Giants quarterback Eli Manning. (Getty)
Perish the thought of the Eagles possibly tanking. Eli Manning is expected to start for the Giants.
Manning, who was the starting quarterback in New York for 15 seasons, might be forced back into action this week against the Eagles on “Monday Night Football.” Rookie starter Daniel Jones is dealing with a high right ankle sprain and is in a walking boot.
The Giants are preparing for the worst and that means throwing Manning into the fire. The two-time Super Bowl champion seemed unphased and ready for action.
“We’ll see what happens Monday, but business as usual,” Manning told the Giants official website. “In the sense of you get the game plan, start prepping for Philly. [We’re] going against a good defense we ‘ve faced a number of years, [we] know them well. Just have to get back in the mix with the offensive line and receivers, make sure timing is where it needs to be.”
Eagles Take Jab at Daniel Jones’ Pocket Presence
On first glance, it seemed like a small victory to avoid Daniel Jones.
While the rookie signal-caller hadn’t been playing lights out — far from it leading a 2-10 Giants team — he did present a different wrinkle with his ability to scramble and make things happen outside the pocket.
Eli Manning is more like a stunt double for the Statue of Liberty.
Jones was actually the Giants’ second-leading rusher (behind Saquon Barkley) after rushing 39 times for 241 yards, a mind-numbing 6.2 yards per carry. It was a statistic not lost on Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
“Jones had been running some zone read and had made some scramble plays,” Schwartz said. “He had been their second-leading rusher and averaging six yards a carry. Eli, that’s not a huge part of his game.”
Schwartz seemed to take a subtle jab at Jones, too. He critiqued the rookie’s recent play by saying Jones had been “holding the ball a little bit in the pocket” and knows Manning won’t fall into that trap.
“We know Eli is not going to hold it,” Schwartz said. “The ball is going to come out pretty quick.”
Eagles Have Owned Manning Over the Years
Eli Manning is no stranger to the Eagles.
The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback has matched up against them 30 times in his 16-year career, including taking a viciously memorable hit in his NFL debut.
In 30 career starts versus Philadelphia, Manning has posted a record of 10-20 and holds a completion percentage of 59.6% (655-of-1,099).
The Eagles-Giants game opened with Philly as 8.5-point favorites and a total of 46.5. With Eli Manning getting the nod, it has since moved to -10 and 46.
Team total movement
Eagles: 27.5 -> 28
Giants: 19 -> 18
He has thrown for 7,791 yards while chucking 52 touchdowns against 34 interceptions. Manning’s most recent game came on Nov. 25, 2018, when he threw for 297 yards in a 25-22 loss.
There is one more interesting factoid. Manning’s overall record stands at 116-116. If the Eagles can pull out a victory — and they are eight-point betting favorites — then Manning may retire with a career winning-percentage below .500. Perhaps a small joy.
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