Report: Giants players are getting frustrated with Eli Manning's performance
New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. may not have just been speaking for himself when he gave a tepid scouting report on quarterback Eli Manning during an ESPN interview. Turns out, a couple Giants players are growing frustrated with Manning’s performance, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
The most eye-opening statement in Raanan’s piece is that “several” players are questioning whether the 37-year-old Manning can beat certain defenses.
Behind closed doors, several Giants players have expressed frustration with Manning’s performance, according to sources. One player specifically commented recently about Manning’s inability to do anything against Cover 2 and zone defenses.
On the surface, Manning’s numbers look good. His 71.7 completion percentage is a career high, as is his 96.6 quarterback rating.
Those figures don’t tell the whole story, though. Manning isn’t throwing the ball down the field anymore. His 10.3 yards per completion ranks 32nd among quarterbacks. That’s contributing to his high completion rate.
That is precisely why Beckham complained about the team not throwing the ball more than 20 yards down the field. The Giants offense has been conservative this year with Manning. While some of his numbers look OK, the team hasn’t been an offensive powerhouse.
Manning isn’t completely to blame for the team’s sluggish start. His offensive line hasn’t helped him out much. The Giants have given up 16 sacks on the year. Things have been so bad that the team actually waived Ereck Flowers, a former first-round pick who started two games for the team this season.
Manning’s struggles have been put under the microscope even more after the team opted to pass on a quarterback with the second pick of the draft. Running back Saquon Barkley has shown flashes and looks like he’ll be a good player, but passing up on a potential franchise quarterback could be even more damaging in the long run.
The impact of those comments might be seen Thursday, as the Giants will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on “Thursday Night Football.” That game can be streamed on the Yahoo Sports Mobile App.
Despite their complaints, the Giants offense is likely stuck with Manning for the rest of the season. His backups, Alex Tanney and Kyle Lauletta, have combined for just 14 passing attempts during the regular season over their careers.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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