NO ONE told Will Allen directly, at least not that he could remember. Allen said he found out early this past week that Eli Manning was in and Kurt Warner was out as Giants quarterback, but the starting cornerback never was officially informed of the high-impact move.
So how did Allen know something was up?
“I just remember being in here,” Allen said, “and there was kind of like a little buzz.”
The little buzz turned into a roar, and today Manning loudly bursts onto the scene no longer as the franchise quarterback of the future. He’s the man of the moment, in charge and very much the quarterback of the present. He makes his first career start against the Falcons in front of what now figures to be a highly intrigued crowd at Giants Stadium.
In many ways, how Manning either handles or fumbles his first real NFL experience will go a long way in determining whether the Giants (5-4) are playoff contenders or in the midst of a free-fall.
Pressure on a 23-year-old rookie? Sure. That’s what happens when a team reworks virtually its entire draft, makes a bold trade, then offers up $20 million in guaranteed money and $45 million in contractual obligations for a kid with an aw-shucks demeanor and exalted football lineage. What Eli has learned from his famous father, Archie, and his famous older brother, Peyton, surely helps make him what he is, but when Eli takes the field it’s his offense to run, with no familial aides sharing the huddle.
“This is what I want to do; this is why I came into the NFL, to be a starting quarterback” Manning said. “And now it’s coming, and I want to be ready for it. Your first start, you always want it to be one that you’ll remember forever.”
History says do not put much stock in how a huge quarterback prospect fares in his first start, but that doesn’t mean expectations are muted. Tom Coughlin made the move because he said he felt Warner was holding back the offense with indecisiveness in the pocket, which often was crumbling around him. If Coughlin didn’t believe Manning was ready, Warner would still have his job.
What the Giants, losers of three of their previous four games, require is a quarterback who will get rid of the ball quickly, without making critical mistakes, to avoid some of the 39 sacks Warner absorbed. The Falcons (7-2) rank fourth in the NFL with 27 sacks.
The warning has been given to the Giants’ offensive line to protect Manning better than it did Warner. All week, Manning and Coughlin harped on getting rid of the ball, but it’s not that easy. Those quick reads could lead to big plays but also to a game-turning interception, which is the fear whenever a rookie takes the field.
“He has to figure out what they are doing and what they are up to right away,” Coughlin said. “He will be poised, but he does have to understand about the speed of the game.”
Manning mopped up in the season-opening 31-17 loss to the Eagles, completing three of nine passes and fumbling after he was blasted by defensive end Jerome McDougle on a blind-side hit. Manning finished up a 34-13 victory in Minnesota but did not throw a pass.
“We all need to stick together and really just give him time to throw and let him do things he’s capable of doing,” tight end Jeremy Shockey said. “You see his brother playing, and you see all the success he’s had, and you just kind of wonder and hope that he can kind of emulate his brother.”
Reaching Peyton’s heights likely will have to wait. The Giants have much more modest aspirations with Eli in the saddle.
“Hopefully,” Allen said, “it gives us the spark that we need.”
INJURY REPORT
Falcons: QUESTIONABLE: WR Brian Finneran (pectoral). PROBABLE: DE Brady Smith (ankle).
Giants: OUT: S Jack Brewer (lower leg). QUESTIONABLE: RB Michael Cloud (back); LB Barrett Green (knee/ankle); C Shaun O’Hara (ankle); T Marques Sullivan (ankle); S Gibril Wilson (neck).
Falcons at GIANTS Today 1 p.m.
TV: CHANNEL 5
RADIO: WFAN (660 AM)
GIANTS +2½
O/U: 40
KEY MATCHUP
Giants LB Carlos Emmons vs. Falcons TE Alge Crumpler. With WR Peerless Price a disappointment as a big-ticket free-agent pickup, Crumpler (35 catches, 559 yards, 3 TDs) has emerged as the top target for QB Michael Vick.
NUMBER TO KNOW
Tiki Barber has 19 100-yard rushing games, tying him with Joe Morris for the franchise record.
GIANT CONCERN
Keeping the quick Atlanta front four off QB Eli Manning. Defensive linemen Patrick Kerney, Rod Coleman (who nearly signed with the Giants) and Brady Smith have combined for 18 sacks.
FOE FACT
If you don’t stop Michael Vick from running, you don’t win. The Falcons are 10-1 when Vick rushes for at least 50 yards.
PREDICTION
There’s a lot for the Giants to overcome: Solid opponent; multiple weapon in Michael Vick; defensive injuries; and Eli Manning’s first NFL start. It doesn’t seem to add up to a successful afternoon. – Paul Schwartz
Falcons 27
Giants 13
Gotta start somewhere
Here’s a look at how Eli Manning’s dad Archie and brother Peyton did in their maiden voyages as starters:
ARCHIE MANNING
Date: Sept. 19, 1971
Opponent: Los Angeles Rams
Site: Tulane Stadium
Score: Saints 24, Rams 20
Stats: 16 of 29 passing, 218 yards, one TD; three rushes for 14 yards and one TD.
Highlights: Threw 6-yard TD pass to TE Dave Parks in third quarter and scored winning TD on 1-yard run in fourth quarter.
PEYTON MANNING
Date: Sept. 6, 1998
Opponent: Miami Dolphins
Site: RCA Dome
Score: Dolphins 24, Colts 15
Stats: 21 of 37 passing, 302 yards, one TD, three INTS.
Highlights: Threw TD pass to Marvin Harrison in final two minutes, but only after having interception returned for TD by Terrell Buckley to seal Miami’s victory.