Eli still looks out of sync

Eli Manning has spent the better part of the last eight months telling us he's not a 25-interception quarterback, that his career-worst total from last year was nothing more than an aberration and would never happen again.

And just for good measure, he threw in his contention that he's an elite quarterback in the NFL and on par with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady.

Well, here we are, less than two weeks away from the start of a season that will provide more definitive answers, and all we're left with is more questions.

Manning put in yet another spotty preseason performance Monday night against the Jets, completing 12 of 25 passes against the starting defense in the first half and throwing two interceptions.

Two more pieces of evidence that the Giants' quarterback might not be out of the funk that enveloped him most of last season. Two more examples that are starting to make you wonder if Manning has topped out at age 30, or whether he's going through a mid-career slump that still might have a ways to go.

For his part, Manning didn't reveal one scintilla of doubt about his confidence or his ability to recapture the form that helped make him a Super Bowl quarterback in 2007. This after walking off the field with a 43.8 rating and just a field goal to show for his night's work in a 17-3 loss to the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

"I'm not concerned," said Manning, who finished 15-for-30 for 200 yards, no touchdowns and the two picks. "I thought we did some good things. We moved the ball, hit big plays, had some things going well, some things to learn from and improve on. That's what preseason is all about."

Manning is unlikely to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Patriots because of the quick turnaround, which means he'll finish the preseason with zero touchdown passes.

"No one ever counts any touchdown passes you've thrown in preseason," he said. "It's one of those deals where you're on limited scouting time and you're just running plays."

Even so, Manning's inability to establish a rhythm in the preseason is a sobering reminder that his struggles might not be over. And it wasn't just the first-half picks that raised more red flags; it was the overall inaccuracy, the jumpy behavior in the pocket, the tentativeness on histhrows. It was everything.

OK, the interceptions first. On second-and-10 from the Jets' 27, Manning faded back to pass and immediately faced a heavy rush from blitzing linebacker David Harris. But rather than take the sack, Manning threw the ball off his back foot and into double coverage. He intended the pass for Victor Cruz over the middle, but the ball was picked off by safety Jim Leonhard.

Coach Tom Coughlin later said Manning should have thrown the ball away or taken the sack. "Easier said than done," the coach added.

On the second one, Manning was looking for Ahmad Bradshaw in the left flat. But he again rushed the throw after getting pressured -- this time by safety Eric Smith -- and didn't have his feet set when he let the ball go. The pass was picked off by Harris and might have been returned for a touchdown had he not stepped out of bounds.

Another bad night for a quarterback who just hasn't shown the kind of accuracy and, more importantly, the kind of confidence he has shown before.

Now, could it be that Manning will snap out of it once the regular season starts in Washington on Sept. 11? There's always that chance, sure.

And don't forget that the Jets' defense is one of the best the Giants will see this year. The Jets' front seven is excellent, and the secondary is arguably the best in the NFL.

Remember, too, that the Giants are working in new linemen David Baas and Will Beatty. And the receiving corps still is a work in progress.

Worried? Manning isn't. His teammates aren't either.

"I know he's going to come to play when we kick the season off," defensive end Justin Tuck said, "and he's going to be one of the reasons we have a great year."

Or so he hopes.