recent arrest for a slew of traffic violations left Shurmur wondering about an aspect of Lauletta’s maturity the Giants believed they had a handle on. Asked if the criminal actions could affect a move to putting Lauletta on the field, Shurmur said, “Well, I’m disappointed because I think, especially for a quarterback, you’re looking at decision-making in all facets of a player’s life, so yeah.’’
The other quarterback on the team is Alex Tanney, a 30-year-old with one regular-season game of NFL experience.
The Giants are trying hard not to push Manning out the door. But they need him to help his cause by putting more points on the board and actually winning some games.
“He’s starting Monday — you guys roll with it how you want — with the idea he’s gonna get us on a run here and there’ll be no decisions to be made,’’ Shurmur said. “Part of the conversation was we trust you, we’re gonna work with you and we trust the fact you’re gonna get in there and help us win football games.’’
Manning and the offensive malaise are the main reasons why the Giants have lost so many games. They average only 18.8 points, which is 27th in the NFL in scoring. The Giants are 31st in redzone efficiency, with touchdowns on just 40 percent of their trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. The failures are widespread, starting with shoddy run-blocking and pass protection. Manning’s fingerprints are also on the inability to get the ball into the end zone.
Shurmur, during the break, studied the offensive tendencies and knows the plan put together by the coaching staff must at least try to augment Manning’s strengths.
“We as coaches got to do the things that he does well and we all need to be better,’’ Shurmur said.
If there were more enticing options, Manning might not have survived to start another day heading into the second half of the season. The Giants are intrigued with Lauletta, thinking his makeup and instincts might overcome any physical deficiencies he might have. He is a fourth-round pick from an FBS program and there are no indications the coaching staff believes he is ready to play at this juncture. He is not viewed as the heir apparent, but as a player the Giants think they might be able to develop.
“He’s working himself into position to play,’’ Shurmur said. “He’s done a good job out here in practice. He’s a smallschool quarterback so there was a lot to learn and there is a lot to learn about how to prepare in the NFL and he’s going through the process of doing that.’’
For now, it remains Manning’s job. For how much longer depends on the results.