Eli Manning On Sunday: 'For The First Time This Year We Played To Our Full Potential'
NEW YORK (WFAN) - It wasn't supposed to be a blowout. No, it was supposed to be a battle.
It didn't exactly turn out that way.
In arguably the most highly-anticipated game of the weekend, the Giants and the 49ers squared off at Candlestick Park in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game. Widely regarded as the best team in the National Football League heading into Sunday, San Francisco was favored to beat the G-Men.
But Big Blue rose to the occasion and smacked the 49ers right in the mouth, cruising from start to finish en route to a dominating 26-3 finish.
Needless to say, the defending Super Bowl champions came prepared.
"I that that it was good that we were able to step up," Giants quarterback Eli Manning told WFAN's Mike Francesa in his weekly spot. "(It was) a big game and it gave us a chance to take the lead in the NFC East ... We played (them) twice last year in very close games, so we knew we had to go out there and play really good football to get a win. Nothing was going to be easy. It was going to be a hard-fought game, which it was. It was good to go out there and beat a good team."
Manning was economical in the victory, completing 15 of 28 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. He managed to stay turnover-free against the vaunted San Francisco defense, and in the process gave New York sole possession of first place with a 4-2 record.
Though the two-time Super Bowl MVP deserves much of the credit for the victory, he praised his teammates for coming together and playing the best overall game of the season.
"(We) played great as a full unit," Manning said. "It was going to take a full team. Offense, defense and special teams all played really good football, and I think that was by far our best performance as a team ... The team played the way we expect to play each week ... I think, for the first time this year, (we) played to our full potential, and it's good to find that rhythm and find that mark, and hopefully we can continue to do that these next weeks."
Victor Cruz caught a touchdown pass, Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for a touchdown and Lawrence Tynes kicked four field goals in the victory.
Did the Giants make a case for being the best team in football after their drubbing of the 49ers? Let us know in the comments section below...
