Tag: Eli Manning

Giants’ Evan Engram ‘hurt’ over missing Eli Manning’s return game

New York Giants TE Evan Engram admits he’s “hurt” over missing Eli Manning’s return game: “It sucks.”

New York Giants tight end Evan Engram will miss his fourth consecutive game this week with a sprained foot. What was supposed to be a breakout and career-elevating year for the dynamic third-year former first-round pick has become an exercise in frustration and futility.

“It sucks. I was really excited about this week,” Engram said after being ruled out of Monday’s game in Philadelphia. “I felt really good at the beginning of the week, felt really good in my rehab prior to the week. As the week went by, I just wasn’t ready. I made some progress but I’m not ready.”

Engram was practicing on a limited basis this week and it appeared as if he could be ready to face the Eagles on Monday and team up again with veteran quarterback Eli Manning, but the foot will keep him sidelined again.

“No setbacks,” he said when asked if he had any. “Like I said, just not ready. I couldn’t really do what I do and not ready.”

It was mentioned that he will miss perhaps his final opportunity to catch a pass from Eli.

“Personally, that’s what hurts the most about not getting out there. I was excited about the opportunity to get back out there with Eli and it sucks,” Engram said.

The Giants have three games remaining after Monday and Engram is not sure if or when he’ll be able to return to the field. He was asked if the injury is taking longer than he expected.

“Yeah, but these injuries are real tricky,’ he said. “From what they told me, the joint and the ligament requires a lot in the foot, so it’s a little tricky. Like I said, keep working at it and stay the course.”

Since playing in 15 games as a rookie in 2017, Engram was limited to 11 games last season and has only played in eight of the Giants’ 12 contests this year. He’s had his share of hurdles that is for sure.

“More adversity,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of it, seen enough of it and I’ll overcome it.”

Engram may have to overcome that adversity elsewhere. His injury issues put his fifth-year option with the Giants in doubt and there is speculation he could be traded this offseason.

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NFC East News: Eli Manning to start at QB vs. Eagles as Giants rule out Daniel Jones

Eli Manning to start vs. Eagles as Giants rule out Daniel Jones

The Philadelphia Eagles start a four-game stretch of consecutive NFC East games that will determine their postseason fate. For the Birds it’s simple: win four in a row, and you’re in.

They’ll face a familiar face on Monday night, as the Giants announced that Eli Manning will start in place of an injured Daniel Jones.

Jones has 18 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions and would have faced an embattled secondary with all of his weapons available. Jones’ mobility would have likely presented an interesting scenario, as his ability to get outside the pocket could have proven valuable with skill players such as Golden Tate, and Sterling Shephard both available to play.

Giants’ Eli Manning will not turn to coaching after retirement

New York Giants QB Eli Manning once thought he may like to get into coaching following his retirement, but that sentiment has changed.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is one of the most intelligent and savvy players to ever step foot onto an NFL field, which has many wondering if he may get into coaching once his playing career comes to an official end.

At one point in time, Manning acknowledged that as a possibility, but after coaching rookie Daniel Jones for the past 10 weeks, he’s had a change of heart.

“You look at it like, ‘OK, well would I like to get into coaching one day?'” Manning said, via the New York Post. “Maybe that was the mindset. I learned I don’t want to be in coaching. I don’t like it. I don’t like doing that aspect. Try to make the best of it and try to find some positive things in it, which there are.”

With the coaching option off the table, it’s likely Manning will aim to extend his playing career, but in order to do so, he’ll have to pounce on the few opportunities he has left — the first of which will come on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Giants now 9.5-point road underdogs vs. Eagles

The New York Giants are now 9.5-point road underdogs against the Philadelphia Eagles entering the weekend.

Since the line opened earlier this week, there has been a little added excitement for most New York Giants fans with Eli Manning expected to return under center in Week 14.

When the line opened, the Giants were listed as 8.5-point road underdogs. The line has since moved a whole point. The Giants are now +9.5 for the Monday Night Football matchup, per BetMGM.

This would have been Daniel Jones’ first start of what will likely be many against the Philadelphia Eagles in his career. Instead, Manning will be under center carrying a 1-9 record against the Eagles since the start of the 2014 season. Manning will hope to get a win for Big Blue Sunday, ending their losing streak and give himself a career record over .500 as a starter.

The over/under remains at 47.5 as it was when the line opened. Seven of the Giants’ 12 games have gone over that point total this season.

This is the first of two games against the Eagles remaining on the Giants’ schedule as they will host Philly to conclude their disappointing season in Week 17.

