Post-Game Transcript: QB Eli Manning

Quarterback Eli Manning

Postgame vs. Los Angeles Rams, November 5, 2017

Q: How would you characterize the performance today by the whole team?

A: Well, obviously, not good enough. Offensively, we’ve got to do a better job protecting the football. We can’t give a team short field position and make it easy on them and tough on our defense. So, you know, they’ve been playing well, they’ve been scoring a lot of points, they’ve got a good defense, and you know, they just hit some big plays. Obviously, we had some big turnovers in the first half.

Q: As the team’s veteran leader, what’s your message to the team?

A: Well, we’re just going to keep grinding. We’re going to keep fighting. We’ve got eight games left – we’ve got a lot of football, and can only get better. We can only go up, but that’s going to come with work. I thought we had a good game plan, we just got to execute better. We had some plays we’ve got to make on offense, you know, we had some opportunities for big plays.

Q: The two deep balls to WR Sterling Shepard and WR Tavarres King, what are you seeing is wrong in terms of timing and execution?

A: No, just really the one to Shep, I’ve got to hit that. It’s quarters, you’ve got a post route. You know, I haven’t thrown many routes to Shep on the outside, so it’s been mostly a lot, but you’ve got to hit that one. You know, with Tavarres, it’s more of a scramble, kind of late just trying to put it over the safety, maybe a shot for him to get it or nobody. Obviously, just overshot it a little bit.

Q: WR Tavarres King also had a corner route in the end zone?

A: Yeah, right before half, right before half. You know, tried to take a shot down the field just to try to put it kind of a line drive throw, put it in there. You know, we’ve got to keep working on it. Sometimes we’re getting some of these throws for the first time in games, so we just got to find a way to hit them in the live situations.

Q: You’ve seen this building rocking in Super Bowl years, how demoralizing is it to you to see the empty seats and booing?

A: Well, we’ve got a job to do on the field, that’s all you can worry about. Obviously, we didn’t do it very well today, but we’re going to keep working, keep grinding. We want to do it, obviously, for our fans, but we want to do it for each other. We’ve got a lot of football left, and we want to try to get something out of it and keep playing and get that feeling after a game of a win.

Q: How do you feel the guys in front of you did against number 99, DT Aaron Donald, and how much of the game plan was geared away from him?

A: Well, we obviously wanted to try to get as many bodies going towards him as possible, and some protection. Sometimes you couldn’t do it. I think he did have the one sack-fumble early in the game, but I think they did a pretty good job containing him. We ran the ball well, we just got to do a better job converting on some third downs.

Q: No loss ever feels good, does this loss feel worse coming off of a bye?

A: It’s all the same. They were coming off of a bye also, and we just got to keep searching, keep finding ways to go out there and just make some more plays on game day.

Q: How difficult has it been dealing with new receivers?

A: Well, we got to keep working. We have some new guys and so you can work some things obviously in practice – what you’re expecting, different looks, different coverages, different adjustments. Sometimes you’ve got to go on the run. Guys know what they’re doing, and it’s just a matter of getting set in the pocket and trusting in it and making accurate throws.

Q: How would you characterize the feelings of the team right now?

A: Well, obviously, guys are disappointed – it’s tough. We’ll come back tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, get ready to go to San Francisco, and have a great game plan, prepare, and try to win.

Q: What happened on a couple of those deep balls to WR Sterling Shepard and WR Tavarres King?

A: Yeah, I’ve got to hit those. I’ve got to hit that, especially the one to Shep. We’ve got quarters, just got to step into the throw and hit that for a possible touchdown.

Q: Ben McAdoo mentioned that he might want to play some younger players, would you be comfortable giving them some play time?

A: Hey, I want to be out there, I want to be playing. Yeah, I want to be out there.

Q: Given the expectations of this team, how hard is it to accept 1-7?

A: Well, we don’t have an option. We have to accept it, those are the facts, and we just got to keep trying to fix that in the sense of next week and following weeks, getting better and trying to get a win.

Q: How much of this do you put on your shoulders?

A: Yeah, I got to hit Shep on the post. I’ve got a one-on-one on the post route, I’ve got to hit those. I’ve got to make better throws.

Q: Would you understand if the coaches wanted to take a look what QB Davis Webb has, for example, down the line?

A: Well, they’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. I want to be out there, I want to keep playing with my teammates and keep working.