Eli On WFAN: Giants' Morale Sky High Heading Into Thursday Game In D.C.
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Eli Manning has preached patience.
Now we know why.
The Giants' veteran quarterback had said repeatedly that the West Coast offense under new coordinator Ben McAdoo was slowly making strides. On Sunday, it all clicked.
Big Blue piled up 419 yards of total offense, including 176 rushing from Rashad Jennings, in its first victory of the season, a thorough 30-17 beating of the previously unbeaten Houston Texans.
Manning finished a highly efficient 21-of-28 for 234 yards, two touchdowns and, perhaps most importantly, no interceptions.
"I think the offensive line set the tempo for the day. They did a great job opening up holes for Rashad and Rashad ran hard," Manning told WFAN's Mike Francesa on Monday evening. "We had good timing in the passing game, got the ball out quickly and hit receivers in stride. ... It was good to see guys making plays like they are used to making, getting a good feel for things. It was a good performance by the offense in a lot of ways."
The Giants handled J.J. Watt, running at the Texans' all-world defensive end early and often.
"When you rush the ball 42 times for almost 200 yards you're going to control that defensive line," Manning said.
Now we'll see how the Giants handle a little prosperity. They have a short week of preparation in advance of Thursday night's game at the Washington Redskins (1-2). Manning said the quick turnaround can be brutal, especially for the road team.
"You're already behind," Manning said of the preparation. "We'll make sure the offensive line, running backs will meet some extra just to make sure we're all on the same page. In this scenario you want to run plays you are familiar with, that you've run before in training camp and earlier this season. You don't want to get too advanced where you are running things you haven't really had a chance to practice this week."
Manning told Francesa even with only a few days to get ready for their longtime NFC East rivals, the fact that the Giants are coming off a win will only help them keep their mental edge.
"It changes the morale of the team ... There was a little more energy, little more excitement around the locker room today, and in the meetings. Guys are upbeat and excited about this week. When you play well off a big win it's fun to jump right back into it and stay on that high and keep it going," Manning said.
The 11-year veteran went more in-depth on aspects of the win over Houston and the game plan for Washington. To hear his complete interview, please click on the audio link below.
Eli Manning
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