Eli Manning On Giants' Loss To The Steelers: 'It Was Hard To Sleep Last Night'

NEW YORK (WFAN) - The Giants were shaky for the second straight game on Sunday, as they saw their four-game winning streak snapped in a 24-20 loss to the Steelers at MetLife Stadium.

On an emotional day in East Rutherford in the wake of superstorm Sandy, the Giants seemed poised to pick up an impressive win against a talented Steelers team. But with a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Big Blue let up 14 unanswered points en route to defeat.

LISTEN: Eli Manning chats with Mike Francesa in his weekly spot

Quarterback Eli Manning told WFAN's Mike Francesa in his weekly spot on Monday that it was an especially difficult loss to swallow, especially considering the circumstances and the atmosphere.

"We wanted to go out there and give the Giants fans and the people around New York something to cheer about," Manning said. "We weren't able to do that. It's disappointing, just the way we played. There are some games that you lose but you feel like you did some good things, and you don't feel as bad. This is one that you just ... it was hard to sleep last night. You want to kick yourself and you want to fix it as soon as possible.

"That's what we're going to do, and it will get done."

Both the Redskins and the Cowboys lost on Sunday, and the Giants still have a comfortable lead in the NFC East with a 6-3 record. But Manning's play has been a bit alarming as of late.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP struggled in Big Blue's win against the Cowboys in Week 8, completing 15 of 29 passes for 192 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. And on Sunday, the two-time Pro Bowler was just 10-for-24 for 125 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

So what do the Giants need to do to get their edge back?

Manning said that it begins and ends with accountability and proper execution.

"We need to look hard at ourselves," the 31-year-old said. "It starts with each person looking at themselves. It starts with me looking at what I need to do to get better, what I need to do to help out our offense and help out our team ... I've gotta be sharper. I've gotta make sure that everyone on the offense has a great understanding of what's going to happen, how plays are going to turn out ... Sometimes it's good to get this little reality check."

The Giants will visit the Bengals this coming Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium before hosting the Packers on November 25.

It's been a long time since the defending Super Bowl champions have faced any kind of diversity, and the field general is determined to ensure that his team keeps the pressure on and stays as sharp as possible.

"We've been winning the two previous weeks without playing our best," Manning said. "We were able to hold on and make plays in the fourth quarter and win games, but when you lose a game, finally, and you play poorly, I think nothing hits home like that. And so we've got to really look at our practices, look at our decisions and make sure we're doing everything really well."

Was Sunday the beginning of a second-half swoon, or will the G-Men get back on track against the Bengals? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below...