As always, Eli plays it cool

GREEN BAY, Wis.

As a scrum of well-wishers pressed around Eli Manning in a crowded hallway outside the Giants' locker room, his mother, Olivia, finally got in a word and posed a question:

Why wasn't he perspiring?

Said Eli, "It's too cold to sweat."

Of course, that was only the half of it. As usual, the magic of Manning was not so much whether he literally was sweating but rather that he again had not been doing so figuratively.

As defensive end Justin Tuck put it: "He's as clutch and as cool as the other side of the pillow."

Another January visit to Lambeau Field as an underdog against another elite -- there's that word again! -- fellow passer? What, Eli worry?

Four years ago he outplayed future Hall of Famer Brett Favre here in Favre's final game as a Packer.

Yesterday, it was presumptive league MVP Aaron Rodgers' turn in the Giants' 37-20 victory over Green Bay in a divisional playoff game.

"I personally didn't play as well as I wanted to," Rodgers understated after going 26-for-46 for 264 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also was sacked four times and lost a fumble. He ran for 66 yards, which was a mixed blessing because it indicated there often were Giants chasing him.

Manning was 21-for-33 for 330 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Giants converted eight of 16 third downs, a number of them from long distances.

What enables Manning to be at his best when everything around him is at its most chaotic? "I think it's his mentality," coach Tom Coughlin said. "It's his approach. No one sees what he does behind the scenes. He's a studier. He's a pounder."

As Olivia spoke to Eli, the quarterback's father, Archie, tried to help several reporters understand what makes Eli Eli.

"He just plays," the elder Manning said. "Eli prepares and plays. That's what he does . . . The road, the pressure, fourth quarter. He just plays."

When Archie heard in August that Eli had asserted in a radio interview that he belongs among the NFL's elite, he thought perhaps his son had been misquoted. "Because it's not like him," Archie said. "I also thought it was maybe a little frustration. He was tired of people talking about how many interceptions he threw last year . . . He was just saying, 'I can play this game, too.' "

And what did Archie think of Eli backing up his boast in the ensuing months?

"Well, we're proud of Eli," he said. "We're very proud of him. He loves playing. He loves playing for the Giants. I just can't tell you how much he loves playing for the New York Giants."

Giants fans love him, too. And why not? He has won six career playoff games, beating Favre, Rodgers and Tom Brady in the process.

After hugging his mother and then his wife, Abby, Manning showered, dressed and was his customary calm, seemingly unexcited self when he addressed the news media.

He joked that usually when one dreams about completing a Hail Mary, it's to win a game, not to end the first half. He responded to teammates' barbs about his awkward attempt at a block on a running play.

And he was asked if the victory at Lambeau four years ago made him more confident this time. "I don't know if that helped," he said. "We're always confident going into a game."

Oh. It was the kind of bland response that still causes some to underestimate him because of his lack of off-field charisma. Archie was asked about that, too.

"I think they do, because he's quiet," Archie said. "He doesn't say a lot. He'll battle you. He's a tough guy."

In other words: no sweat.