Don't pick on Eli, Giants receivers also at fault

Eli Manning has thrown a league-high six interceptions so far this season, equaling the most picks he has ever had in a three-game span during his career. But he doesn't necessarily need to be more careful with the football.

Five of his six interceptions have bounced off Giants receivers, most of them clearly catchable passes. There were three in the opening game - Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Ahmad Bradshaw each missed a pass that wound up in the hands of a Panthers player - a deep ball against the Colts that Steve Smith nearly caught but juggled to a defensive back, and Sunday's throw to Nicks that caromed away and was caught by defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks.

Tom Coughlin said it was "torture" living through the 2009 season with its 31 offensive turnovers (a year after setting an NFL record with only 13). The Giants have 10 of them this season - only the Panthers have more with 12 - and it's only three games in. That projects to over 53 turnovers in 2010. Coughlin must think that he's going back to the rack.

Of course, he has one simple remedy for the situation. "Catch the ball," he said sternly.

That's been the problem. While the interceptions show up in the quarterback's stat column, most of these picks have not been Manning's fault. Two of them, in fact, have been a result of Nicks' inability to secure the ball. "He knows that it's not intentional," Nicks said. That must make everyone feel better.

Coughlin doesn't seem to care what Nicks' intentions are. "You expect a guy at this level, if he gets his hands on the ball, he better catch the ball. Period."

That's never been a problem for Nicks before. He's one of the most sure-handed receivers on the Giants. He was drafted in the first round for his ability to catch the ball. The Internet is full of videos of him making behind-the-back catches in college. Lately, though, routine passes have been eluding him.

"It's a matter of lack of concentration," Nicks said. "You have to look the ball all the way in. It just comes from trying to make a move before you look the ball all the way in."

It wasn't only the interception off Nicks' hands or the lefthanded chuck by Manning that accounted for the turnovers Sunday against the Titans. Bradshaw also fumbled the ball on the porch of the end zone in the second half. Coughlin said that with Bradshaw's "helter-skelter" running style, it's important for him to keep the ball tight to his body. "Under the pressure of performance you have to apply the technique that I'm talking about," Coughlin said. "And that's not easy."

That the Giants defense did not force any Titans turnovers on Sunday - against a team that coughed it up seven times the previous week - did not help matters.

Will the Giants correct this issue in time to salvage the season and stop torturing Coughlin? They have no choice. It's not as if they are coming on risky plays, Coughlin said. The Giants cannot stop throwing passes to Nicks or stop handing off to Bradshaw.

"The ball Hakeem tipped was the most common and simplest of routes, probably one of the two or three individual routes that you start with," Coughlin said. "So if you're going to throw some things out to get back to basics, that one stays in."