Giants’ Turning to Eli Manning Will Help Calm the Chaos

There may have been only one way Eli Manning would ever take another snap as the starting quarterback of the New York Giants and that was if rookie Daniel Jones wasn’t physically able to fulfill his duties.

Well, that’s where we find ourselves here in Week 14. Jones is hobbled by a high ankle sprain and, lo and behold, guess who the next man up is? Manning has been roaming the Giants’ sidelines ever since Jones was handed the job in Week 3 and decided not to retire or waive his no-trade clause to finish out the year elsewhere.

“Eli looks good,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “He’s been ready to play all year. If in fact he does play this week, he will be ready to go.”

Manning has been a low-key presence on the sidelines, offering counsel to Jones when and where he needs it. He is on the final year of his massive contract that pays him $23.2 million per annum. Eli is not expected back next year and with just four games remaining, questions were being raised if he would ever take another snap in a Giants uniform.

Those questions are about to be answered as Jones is unlikely to play Monday night in Philadelphia. Jones cannot practice, so Eli is back under center as the No. 1.

“We’ll see what happens Monday, but business as usual,” Manning said. “In the sense of you get the game plan, start prepping for Philly. (We’re) going against a good defense we’ve faced a number of years, (we) know them well. Just have to get back in the mix with the offensive line and receivers, make sure timing is where it needs to be.”

It will be just like old times. The Eagles are 5-7 and have been struggling of late. The Giants, behind a mistake-free performance by Manning could steal a win this week.

“I expect him to go out and have a winning performance,” Shurmur said. “That’s what I expect…We’re not going to worry. We’re going to go play, be aggressive about it, give him the things that he can do well and take it from there.”

The rest of the team, after ten games of going through the rigor of playing around a rookie quarterback will return to a sense of order under Manning. The season has wildly gotten away from the Giants and they are looking at Jones’ temporary absence as way to rebalance themselves.

“I expect him to be the same Eli,” wide receiver Sterling Shepard said. “He’s the ultimate pro. When your name is called and you’re the ultimate pro, you step up and do your thing. That’s what I expect of him and that’s what I know he is going to do.”

Eli will be 39 soon and he sees this as an opportunity. It’s certainly going to be his swan song here in New York, but a solid performance this week – and beyond – could open up more doors for him this offseason.

“Just take it one game at a time,” Manning said. “You never want to try to make decisions about your future while you’re still living in the present and don’t know the circumstances of what could happen. Just have to go out there and try to get a win for the Giants if I’m asked to do that. I’ll analyze everything else after the season.”

So will the Giants. They have put their roster in a food processor and aren’t sure of what they’ve created. One this is for sure, whatever this team is, it isn’t good and a return to Manning can only serve as an opportunity to stop and assess where they are at the moment and how to proceed for the future.