Eli Manning's fundamentals under pressure

Eli Manning's problems are not in his head. They are in his arm, his feet and other moving parts south of his neck.

The Giants' rookie quarterback and his head coach both said as much yesterday as they sought to explain another inexplicable step back for a team that once appeared headed for the playoffs - and for a player who is supposed to be destined for stardom.

"Mentally I'm doing things OK, but I have to get physically better and get more accurate with the ball," Manning said after Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Redskins in which he threw for 56 yards in the first 57 minutes.

"I mentioned to him that I thought he was handling all the circumstances quite well," Coughlin said. "It is just on occasion some of the execution is not there."

It is no surprise given his pedigree and intelligence that Manning is ahead of schedule in deciphering the pro game. He identifies defenses. He changes protection calls. He throws to the correct receiver. But given that he's being counted on to lead the team for a decade or more, is his erratic throwing cause for concern?

Coughlin and Manning do not think so, but that has not eased their frustration over his three losses as the starter. Both attributed the problem largely to an absence of timing and patience.

"He's in a hurry," Coughlin said. "Sometimes he doesn't set his feet. He gets out of rhythm and isn't quite in sync."

Manning had few opportunities to make plays Sunday, but when he did, he often threw high or low. "It's frustrating a little that I'm not throwing the ball the way I can and the way I have in the past," he said. "I wish I had an answer to why . . . I know I need to get better. I know I want to get better."

Coughlin spoke to Manning both after the game and yesterday to cut off any possibility that he will grow discouraged, but one appeal of Manning is his psychological strength. He will need it this week.

The Giants have lost five in a row. The ornery Ravens defense looms. Fellow rookie Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers, whom the Giants would have drafted if they had not traded for Manning, is 10-0. And the Chargers, the team Manning spurned, are 9-3 and in control of the AFC West.

Meanwhile, Coughlin increasingly has faced second-guessing for benching Kurt Warner when the team was 5-4. Yesterday he said he knew Manning would have to "pay his dues" when he inserted him, yet he continued to insist the rookie gives the team the best chance to win.

When asked if he was premature in making the change, he reminded reporters that most supported the move. "That's not my sense at all," he said, "and it wasn't yours, either. Short memories."

Coughlin said he was not sacrificing anything in allowing Manning to learn on the job, but was counting on more help from the supporting cast. "None of that has happened yet," he said.

The playoffs are a longshot because of a tough schedule and unfavorable tiebreakers. But coaches, players and fans would be comforted if Manning plays better in the final four games.

Manning said he feels more comfortable week by week, especially in the mental aspects of the game.

"I just have to time up my drops where I can plant and throw and not have to hitch up a couple of times and move in the pocket," he said.

Said Coughlin: "The speed of the game is such that everything has to happen bang, bang, bang, and he's working his way into that. But it is not an easy process. It takes time."