QB Eli Manning
October 1, 2018
Q: What do you see when you look back at yesterday’s game?
A: You see a lot of good things. I thought our first drive of the game was great. In that drive, nothing spectacular, but just ran the ball, find completions. We didn’t have a third down until the very end, and converted when it was third-and-goal. I thought that was a good way to play the game. We tried to hit some play-action. They weren’t going to give us some deep plays, so we were throwing it underneath. Fortunately, we just had a couple of plays where we had a penalty, or had a sack, or had something that kind of disrupted the drive. We got into a couple of third-and-longs we didn’t covert on. Had a turnover early on in the first half when we were driving. I think there’s good production on first and second down, and good down and distance, and things like that. It’s always a few plays you wish you had back that we missed on. We got to do a better job on some third downs.
Q: If the defense is taking away those deep routes, is it worth it at all to take a shot anyway, even though the coverage isn’t ideal for that?
A: That usually leads to bad plays. There’s ways to get explosive plays without throwing it deep. It’s not like they all have to be go-routes or post-routes. Hitting guys on the move when they do play man, in zones you can still hit plays. In breaking routes and buying time. You can still hit explosive plays when teams are trying to take away the deep shots.
Q: Pat Shurmur said today looking back, he wished he had called more runs for (RB) Saquon Barkley. How would that have helped?
A: It’s tough to say. I think when teams are playing soft and they’re playing too high, those are good opportunities to run the ball, but also, we were calling things when they were playing soft or playing too high, we were hitting stuff that got out quickly, and you’re getting seven or eight yards a completion, which is what you want to do on first and second down. That gets you in good down and distance. With Saquon, you want to find ways to put the ball in his hands.
Q: Are you happy with the way you’re playing so far this season?
A: Obviously, I can play better, need to play better. I feel like I have a good feel of the offense. We’re getting completions. Not turning the ball and making mistakes. I think I can do a better job of just feeling the rush or feeling when you have time to maybe push the ball down the field, but I think I do a good job of keeping us in good down and distances and giving us opportunities to make plays.
Q: How do you find that balance?
A: Risks are not what you want to take. You throw the ball down the field when it’s not risky, and then there’s forcing things and that leads to turnovers that leads to mistakes. I’m not having shots down the field that I’m not taking. It’s just a matter of whether you want to scramble around, whether you want to buy time and kind of let things, or have a guy open not the way you drew it up. Can guys move around and find areas in the zone to get open on scramble drills. So, just kind of weighing those options sometimes. You can look at it and say, oh, I had time here. Then you can look at other ones and say, you know I wouldn’t have had time there to do that. Then, that leads to sacks and fumbles. It’s just kind of having that feel, and feeling the rush and having a good understanding of when you can do it and when you can’t.
Q: In the past, you’ve had short throws go for long distance? Why is that not working so far?
A: We didn’t throw many slants and stuff the other night, just because they were playing some two and stuff. It’s not really what we wanted. We didn’t hit them on any slants and different things. We just kind of hit them on a couple short passes when they were playing their zone just to try to get five and six yards a pop. If they were playing man, you have other options to go to different places. It’s just a matter of finding ways to get them the ball. When teams do play man or do come after us, throw accurate balls and keep them moving.
Q: Is it demoralizing to you when these types of games happen? It felt like last year’s struggles when teams are playing Cover 2 and Cover 3 and you guys just keep everything underneath.
A: It didn’t feel like a struggle for whatever reason. I think in the first half, we had four drives. The first one was great. Like I said, you don’t have to have big plays to have good drives. You’re getting completions and you’re getting 10 yards, you’re running the ball, you’re getting four or five yards, and you just don’t have third downs. You go first down, second down, first down. That’s what you want to do. You want to get a couple of shots or where you get some plays down the field, and those happen, and you want to take them, and we took some. We just didn’t hit any. I tried to hit (WR) Russell Shepard on a go-route down the left sideline, didn’t hit it. Threw one to Saquon down the right side, didn’t hit it. It’s not like we’re not throwing the ball down the field. When you are playing that way and teams are kind of giving you underneath stuff, you got to stay in good rhythm and you can’t have a penalty on first down. Now you have first-and-20. You can’t have a sack on second down, now you got third-and-14. Those are the things that you just have to stay in good down-and-distance and play that way. We called shots. Sometimes you call play-action, they took away some of the over routes, they took away some of the post routes, we checked it down. You’re still getting seven yards, on second-and-six, you’re getting a first down. Those are good plays. You just got to have that great combination. Credit to them. A few times, they did blitz. We picked it up, we hit guys running, and hit some big plays. Hit Odell on an in-breaking route, and we got 30 yards. Hit Odell on a crossing-route, on a little shallow-route, he gets 15 yards. Sterling Shepard on the first drive gets 10 yards. We had some good things, we just got to do a little bit better, and continue to do it throughout the game.
