Eli Manning On WFAN: Offense Made Progress But Missed Opportunities In Week 3
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Giants quarterback Eli Manning saw improvement from his team on Sunday, but acknowledged that there was still a lot of work to be done.
The Giants dropped to 0-3 on the season following a last second, 27-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"There was a lot of good things. I liked the fight of the team, and obviously just didn't quite have enough to win the game," he said.
Manning told WFAN's Mike Francesa that missed opportunities at the end of the first half, and in the third quarter wound up hurting the team later on.
Faced with a skilled Eagles defensive line, the Giants relied on quick releases and an increased tempo to move the football.
"We knew they were a talented front four...We wanted to tire out their defensive front, play fast, get them where they're not set and they gotta communicate so we could slow down their pass rush a little bit," he said.
Manning was not sacked at all in the effort after spending some time on the ground in the first two weeks. For all of the Giants' offensive struggles in their first two outings, they managed 24 points inside of a single quarter against the Eagles.
"We have the capabilities of scoring. Most of the day we moved the ball well. Obviously had two drives where you're right there inside the 20 yard line and you get no points," he said.
It's those drives where the Giants left potential points on the board where Manning said the team needs to improve.
"Had a couple of very manageable third downs that we didn't convert. Those can be the difference between wins and losses," he said.
While Manning had more success throwing the ball, the running game remained stagnant -- something the Giants' quarterback called a function of Philly's defensive scheme.
"They had seven guys in the box or a safety down most of the day which makes it tough to run. You're gonna have one guy unblocked, or you're gonna have an extra receiver in there to block. It's gonna make it tough, but it's gonna give you the passing game," he said.
The Giants began the season with post-season expectations, they'll face an uphill climb after starting the year 0-3.
"The guys were obviously disappointed yesterday, just because we felt we had opportunities to win the game," he said. "We've gotta play better team football, and yesterday we just didn't do it."
Manning and Francesa also discussed using a quick release to help the offensive line, cutting down on mistakes as the Giants were hit with a celebration penalty for the second straight week, digging out of a tough hole with a challenging schedule, and preparing for Tampa.
