Eli must make better decisions this year

With all the comings and goings -- mostly goings -- among the Giants' offensive regulars, one thing remains constant.

This is Eli Manning's team, regardless of whether he has Kevin Boss or Travis Beckum catching passes out of the tight end spot. It's on Manning's shoulders, whether Steve Smith is his target in the slot receiver spot or it's Darius Reynaud or some other lesser-known player. If Manning is under center, it doesn't matter whom the center is.

The Giants' success hinges on Manning finding a comfort zone with his set of receivers, and last season is an all-too-fresh example of their quarterback trying too hard to find a comfort zone when the personnel changed around him.

His 25 interceptions in 2010 were the most in the NFL, the first time Manning has led the league in any category. With Smith, Boss and Hakeem Nicks injured for varying stretches, he had to adjust on the fly with a rotating cast of receivers. There were some big hits but plenty of big misses. The trick for this season is for Manning to play smart all the time, not just when his favorite guys are around.

"It's just reps," he said of working to find chemistry with the current group. "Talking them through all the different coverages, just a matter of feeling them out. Preseason games are good, too -- how do they adjust to something they haven't seen before? What's their football IQ? Are they going to find the open spots? Are they going to work for you?"

Beckum has shown some flashes of excellent pass-catching ability, but he's 6-3. The 6-6 Boss, and the 6-5 Plaxico Burress before him, helped bail out Manning on some misfired throws.

Smith, who still is unsigned as he returns from microfracture knee surgery, grew into Manning's top target in 2009, but the slot receiver spot was a black hole after Smith went down last season. Mario Manningham moved inside, but that didn't work so well.

Manning tried to keep some semblance of a connection with his receivers through the lockout, dragging a handful of pass-catchers to Hoboken High School in the New Jersey town where he lives, and then to another Jersey high school for fuller workouts. Nicks was there, as were hopefuls such as Victor Cruz and Michael Clayton.

"It definitely is a situation where we have to maximize every single opportunity that we get out here at practice," quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan said.

The games are different, of course. And for a team that's already lost two cornerbacks in a matter of days, there are sure to be more injury adjustments as the next month unfolds toward the regular-season opener.

Plenty of questions remain on offense. Can the line adjust without Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert, pretty much the only two centers Manning has known as a pro? Can Beckum fill the void of Boss' departure? Can Nicks and Manningham stay healthy?

Really, though, there's only one main question: Can Manning make better decisions with the football? If not, the other questions won't really matter.