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BY RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, January 8th 2008, 4:00 AM
Eli Manning's first career playoff win was more than a career-changing moment. It also may have served as a warning to the Dallas Cowboys.
If you're going to dare Manning to beat you, you do so at your own risk.
"Eli can beat you," said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs. "Eli can beat a team singlehandedly."
That's not exactly what happened in the Giants' 24-14 wild-card win over the Buccaneers, but it was clear the Bucs' NFC-best defense was far more worried about stopping the 6-4, 264-pound Jacobs than they were about the Giants' quarterback. They stacked the line of scrimmage and as a result, Jacobs struggled.
But Manning made them pay.
He played a smart, efficient and mistake-free game against the No.1 passing defense in the league, completing 20 of 27 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His completion percentage of 74.1 was the highest of his four-year career.
"I thought he did an excellent job," Tom Coughlin said Monday. "One of the best I've seen with regard to his utilization of his eyes and his pump-faking and pulling defenders out of position. Overall I thought it was a very, very impressive game."
That it came in a playoff game, when many were wondering if Manning was the type of quarterback who could lead his team to a big postseason win, made the outing even more impressive.
"If we block (for) him and give him an opportunity," Jacobs said, "then he is that type of quarterback."
He'll have to be on Sunday when the Giants (11-6) travel to Dallas to face the NFC East champion Cowboys (13-3). So much of this battle figures to be Manning vs. Tony Romo, especially since in the first two matchups - both Cowboys victories - the teams combined for 131 points and 1,085 passing yards.
And Manning was terrific in both games, completing 68% of his passes (51-of-75) for 548 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. But the way he had slumped from Thanksgiving until late December, he didn't look capable of doing so again. He seemed to shake off the slump with his 22-of-32, 251-yard, four-touchdown game against the Patriots, even though he threw a key late interception against New England.
But that wasn't enough to frighten the Bucs.
"They kind of played the way we thought they would, coming out eight in the box, singling outside and seeing if we could beat them throwing the football," said receiver Plaxico Burress. "We came out in the second quarter and said, 'Hey, we've got to start throwing some quick slants and hitches and kind of loosen them up a little bit.' That kind of got our passing game going."
The Giants picked apart the Bucs defense with things like what Tampa linebacker Barrett Ruud called "those little, annoying third-down conversions when he needed eight and got 8-1/2." The Giants only took one shot downfield, and Manning overthrew the ball. His longest pass of the day went for 21 yards.
But that's part of the new offensive philosophy of taking only what the defense is giving. In the last two games, Manning is 42-for-59 (71%) with six touchdowns and one interception - and the Giants have scored 59 points.
It's been the best two-game stretch of his career.
"He certainly has played very well," Tom Coughlin said yesterday. "I don't know that there is anything (different) other than his constant focus and his constant desire to be the best. That doesn't change. His numbers have been very good and his quarterback rating has been outstanding, but he applies himself the exact same way.
"If anything, it's just the focus (that) the time of the year to be at your best is right now."
That sounds like Coughlin was saying Manning is a clutch player, which is a phrase that never has been used to describe him since he arrived in New York back in 2004. However you describe it, there's no doubt that the often erratic Manning is peaking at the right time.
And that has made his teammates' belief in him even stronger than it was.
"I think they do believe in me," Manning said. "They have faith that I can make plays and we can win."
LINK
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, January 8th 2008, 4:00 AM
Eli Manning's first career playoff win was more than a career-changing moment. It also may have served as a warning to the Dallas Cowboys.
If you're going to dare Manning to beat you, you do so at your own risk.
"Eli can beat you," said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs. "Eli can beat a team singlehandedly."
That's not exactly what happened in the Giants' 24-14 wild-card win over the Buccaneers, but it was clear the Bucs' NFC-best defense was far more worried about stopping the 6-4, 264-pound Jacobs than they were about the Giants' quarterback. They stacked the line of scrimmage and as a result, Jacobs struggled.
But Manning made them pay.
He played a smart, efficient and mistake-free game against the No.1 passing defense in the league, completing 20 of 27 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His completion percentage of 74.1 was the highest of his four-year career.
"I thought he did an excellent job," Tom Coughlin said Monday. "One of the best I've seen with regard to his utilization of his eyes and his pump-faking and pulling defenders out of position. Overall I thought it was a very, very impressive game."
That it came in a playoff game, when many were wondering if Manning was the type of quarterback who could lead his team to a big postseason win, made the outing even more impressive.
"If we block (for) him and give him an opportunity," Jacobs said, "then he is that type of quarterback."
He'll have to be on Sunday when the Giants (11-6) travel to Dallas to face the NFC East champion Cowboys (13-3). So much of this battle figures to be Manning vs. Tony Romo, especially since in the first two matchups - both Cowboys victories - the teams combined for 131 points and 1,085 passing yards.
And Manning was terrific in both games, completing 68% of his passes (51-of-75) for 548 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. But the way he had slumped from Thanksgiving until late December, he didn't look capable of doing so again. He seemed to shake off the slump with his 22-of-32, 251-yard, four-touchdown game against the Patriots, even though he threw a key late interception against New England.
But that wasn't enough to frighten the Bucs.
"They kind of played the way we thought they would, coming out eight in the box, singling outside and seeing if we could beat them throwing the football," said receiver Plaxico Burress. "We came out in the second quarter and said, 'Hey, we've got to start throwing some quick slants and hitches and kind of loosen them up a little bit.' That kind of got our passing game going."
The Giants picked apart the Bucs defense with things like what Tampa linebacker Barrett Ruud called "those little, annoying third-down conversions when he needed eight and got 8-1/2." The Giants only took one shot downfield, and Manning overthrew the ball. His longest pass of the day went for 21 yards.
But that's part of the new offensive philosophy of taking only what the defense is giving. In the last two games, Manning is 42-for-59 (71%) with six touchdowns and one interception - and the Giants have scored 59 points.
It's been the best two-game stretch of his career.
"He certainly has played very well," Tom Coughlin said yesterday. "I don't know that there is anything (different) other than his constant focus and his constant desire to be the best. That doesn't change. His numbers have been very good and his quarterback rating has been outstanding, but he applies himself the exact same way.
"If anything, it's just the focus (that) the time of the year to be at your best is right now."
That sounds like Coughlin was saying Manning is a clutch player, which is a phrase that never has been used to describe him since he arrived in New York back in 2004. However you describe it, there's no doubt that the often erratic Manning is peaking at the right time.
And that has made his teammates' belief in him even stronger than it was.
"I think they do believe in me," Manning said. "They have faith that I can make plays and we can win."
LINK
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