The Eagles are fresh off embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins and will look for a rebound against Big Blue. With the Dallas Cowboys losing on Thursday Night Football, Monday’s game becomes crucial for the Eagles.

Getting a win on Sunday will be no easy task for the Giants. They have not played well against Philly in recent history and it seems as though Vegas oddsmakers think the change at quarterback benefits the Eagles.

Eli Manning will hope to get a win for his Giants in what could be his last game as the Giants starter but it will be a tough game as the Giants are heavy underdogs.

[Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.]

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Michael Strahan: Eli Manning has nothing to prove

Giants legend Michael Strahan doesn’t believe Eli Manning has anything to prove.

The New York Giants are steadily looking toward the future after another dismal season, but quarterback Eli Manning will get another shot at seeing the field Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

As rookie quarterback Daniel Jones deals with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out of the primetime matchup, Manning will be the one leading the offense again for the first time since Week 2.

His former teammate and Giants legend Michael Strahan doesn’t believe the two-time Super Bowl champion has anything to prove in his spot start on Monday night.

“I don’t think Eli has anything to prove to me or you or anybody else. I mean, the Super Bowls speak for themselves,” said Strahan ahead of Thursday Night Football on FOX. “It’s unfortunate the way the season has gone for him, and if this is the way he has to get back in the game, so be it, it’s just what the nature of this game is with injuries. But, yeah, I know what he can do, I just hope he does it well.”

Strahan is correct in his sentiments about Manning. The Giants are headed for a top-three pick in the 2020 NFL draft, and the front office has made it clear they hope Jones is the future of the franchise.

But Manning has accomplished more in his 16-year career than most could even dream about. He led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships in the span of five years—earning the MVP on the biggest stage possible both times.

Manning has been the epitome of what a quarterback should be both on and off the field. Sure, he has had his struggles and bone-headed mistakes. But he led the organization with class and leadership while navigating a market that makes it nearly impossible.

As the organization’s leader in most passing categories, Strahan is simply hoping the team does enough for the 37-year-old to get a win—potentially one final time.

“I know what he can do, I just want him to be at the best he can be,” said Strahan. “I want the guys who are around him to give him the best opportunity to win this game.”

While Manning leads the offense against the division-rival Eagles, the defense will look to show any semblance of improvement in the final four weeks of the season.

Once a perennial leader on that side of the ball, Strahan doesn’t see the unit possessing any indication there are many impact players throughout the defense.

“Right now they don’t have any one player who I’d say, OK, the other team’s got to come in saying, ‘We have to focus on this guy or he’s going to rip us apart.’ They don’t have that,” said Strahan.

With the Giants looking toward the offseason already, Manning will look to lead the offense enough to grab what could be the final win of his career.

Giants’ Saquon Barkley, family know what to expect from Philly fans

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley and his family know what to expect from Philadelphia fans on Monday night.

When one thinks of the Philadelphia sports fan base, many believe the legend rather than the truth. The bottom line here, though, is the truth outdoes the legend.

Eagles fans have a long litany of transgressions next their names, so much so that they were the first professional sports team to install jail cells in their stadium.

This is a bunch that once threw snowballs and booed Santa Claus, supported a hockey team that fought it’s way to two Stanley Cup championships, punched police horses and, after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, ate horse dropping and climbed greased light poles.

They’re always on their ‘best’ behavior when a New York team comes to town. Last year, Saquon Barkley’s family attended the Giants’ game in Philly and — even though they’re from the Bronx and have lived about 65 miles outside of Philadelphia for decades, caught the ire of the Eagles fans.

Barkley’s dad, Alibay, who is the nephew of former world champion boxer Iran Barkley, was shocked at the reception the Giants and their fans received from the Philly faithful.

“Every parking lot is different, but you might see different types of hand gestures when you’re going to Philly,” Saquon told reporters on Thursday. “But, that’s Philly. I remember my dad went to the game last year and my dad had to take a step back from himself and remember that he’s my father and we don’t want to be on the front cover of the paper in New York. So, a fan might have said something different that he didn’t really agree with, but I think my dad handled that in the right way. Those fans, they’re Philly. That’s how Philly is, but it’s fun. It’s always fun to go out there and play against them, so hopefully we go out there and get a win.”

Saquon, a star at Penn State, is no stranger to the Eagles fans’ antics. He was asked if he heard any language that he’d  never heard before on this planet during last year’s trip.

“Not this planet, but I mean, definitely it’s who it comes from I would say that’s not expected,” he said.

Eli Manning tells the story of nine-year-old fans giving him the finger in Philadelphia. Barkley saw some of that, too, but says it’s not always a bad thing.

