When in doubt, mute it out.
That’s Eli Manning’s approach to football viewing.
“It’s got to the point now when I watch football I usually mute the television, it’s just more enjoyable for me,” Manning said yesterday. “I kind of like to watch and make my opinions and it makes me more mad when the guy is saying something and he’s totally wrong.”
If only everything in life were as easy as simply hitting a button to turn off the sound. Manning received plenty of criticism after his offense failed to produce a single point in the second half of Sunday’s 28-14 loss to the Redskins, with his right arm responsible for seven points for the Redskins when a third-quarter interception was returned by linebacker Ryan Kerrigan for a touchdown. Whatever was said or written, though, Manning is not going to pay any attention.
“You focus on what the coaches say, you can’t sit there and watch every television show and read every paper,” he said. “That’s not going to help the cause.”
What could completely ruin the cause is any semblance of an injury to the top receiver, Hakeem Nicks, who did not come out of the first game unscathed. He had an X-ray of his wrist, which came back negative, but it’s an issue with his knee that sent him yesterday for an examination and MRI exam.
“We do know he has some type of injury there,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “Don’t know what it is or to what extent.”
The initial word is Nicks has no structural damage to ligaments or cartilage and the problem is more of a bruise. He’ll probably be listed as day-to-day and the extra day before Monday night’s game against the Rams should come in handy.
Nicks after the game said he was fine, but there was swelling in the knee that must be addressed. For a team ravaged by injuries on defense, losing Nicks for any period of time is intolerable.
Nicks in the opener was one of the few bright spots on offense, with seven receptions for 122 yards. His 68-yard catch set up the Giants’ first touchdown in the first quarter — a 2-yard scramble by Manning.
Asked if Nicks will miss any games, Coughlin said: “I don’t have the answer to that.”
Nicks is the top receiver and top threat on an offense that already short as far as talent with the defections of tight end Kevin Boss and receiver Steve Smith. The greatest sins against the Redskins came on third down, where the Giants converted a miserable 1 of 10.
“Four of those were third and 15-plus,” Manning said. “Right there that’s not really a third-down problem, that’s a first-and second-down problem.”
Add to first-second- and third-down problems a fourth-down problem. Trailing 21-14 in the third quarter, Ahmad Bradshaw was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Redskins 31-yard line. Coughlin pointed to free agent pickup David Baas at center for failing to adjust his blocking assignment, allowing linebacker Rocky McIntosh to fill the gap and make the tackle.
“Should have made it,” Coughlin said. “The center had a chance to get up, if he’d have taken the backside ‘backer there would probably have been a little crease.”
That is what guard Chris Snee was talking about when he analyzed the work of the offensive line, which allowed four sacks and managed only 3.8 yards per rushing attempt.
“It’s not just two big meatheads pushing against each other,” Snee said. “There’s technique and assignment involved and that’s where we were at fault.”
Making sure Nicks is healthy is imperative for the offense, which Manning maintains “can be a great offense” despite no evidence of that thus far this summer.
“I take the losses hard, they’re not fun,” Manning said. “It’s disappointing, you try to look hard to see what you could have done differently. You got to know you can’t start getting worried or losing confidence in yourself or your teammates because then it’s just going to continue.”