Q: Why was the first drive so effective?
A: Just like I said, no penalties, no drops, no sacks, and just took what the defense gave us. That’s kind of what they were willing to give up. They were willing to give up completions for seven and eight yards, and you just got to be patient and take them. I thought we did a good job of doing that. A few times, they did bring some pressure. We couldn’t get the ball out quick enough. We got a sack and just go into some third-and-long situations where we had some negative plays. For the most part, first and second down was very productive, but we had a few drives where you just had the negative plays. The incompletions and the runs for one or two yards are not the problems. It’s the penalties, it’s the sacks that hurt you.
Q: You tend to check down to the receiver on third-and-long plays almost knowing it’s not going to pick up a first down. Is that hard to handle?
A: Yeah, sometimes it just depends on the play that’s called, and how they’re playing it. Sometimes when you want to keep a tight end in or you’re expecting some sort of one-high zone, or expecting pressure and they’re showing that, and all of a sudden they play zone or they play two-high, you only got three guys in route, that’s where you got to weigh those odds. Do I want to buy time and scramble around and try to get someone that based on this play and their coverage which is not designed to get open, you can maybe move around and create something. We had a third-and-six, called a man play, I threw a check down to (RB) Wayne Gallman (Jr.), we get the first down. It just kind of depends on the check down, it depends on how everything looks and how the protection is holding up where you just kind of weigh the odds of trying to buy time and create something, or try to get a completion and see if we can get a guy to miss or make something happen.
Q: Did you say anything to Odell at halftime? He seemed frustrated going into halftime.
A: Yeah, I talked to him. Nothing specific. Just make sure everybody was ready. We’re down one score, we’re getting the ball first. They weren’t doing anything we weren’t prepared for, doing anything we couldn’t handle, and just say hey, we got to go out there and get a scoring drive, and we’ll be back on track.
Q: At 1-3, is there frustration?
A: Obviously not where we want to be, but I see a team with a lot of new guys and new things going on. I feel like we’re getting close. We’ve played some close games. We’ve played in the fourth quarters and have tight games. Against Houston, we were able to do our jobs and get the win. Some, we’ve been right there, had opportunities. We’re a pass interference from getting the ball back with two and a half minutes yesterday. I see an offensive line, I see an offense that’s making improvements. There’s not mistakes. We’re not going the wrong way. We’ve worked hard. I see a team that prepares very hard, they practice hard, they’re doing all the right things, and we got to keep doing those things. Keep our head up and just find ways to put it all together and find ways to win.
Perhaps that is just cliche and not applicable to real world football, but with our weapons it seems to me we should be dictating to the defense and making them adjust rather than us just taking what they'll give us.
How about seeing if OBJ can draw the PI 40+ yards down the field too...
Perhaps that is just cliche and not applicable to real world football, but with our weapons it seems to me we should be dictating to the defense and making them adjust rather than us just taking what they'll give us.
When the offensive line literally can't support certain types of offensive plays, "what the defense is willing to give" rings true. You can not dictate anything.
Quite often, Eli was checking down before any defender was anywhere near him.
this is the NFL - there are very few great OLines.
There is no value in just repeating the same excuses. Watch the game and then judge what actually happened.
