Eli Manning like everybody else, will watch Cowboys-Redskins

Eli Manning will be like millions of other Americans on Thursday: At some point in the afternoon he’ll eat a big meal and then sit back to watch Dallas play Washington.

“I’ll definitely check it out,” he said of the matchup between two of his NFC East rivals. “I’ll definitely be tuning in to see what’s going on in the division.”

The game will have implications for the Giants. If Dallas loses, it would close the two-game lead they have built atop the division. If Washington loses, it could allow the Giants to separate themselves a bit in the wild-card chase. So who is Manning pulling for?

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You just watch to see what’s happening. I’m not cheering or rooting for one team or the other.”

Giant steps

Three injured offensive linemen — Justin Pugh (knee), Brett Jones (calf) and Marshall Newhouse (knee) — all suggested on Tuesday that they should be ready to play on Sunday against the Browns. The decision likely won’t be theirs alone as the medical staff will evaluate them during the week of practices, but all three are expected to participate in some way in Wednesday’s workout . . . How tough was the wind on Sunday? “That was definitely the windiest game in that new stadium,” said LS Zak DeOssie, who has played in MetLife all seven years it has been the Giants’ home. “Sometimes we get some gusts over the years like Sunday was, but this was a consistent cross wind that was strong. Gusts were even higher. It was an interesting game to play in.” The Giants missed two extra points and the Bears missed an extra point and a field goal . . . Victor Cruz’s 48-yard reception on Sunday increased his career total to 4,388 and moved him past Bob Tucker (4,376) into 10th place on the franchise’s all-time list.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.