Archie Manning, Victor Cruz show support for Eli Manning
Giants quarterback Eli Manning warms up before action against the Denver Broncos in an NFL football game at MetLife Stadium. (Sept. 15, 2013) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Two prominent figures in Eli Manning's life came to his defense Tuesday, saying that the two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback will be fine despite throwing seven interceptions in two games.
The first was his father, Archie Manning, who was promoting "The Book of Manning," a documentary about the family premiering Tuesday night on ESPN.
"I'm not going to get into Eli's interceptions, although if you go back and check my career, I have a lot of experience talking about that subject," Archie Manning said. "It's kind of part of quarterbacking. I think they'll be trying real hard to kind of balance up their offense a little bit and Eli will try to eliminate the interceptions and it will all work out."
The second was his favorite big-play receiver, Victor Cruz. "I'm not surprised at all by the criticism," Cruz told reporters in Manhattan at the launching of McDonald's ad campaign for their new Mighty Wings. "There's always going to be critics. Eli has dealt with that in the past.
"He knows I'm always here," Cruz added. "He knows the whole team is always here to back him up and say the right things to him and keep him up. We understand the type of player that Eli is. Two games aren't going to make or break our season."
Giant steps
Antrel Rolle called Sunday's game against the Panthers a "must-win game" in his weekly spot on WFAN. With both teams 0-2, it's the first time the Giants are involved in a game of such desperation for both sides since they faced the Eagles on Oct. 2, 1972, when both teams were 0-2. The Giants won, 27-12, the first victory in a four-game winning streak . . . Former LB Jonathan Goff worked out for the team. Goff is coming off a second ACL reconstruction. Former Jets S Kerry Rhodes also worked out. Neither player was signed . . . Knowshon Moreno's two TD runs (20 and 25 yards) against the Giants didn't only help decide the game, they were historic. No opposing running back had scored on two runs of 20-plus yards against the Giants since Nov. 23, 1969, when Cleveland's Leroy Kelly scored from 23 and 30 yards.
With Neil Best