A: Yeah, sometimes it just depends on the play that’s called, and how they’re playing it. Sometimes when you want to keep a tight end in or you’re expecting some sort of one-high zone, or expecting pressure and they’re showing that, and all of a sudden they play zone or they play two-high, you only got three guys in route, that’s where you got to weigh those odds. Do I want to buy time and scramble around and try to get someone that based on this play and their coverage which is not designed to get open, you can maybe move around and create something. We had a third-and-six, called a man play, I threw a check down to (RB) Wayne Gallman (Jr.), we get the first down. It just kind of depends on the check down, it depends on how everything looks and how the protection is holding up where you just kind of weigh the odds of trying to buy time and create something, or try to get a completion and see if we can get a guy to miss or make something happen.
Of course you don't want to scramble. You have no scramble ability left, and this is what people who think Eli is part of the problem see.
Bottom line, you have to make the plays you can when they are available. You can't consistently miss open receivers and you can't constantly check down when there are plays to be made downfield.
I am not one who subscribes to the idea that Eli is physically diminished (other than lack of mobility)... but his decision making leaves a lot to be desired. I believe he is playing scared.
Bottom line, you have to make the plays you can when they are available. You can't consistently miss open receivers and you can't constantly check down when there are plays to be made downfield.
I am not one who subscribes to the idea that Eli is physically diminished (other than lack of mobility)... but his decision making leaves a lot to be desired. I believe he is playing scared.
We agree.
Quote:
Q: You tend to check down to the receiver on third-and-long plays almost knowing it’s not going to pick up a first down. Is that hard to handle?
A: Yeah, sometimes it just depends on the play that’s called, and how they’re playing it. Sometimes when you want to keep a tight end in or you’re expecting some sort of one-high zone, or expecting pressure and they’re showing that, and all of a sudden they play zone or they play two-high, you only got three guys in route, that’s where you got to weigh those odds. Do I want to buy time and scramble around and try to get someone that based on this play and their coverage which is not designed to get open, you can maybe move around and create something. We had a third-and-six, called a man play, I threw a check down to (RB) Wayne Gallman (Jr.), we get the first down. It just kind of depends on the check down, it depends on how everything looks and how the protection is holding up where you just kind of weigh the odds of trying to buy time and create something, or try to get a completion and see if we can get a guy to miss or make something happen.
Of course you don't want to scramble. You have no scramble ability left, and this is what people who think Eli is part of the problem see.
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Q: You tend to check down to the receiver on third-and-long plays almost knowing it’s not going to pick up a first down. Is that hard to handle?
A: Yeah, sometimes it just depends on the play that’s called, and how they’re playing it. Sometimes when you want to keep a tight end in or you’re expecting some sort of one-high zone, or expecting pressure and they’re showing that, and all of a sudden they play zone or they play two-high, you only got three guys in route, that’s where you got to weigh those odds. Do I want to buy time and scramble around and try to get someone that based on this play and their coverage which is not designed to get open, you can maybe move around and create something. We had a third-and-six, called a man play, I threw a check down to (RB) Wayne Gallman (Jr.), we get the first down. It just kind of depends on the check down, it depends on how everything looks and how the protection is holding up where you just kind of weigh the odds of trying to buy time and create something, or try to get a completion and see if we can get a guy to miss or make something happen.
Of course you don't want to scramble. You have no scramble ability left, and this is what people who think Eli is part of the problem see.
When you are trying to hit long passes to Russell Sheppard,you are screwed anyway. Remember when our wideouts were Cruz, Nicks and Manningham? Or Toomer, Burress and Smith?
be careful, Eli is a WCO system now. Think about that. 2 seasons, previously he was in a stretch the field passing game.
Eli has never been the same since he got jacked up in that Jets preseason game. He had his David Carr moment on that play. He is getting paid now, no incentive to do shit beyond what is acceptable. Get used to it.
Then why is he out there?
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But lets face it. He is unwilling to stay in the pocket for that extra second and hit the the guy downfield..it is what it is right now..and its not good
Eli has never been the same since he got jacked up in that Jets preseason game. He had his David Carr moment on that play. He is getting paid now, no incentive to do shit beyond what is acceptable. Get used to it.
I think the Chris Baker hit two years ago at home against the Skins really shook him. He got clobbered.
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We will go as far as the OL takes us. Eli is not going to step into a throw with a defensive lineman staring him in the face at age 37.
Then why is he out there?
Exactly this. There are times in a game when you have no choice but to make a throw knowing you are going to take a hit. Eli refuses to do so now. How can you win with that?