Should The Winless Giants Bench Eli Manning?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two possessions, two interceptions, the second a pick-six.
Not a good start for Eli Manning and the winless Giants.
Thursday night's loss in Chicago dropped Big Blue to 0-6, their worst start since the sorry season of 1976. And now some are banging the drum for New York to sit Manning -- including former Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden.
Dr. K had seen enough with nearly 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter against the Bears, writing a prescription on Twitter for less Eli.
It's a sentiment shared by a growing number of fans. And while that may be harsh for a two-time Super Bowl MVP who was the toast of the town just a year ago, Manning's numbers are just as jarring:
-- He's thrown eight fourth-quarter interceptions, five more than anyone else in the league, according to ESPN.
-- Including three picks on Thursday, Manning's 15 INTs equal his entire total from 2012.
-- That number leads the NFL. Tied for second are Matt Schaub -- who's on the hot seat in Houston -- and Carson Palmer with nine.
-- He's on pace for 40 interceptions, 15 more than his career high set in 2010. George Blanda holds the single-season record with 42 in 1962. Vinny Testaverde is No. 2 with 35 in 1988.
Even the quarterback, who said on WFAN radio Monday that he didn't think he was playing "lousy" football, seems ready to admit he's hurting the Giants in a big way.
"It's frustrating not winning," a distraught Manning said after the 27-21 loss to the Bears, who locked the game up with an interception in the fourth quarter. "And it's frustrating because I don't feel like I'm doing my part to get this team some wins and some chances. That's the frustrating part. I feel like our guys are fighting hard. Guys are doing their parts, and I need to start doing mine."
But does career backup Curtis Painter really give the G-Men a better chance to win? Probably not, and the same goes for rookie Ryan Nassib. Quarterback play is the hot-button issue, but the Giants have big problems on both sides of the ball. New York narrowly avoided becoming the first team to ever give up 30-plus points in their first six games.
And Manning has defeated Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the mighty New England Patriots twice in the Super Bowl. That has to be worth something, right?
"At some point you Giants fans are going to have to come to terms with the fact that your quarterback stinks right now," WFAN morning show co-host Craig Carton said Friday.
Our opinion? Yeah, it's past time to cut the cord and bench him -- on your fantasy team.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