“You might see a kid. It’s unique, but it’s fun. That’s football and that’s what Philly’s known for and the type of people that they are, but you could use it against them also, too. If you can get things going, you can see them turn away from — not turn away from the team, but you can get the crowd going in different directions. So, we’ve just got to go out there, have fun and try to find a way to get a win,” he said.

This game has plenty of meaning, even for the 2-10 Giants. The Eagles are 5-7, well below preseason expectations, and with a win can pull into a flatfooted tie with Dallas (6-7) for first place in the dreadful NFC East.

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Kevin Gilbride thinks Giants pulled plug on Eli Manning too soon

Kevin Gilbride feels the New York Giants pulled the plug on Eli Manning too soon and that the veteran will rise to the occasion on Monday.

The New York Giants entered the 2019 regular season adamant that Eli Manning was and would remain their starting quarterback, but that changed after just two weeks.

After their 0-2 start, head coach Pat Shurmur & Co. pulled the plug and inserted rookie Daniel Jones, who initially provided a spark, but it was not sustained. The Giants have gone 2-8 since and are mired into a historic losing streak.

Making matters worse, Jones is now sidelined with a high ankle sprain, meaning the Giants had to turn back the clock and again call on Manning.

Former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, preparing for his first season as general manager and head coach of the XFL’s New York Guardians, believes Big Blue was way too quick to yank Manning in the first place.

“I love the guy (Manning), so I felt for him when he got benched (in Week 3). I thought it was a premature move, but you understand how those things happen,” Gilbride told the New York Daily News. “I knew it would happen as soon as they stubbed their toe, and they started 0-2.

“I’m sure they realize in hindsight they wish they’d waited a little longer to see if he could get the thing going in the right direction. And of course I believe in him, so I think he would have.”

Gilbride went on to say that Jones has a bright future and is likely to be a “terrific” quarterback, but added that unless the Giants beef up his supporting cast, they’ve continue to relive the same issues they’ve had with Manning over the past several years.

And even with lacking talent around him, Gilbride expects Manning to rise to the occasion on Monday Night Football.

“There are a lot of qualities he has, and a couple come to my mind immediately,” Gilbride said. “First is his ability to stay in the moment. Nothing’s too big for him. The bigger the game, the better he plays. Most guys are not like that. When the pressure’s on, their vision narrows a little bit. He’s just the right mixture of competitiveness and poise. So the bigger the moment the better he plays, which he proved many times in the playoffs and big games, on big fourth-quarter drives.

“He’s got that special quality. There’s an equanimity about him that allows him to become razor sharp in the bigger moment.”

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Flashback Friday: Eagles end Giants’ dream of repeating in 2008

In the latest Giants Wire Flashback Friday, we look at a 2008 heart-breaker when the Philadelphia Eagles ended the New York Giants’ season.

In 2008, the New York Giants were flying high after knocking off the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. They were the best team in football and showed it by winning 11 of their first 12 games.

The Giants appeared to be unstoppable, and poised to make a run to repeat as champions. Then, the bizarre happened. They either peaked too early or were derailed by an off-field incident as they lost three of their last four games and the game they won was an overtime win.

On November 28, before their Week 13 win over Washington, star wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York night club. He was not only lost for the season but was criminally charged. The distraction was too much for the Giants to overcome.

The Giants had played well enough to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs and were pitted against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round at Giants Stadium. Philly had beaten the Giants at the Meadowlands a few weeks earlier.

The game had an ominous feeling. Although the Giants were favored by four points, the sixth-seeded Eagles got the better of the play. It was a low-scoring affair that saw the Giants go up, 11-10, early in the third quarter, then lose the lead for good and could not muster any type of offense mount a comeback.

The Eagles won, 23-11, the first NFL game to ever end with that final score and the Giants’ season was over just like that. What a waste.

“I am very, very disappointed,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “I am sorry to see the season come to an end. There is remorse for opportunities lost.”

Quarterback Eli Manning also lamented about the missed opportunity.

“It all comes down to what you do in the playoffs. That makes your season a good one or a disappointment,” Manning said. “This is a disappointment. We felt this was a special team that could go far. The defense played outstanding today and gave us opportunities. Offensively, we didn’t do our job. We didn’t score enough points.”

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Six Points with David Dorey: Week 14

Six things to think about heading into Week 14.

(Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)

The NFL playoffs are starting to come into focus and regardless of any protests, the NFC East will be allowed to advance a team. It’s money time right now in the NFL and in fantasy football. Here are a few thoughts on a Friday.

