The Day at Camp
If we may follow Tom Coughlin’s lead, there’s nothing new as of this writing on #92. So let’s talk about the players who are in camp, specifically the quarterbacks.
As readers know, we’ve been a staunch supporter of Eli Manning, believing that he’d finally come into his own once things were simplified and the game plan was tailored to his strengths.
Now we know it’s only the second day of practices, but after four workouts, we have to admit that Manning is making it hard for us to remain firmly planted in his corner.
No, we haven’t given up ship yet, but we keep looking for that something that tells us that he’s about to arrive, yet for the fourth straight practice, we thought Manning looked sub par. This morning he had some pass protection breakdowns, but also had a few inconsistencies where he threw poorly or made questionable decisions.
This afternoon it was more of the same and by our count, Manning has been picked off at least twice in each practice, which is what you do not want to see from your franchise quarterback.
Compounding the problem is the fact that Manning’s understudy, Jared Lorenzen, is outperforming him so far. So the thought crossed our mind as to whether the Giants can continue to ignore what is going on here.
Yes it’s early, and there s rust to be knocked off. But it’s not as though this is the first time since January Manning has taken the field to throw with his receivers, and his mechanics, to our eyes, just seem a bit off.
As for Lorenzen, can he translate his practice field success onto the playing field? And if he can, show that he’s capable of holding his own against the NFL’s first stringers, if Manning struggles again in-season, will Tom Coughlin, with his job on the line, make a switch?
We know, we know. That’s a lot of what ifs. The point is that after four practices, the backup quarterback looks like the best of the lot while the franchise quarterback is having his ups and downs. It might not mean anything right now, but if Manning can’t regroup sometime soon and show that he’s taking steps to that next level, we shudder to think of what lies ahead.
Who’s Hot
There are a couple of guys to choose from for this category but after much consideration, we’ll have to again give the nod to Jared Lorenzen, who has been the best quarterback in camp. He’s throwing like a 15-year veteran, he’s rarely missing guys (and when he does, often times it’s due to a receiver running the wrong pattern), and he’s doing it all without bravado. Give the big guy some credit. He knows he’ll never be the starting quarterback in New York so long as Eli Manning is around, so he finally gets it as far as treating each day as though he’s auditioning for his next job.
Who's Not
Guy Whimper. We just don’t see the passion or the fire and in each of the four practices so far, Whimper has let himself become a human turnstile. Now you probably see why many members of the media never believed for a second that David Diehl wouldn’t be the left tackle for the coming season.
Quote-worthy
"It is early. Let’s see how it goes." -- head coach Tom Coughlin on the impact Chris Palmer has had on Eli Manning, whom he has been working with since February. Manning has had a rocky start to camp so far.
Medical Watch
Cornerback Kevin Dockery remained out of action after banging his head on the ground in the Saturday morning practice. Also, cornerback Sam Madison was bothered at times by cramps, but he was able to make it through the entire afternoon practice.
Up Next
The Giants have meetings on Monday with no practices scheduled (hence there will be no camp update on Monday from us). They'll next take the practice field on Tuesday, at 8:40 a.m. and then again at 6:10 p.m.
See Also
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