Eli Manning Must Calm New York Giants, Himself Down

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning must serve as a calming influence on a team that continues to be too undisciplined.

The New York Giants are arguably the most undisciplined team in the NFL. It’s nothing new for this club and this group of players. One of the reasons Ben McAdoo replaced the beloved Tom Coughlin as New York head coach following the 2015 season involved Coughlin no longer having control of a locker room of players that couldn’t post a winning record. It wouldn’t matter if the Giants won games while at the same time committing silly and regrettable penalties.

Miscues resulted in defeats and losing records, and those records ultimately led to Coughlin being ousted.

Here we are less than one year since that awkward press conference during which Coughlin explained he would no longer serve as the head coach of the football Giants and little has changed. Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is still receiving criticism for reasons that have nothing to do with his play. The Giants recently gave a game away to division rivals the Washington Redskins during what Ralph Vacchiano of SNY referred to as “one Giant undisciplined mess” that included center Weston Richburg being ejected from the contest.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Coaches must control their players. They’re not real leaders if they fail to accomplish this mission. McAdoo notched victories in two of his first three official games as head coach, but he has yet to do what Coughlin could not during the 2015 season: bring back the disciplined type of football we saw from Big Blue back in 2011.

Quarterback Eli Manning is not without blame for the loss to the Redskins. Granted, Manning received zero help from tight end Will Tye in the red zone when a pass that could’ve produced a Giants touchdown became an interception because Tye pulled up on his route and failed to fight for the ball at the critical moment of the play. Manning also tossed a costly and avoidable pick late in the game that eliminated any chance of a New York comeback.

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Far too many supposed fans of the Giants take Manning for granted and don’t understand how good they’ve had it over the past 12 years. It’s a subject I tackled this past June. This does not, of course, mean that we cannot criticize the two-time Super Bowl champion when he does not do enough to lead his team to a victory during a winnable game.

Interceptions such as the one thrown by Manning on New York’s final offensive play against the Redskins frustrate fans for multiple reasons. At this point of his career, Manning should know to live to fight another down rather than attempt to force a pass when no window exists in that moment. We know Manning should know this, as he admitted to it when speaking with WFAN’s Mike Francesa during his weekly segment on September 26.

No quarterback is perfect. Brett Favre and Peyton Manning didn’t get it right every time they dropped back to pass. Tom Brady commits errors and sometimes tosses the ball into the waiting hands of a defensive back. Such mistakes are forgotten and forgiven. That’s the nature of the sport.

Manning is more than just a strong arm or a winner with two championship-clinching drives on his resume. He’s the emotional leader of the New York offense and of the locker room. The 35-year-old has accomplished more than the majority of starting quarterbacks currently in the NFL. Manning has seen it all and he is, theoretically, entering the twilight of a career that will land in the Hall of Fame before 2030 arrives.

Much has been made, over the past week, about the antics of Beckham while on the New York sideline during the game against Washington. Beckham got into a battle with a kicking net. And he also appeared to tear-up following Manning’s first interception of the contest.

Manning could write a book about dealing with adversity and handling stressful and emotional situations. It would behoove the two players and the rest of the Giants if Manning spent some additional time with Beckham for a chat or two before New York plays at the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

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Manning must also act as a calming presence in the huddle. What that means may change per the situation, but it’s on the starting QB to be able to read that moment and know how to rally the troops around him.

The Giants are 2-1 and very much so in the race for the division title heading into the first Monday of October. New York has a roster capable of beating the Vikings in Minnesota. Failing to limit unforced mistakes and keep cool heads will down the Giants more so than anything the Vikings do on October 3. Manning needs to lead the charge in more ways than one starting this Monday.

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