EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With the New York Giants having lost three games in a row, every part of the team has been scrutinized. And no one has been spared, not even two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning.
His teammates defended him at practice Wednesday, insisting that Manning is still a top-flight quarterback and saying everyone on the team needs to play better, not just Manning.
"I think when things go wrong, everyone needs something to point at, and it's easy to point the finger here and there," wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. "But internally, between all of us, we all need to play better; we all need to do things to make it easier on (Manning), make it easier on ourselves -- everybody needs to step it up."
"Eli's a tremendous quarterback," running back Rashad Jennings said. "He understands the position; a lot of times, the success and failures, the most critics go to the quarterback. But quarterback ratings, and stats, are collectively attained stats, so we have to play better. It's not all on one person, at all -- especially Eli."
Manning has completed 63.6 percent of his passes on the season, for 1,385 yards, with five touchdowns, four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 86.0. No one was wondering whether he was over the hill after the Giants opened up the season winning their first two games, of course. But the chatter started to pick up after the Green Bay loss, when he completed 18 of 35 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. At 35, some wondered if he may be a quarterback in decline.
His teammates don't want to hear that, though.
"Listen man, whoever says that... it's just an immature statement," Jennings said. "He's not on the decline at all. Eli's a tremendous quarterback, and we'll continue to win with him. And so, obviously, we've had losses; he has big shoulders, and being in a locker beside him for three years, he always takes on (stuff), and look at himself in the mirror first. But we can't do that to him. No. It's definitely the team. The offensive side of the ball needs to step it up."
Wide receiver Victor Cruz said he doesn't see the end in sight for Manning.
"I hope he plays until he's 55," Cruz said.