TNF: Eli Manning Stinks, Brandon Marshall Shines
It hasn’t been Eli Manning’s year, that’s for sure.
It was another regrettable game for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who threw three interceptions for the second straight game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. It marked the fourth time he’s thrown three or more interceptions this season, in which the G-Men are now 0-6.
And for the second time in as many weeks, it wasn’t so much the opposition winning as it was the Giants actively losing the game. In addition to Manning’s three picks, compared to Jay Cutler’s zero, they gave up two first downs on penalties and allowed one of the INTs to be returned for a touchdown.
Manning was ridiculously inefficient yet again, going 14-for-26 passing for 239 total yards, one touchdown and three INTs. The only highpoint for their offense was running back Brandon Jacobs, who averaged 4.8 yards on 22 carries for 106 yards and two TDs.
The Bears weren’t great, having trailed the Giants in third down conversions, rushing yards and red zone efficiency. But they dominated the time of possession, won the turnover battle 3-0 and didn’t allow a single sack—a nice change of pace for Cutler.
Speaking of Cutler, he was 24-for-36 passing for 262 yards, two touchdowns, with an overall quarterback rating of 106.5. Particularly impressive, considering Manning’s abysmal rating of 58.5.
Cutler had his best performance of the season, on a night that has been extremely unkind to him in the past, but it was Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall who really shined. He caught nine passes for 87 yards and two TDs, averaging nearly 10 yards per catch.
Marshall, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011, defied the NFL dress code against the Giants and wore green shoes in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week. He’ll most certainly be hit with a fine by the league, but, like Cutler, had the best game of the season to date.
Maybe he should lend those shoes to Manning next week, his Giants face the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night.