Jesper Horsted – The Bears are running through tight ends with Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen both on injured reserve, and Ben Braunecker out with a concussion. That gave both Horster and J.P. Holtz a chance to show what they could do. Holtz led the Bears with 56 yards on three catches while Horsted offered four receptions for 36 yards. Horsted caught one pass last week which was an 18-yard touchdown in Detroit. Holtz only had two career catches coming into last night. Both were undrafted players called up from the practice squad. Their success was more of a function of the Cowboys’ poor play worsened when LB Leighton Vander Esch missed the game. That could mean good things for the Rams this week.

Eli Manning – Daniel Jones is out with an ankle injury though some speculate that it is an attempt to allow Manning to have a Goodbye Tour. They probably owe him that. And Week 14 provides a chance to play the Eagles weak secondary that ranks No. 29 versus wideouts. Plus Golden Tate should be cleared from his concussion and Evan Engram is trending towards playing. He’d have a full complement of receivers which Jones has rarely had. If he can hang around until the end, that matches him against the Dolphins and Redskins. For a future HOF’er, that would be a nice way to end. Might even be worth a fantasy start.

Dalvin Cook – He’s had a tremendous third-year and finally remained healthy. Well, until recently. Cook injured his chest back in Week 11 against the Broncos and this was a re-aggravation. He says that he’ll play this week though it could still be painful and could become further aggravated. Fantasy playoffs are on in many leagues and seedings are being finalized in all others. But Cook is going to be risky despite playing against the No. 31 defense versus running backs. Cook already ran for 142 yards and two scores on them in Week 7. Alexander Mattison is too risky to start, but Cook could potentially leave the game early if he hurts or the Vikes have the game in hand. No matter what, Cook has to be healthy for Week 16 versus the Packers.

John Ross – He left after Week 4 with a broken clavicle but he’ll be activated this week and return to face the Browns. He’ll likely be on a pitch count and Week 15 faces the Patriots but at least Week 16 in Miami. Ross started the season with two 100-yard games and three touchdowns in the first two games including 112 yards and a score versus the 49ers in Week 2. He’ll be worth watching since the offense desperately needs help and he’ll dig into Auden Tate’s workload if not replace him again.

Kareem Hunt – Since he returned in Week 10, he’s been the No. 11 running back over the last four weeks. And he’s not even the starter. His role has been fairly consistent with around seven carries and five receptions per game and he averages about 60 total yards per game. His production hasn’t changed Nick Chubb’s workload at all, he’s just given Baker Mayfield an extra pass target. Hunt is a free agent at the end of the year, so this is all just to impress his next employer.

Best Wide Receivers over the last month – There is much movement with wide receivers as the season starts to close and this is worth knowing if only to see who maintains their value and who might have more value next year. These are the PPR fantasy points from Weeks 10 to Week 13.

D.J. Moore, Deebo Samuel, and even Cole Beasley stand out over the past month. It’s also interesting that while Odell Beckham hasn’t gotten on the same page with Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry hasn’t had any problem.

Eagles’ Doug Pederson expects Eli Manning to ‘jazz up’ the Giants

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson expects Eli Manning’s return to “jazz up” and “motivate” the New York Giants.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning hasn’t played in an NFL game since Week 2, and many wrote him off as finished. But life is funny sometimes. With rookie quarterback Daniel Jones laid up with a high ankle sprain and unlikely to play Monday against the Eagles in Philadelphia, the Giants are turning back to Eli to break their eight-game losing streak.

The narrative of this Giants’ season can change here if Manning can provide some stability and consistency to this wildly undisciplined team. The soon-to-be 39-year-old future Hall of Famer is creating a new dynamic, something the 16-year veteran hasn’t been able to do in years.

It’s so strange that Manning might be a breath of fresh air whereas just three months ago, he was passe — written off and washed up. Manning has been a sidebar the past 11 weeks, so much to the degree that many had forgotten about him. Now, he’s being called upon to lead Big Blue again as they strap on the pads for their final nationally televised game of the season.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson believes Manning — who has a 10-20 lifetime record versus Philadelphia with nine of those 20 losses coming in the last 10  meetings — will add something to the Giants this time around.

Not sure what Eli can bring to the table that Jones does not. Athletically, nothing, but experience-wise, everything. Jones has never faced the Eagles and Jim Schwartz’ defense which probably would have confounded him.

The Giants will go back to the short-passing game behind Eli, the quick drops and releases will keep the Eagles’ pass rush from gaining much traction. The Giants will look to get Saquon Barkley on track as well.

Pederson took over the Eagles in 2016 and has faced the Giants six times. He lost his first game vs Big Blue, 28-23, a game in which Eli threw four touchdowns. The Eagles have bested the Giants since, winning five straight.

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