Line of Scrimmage: Eli Manning - Sleeping in Seattle

By Tony Moss Sep 25, 2006, 0:20 GMT

Philadelphia, PA - Now Eli Manning knows how Jay Feely feels.

It was Feely that flew back from last year's Seattle trip as the New York Giants' goat, as his three missed field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime contributed greatly to a 24-21 loss.

In the wake of Sunday's 42-30 dismantling at the hands of the Seahawks at Qwest Field, it is now Manning who is branded with the scarlet letter 'L'. Just seven days after almost single-handedly rallying his team for an improbable victory in Philadelphia, the third-year quarterback tossed three first-half interceptions in Week 3, one of four first-half turnovers that put Tom Coughlin's club in an embarrassing, insurmountable hole.

New York went into the break down, 35-3, as Manning's counterpart, Matt Hasselbeck, burned the Giants for four first-half touchdown passes.

Sure, the Giants made the scoreboard appear a tad less unsightly when they put 27 up in the fourth quarter against a Seattle team that was clearly already in the locker room. But when it really counted, the Giants sleepwalked, and the guy wearing No. 10 was the player with the most pressing need for a double- dose of Vivarin.

Even the most ardent Eli apologist will have a lot of trouble placing the blame for this debacle elsewhere.

You can't compare this to Manning's struggles in the final juncture of 2005, when the defense was so decimated by injuries that there was an unfair expectation of the quarterback carrying the Giants through the playoffs. The defense didn't do Manning any favors in the first half of the Seattle game, mind you, but it was the numerous short fields that the quarterback and his offense gave the Seahawks that helped put New York behind the eight-ball early.

He has the offensive weapons at his disposal. The offensive line is fine. He's played in enough big games, both at home and on the road, that nerves should no longer be an issue.

Which begs the question: Shouldn't Eli have moved beyond this type of meltdown?

That is the interrogative that the Giants, their coaching staff, and certainly their fan base will consider before the team takes the field again on Oct. 8th. In a year that Manning was supposed to take a major leap to the elite level of NFL passers, the reality is that he's a fluky Week 2 comeback away from being 0-3.

And in an NFC East race that includes three other teams harboring very real playoff aspirations, failures like the one the quarterback suffered on Sunday will be the Giants' death knell if they persist.

Following next week's bye, the Giants play host to the Redskins, who appear to have awoken from their own early-season slumber with a decisive win over the Texans on Sunday. The Redskins will come into the Meadowlands looking to climb atop New York on the division ladder, in a game that figures to be a difficult one. Look past the Washington game on the schedule and you'll find back-to- back road contests against the Falcons and Cowboys. If Manning and the Giants decide not to show up in any of those, it could be lights out, the party's over for a team that many believe to have Super Bowl talent.

If the quarterback and his team are waiting to have wins gift-wrapped for them as occurred in Philadelphia, they'll be swarmed under, and the white-hot New York media spotlight is going to find Manning grasping for relief.

Manning is out of excuses for the type of performance he put up on Sunday, and if he's not careful, his team is going to find itself out of the playoff money.

A grab bag of news and notes from Week 3 of the NFL season:

ON THE MARK

After having the pleasure of having his quarterbacking abilities debated ad infinitum in the national and local media for the better part of two weeks, Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell needed a quality outing in Houston on Sunday. Not only did Brunell post that quality outing, but also left Reliant Stadium with an NFL record. The 36-year-old signal-caller completed his first 22 passes in Washington's 31-15 victory over the woeful Texans, a record for consecutive completions in a single game. Brunell, aided in equal parts by the return of running back Clinton Portis (16 rushes, 86 yards, 2 TD) and the dreadful state of the Houston defense, ended up 24-of-27 for 261 yards and a touchdown for a 119.3 passer rating. The Redskins outgained the Texans, 495-261, on the day.

RECEIVING THEIR CHANCE

The availability of Carolina receiver Steve Smith was considered a game-time decision on Sunday, and the choice ultimately made by the Pro Bowl wideout and his head coach, John Fox, proved to be a wise one. Smith caught seven passes for 112 yards in his first action of the 2006 season, with his presence opening things up considerably for Jake Delhomme and the Panther offense in a 26-24 road win over the Buccaneers. Smith had been bothered by hamstring injuries throughout the preseason and through the first two weeks of the regular season, and his absence had been a component of Carolina's 0-2 start, which had included just 16 points for the offense. With Smith in the lineup, the Panthers outgained the Buccaneers, 350-209.

In other prominent receiver news, Deion Branch had two catches for 23 yards in his first game as a Seahawk, also notching an eight-yard rush in his initial action of the 2006 season. Branch, who had been embroiled in a contract dispute with the Patriots throughout training camp and into the preseason, was traded to Seattle on Sept. 11th.

NEW COACH ROUNDUP

Congratulations to Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, who notched his first NFL win in Green Bay's 31-24 road win over the Lions on Sunday. Of the NFL's seven brand new coaches in 2006, the early returns are best for the Saints' Sean Payton (2-0), Vikings' Brad Childress (2-1), Rams' Scott Linehan (2-1) and Jets' Eric Mangini (2-1), while Detroit's Rod Marinelli (0-3) and Houston's Gary Kubiak (0-3) have both yet to reach the win column. The NFL's three recycled coaches - Buffalo's Dick Jauron (1-2), Kansas City's Herm Edwards (0-2), and Oakland's Art Shell (0-2) - are a combined 1-6.

LOOKING AHEAD

Following a Week 3 schedule that included nine divisional games, Week 4 of the NFL season includes just one such clash - the Panthers/Saints duel in Charlotte. Other intriguing matchups include the Chargers traveling to meet the Ravens; the 3-0 Seahawks and Bears squaring off at Soldier Field on Sunday night; and the Bengals putting their own 3-0 mark on the line when New England travels to Paul Brown Stadium.

© 2006 The Sports Network