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by Michael J. Basile @MdoubleJB

Monday Morning Manning: Week 2 2018

The Giants are now 0-2 and have scored 2 offensive touchdowns in the first two NFL games of the year.  The second score came in garbage time last night.  As previewed one of the keys to the matchup was Barkley and the running game opening up opportunities for Eli through the air.  The ground game didn’t help at all, the offense looked as pathetic as it has for the last 3 seasons, and Eli got nothing going for big blue.

Breakdown:

The good:  Statistics don’t always tell the real story, but Eli completed 75% of his passes with a TD, even if most were check-downs.  If it weren’t for a beautiful dime Manning delivered down the sideline to Cody Latimer, it would be difficult to point out what Eli did well. Other than that, a few QB sneaks for first downs were the only positive plays Eli made.

The bad: The Manning fumble was another offensive line breakdown, but Eli needs to focus on ball security.  Turnovers are the difference between wins and losses and Eli can’t put the ball on the ground.

The ugly: The offensive line always gets criticized and they were abysmal again.  But since Eli knows he can’t trust them, he had happy feet and his pocket awareness was suspect.  His internal clock didn’t allow him to hang in there when the line actually did hold up.  He needs to hang in there and deliver the ball down the field.

The Cowboys defensive strength is the front 7, and DeMaris Lawrence is always going to get pressure on the QB.  But the secondary doesn’t scare anybody and definitely shouldn’t be able to cover the Giants hideout.  The problem, however, is Eli took no chances. Saquon Barkley caught 14 passes while Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard combined for half the amount of catches.  Overuse of Barkley.

Eli’s grade: D

It might seem harsh given his stat line, but he needs to do a better job of making plays and making this team go.  He took a beating and the line was a disaster again, but Eli didn’t give his team an opportunity to win.