Giants' Eli Manning Chats With Mike Francesa
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A day after leading the Giants to a dramatic fourth quarter comeback over the Buccaneers, Eli Manning joined Mike Francesa on Monday evening.
Francesa asked Manning for his opinion on the controversial final play of Sunday's 41-34 victory over the Bucs. Tampa Bay's defensive line plowed through the Giants' offensive line and knocked Manning down as he was kneeling to end the game.
The decision by the Bucs to the Giants while they were in the victory formation generated great debate and buzz around the country.
LISTEN: WFAN's Mike Francesa Speaks With Eli Manning
"We don't tell our lineman to fire off and hit them on that last play," Manning told Francesa on Monday.
He continued, "I had a feeling they were about to fire off. There's nothing I can really do about it. The most important thing is securing the ball and making sure we get the win."
"It's one thing to come off a little bit and hit, and it's one thing to have everybody right there just diving in at our offensive lineman's legs. It's a possibility to get someone hurt," Manning explained.
Manning also spoke to Francesa about the Giants' thrilling victory on Sunday. He struggled in the first half against the Bucs, but raised his game in the fourth quarter.
"It was fortunate that we were only down two scores and still had a half to fight back. We felt we could continue to move the ball and make some plays, we just had to eliminate the bad decisions," Manning said.
Manning ended the game with 510 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, 2 of which came in the fourth quarter.
He connected with Hakeem Nicks for 199 yards and Victor Cruz for 179 yards on Sunday. It was an NFL record for two players with 10 or more receptions and 175-plus yards in a single game. Manning praised his receivers while chatting with Mike.
"Our guys were getting open, getting good moves and getting open. A credit to our receivers for fighting," Manning stated.
The Giants will face the Panthers in Carolina on Thursday night.
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