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Coughlin, Manning have experienced highs and lows with Giants
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d2bc1c9a-0c3c-52aa-93db-0e5be4951cd7.html
The New York Giants football careers of coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning began in 2004.
After a year away from football following an eight-year stint with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin was hired to replace Jim Fassel as head coach. That spring, after a standout career at the University of Mississippi, Manning was selected by San Diego with the first overall pick of the draft and then traded to the Giants in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick that year, quarterback Philip Rivers, and two more draft picks.
In their 11th season together, Coughlin and Manning are third all-time in NFL starts with 165, trailing only New England’s Bill Belichick/Tom Brady (205) and Dan Marino/Don Shula (184). Manning’s 165 consecutive starts is the league’s longest active streak — Rivers is No. 2 at 145 — and the third-longest in history behind Brett Favre (297) and Eli’s older brother Peyton (208).
“I really just want to be there for my teammates, to be there week in and week out,” Eli Manning said of the streak. “I know I’ve got a lot of teammates who are playing injured and playing through pain. ... I just take pride being out there and being accountable.”
Coughlin and Manning, who helped guide the Giants to Super Bowl titles following the 2007 and 2011 seasons, have a special bond.
“Eli’s a guy what works his tail off. He always has,” said Coughlin, 68. “He loves to play. He loves to compete and this is very important to him. He’s all that you would like to have in any young man in terms of his work ethic, his focus, and his desire to be the best.”
And the feeling is mutual.
“I think Coach Coughlin and I get along very well,” Manning, 33, said. “I have great respect for him and his work ethic, his commitment to football, (and) how he gets us mentally prepared to play each game.”
The Giants, who suffered through a seven-game losing streak this season, will carry a 5-9 record into Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. game against the Rams (6-8) at the Edward Jones Dome. New York enters with back-to-back wins, but some believe Coughlin is on the hot seat after the team finished 9-7 in 2012 and 7-9 a year ago.
“You never want to see that or hear that because it means I’m not doing my job very well,” Manning said of the coaching-change talk. “I think Coach Coughlin has done a great job. He’s done a great job of talking to the players and telling us not to worry about any distractions. Just worry about this next game and getting a win.”
Coughlin added: “I focus on my team and trying to be the very best we can be and making sure that we all combine to make a great effort. That’s where my thoughts go.”
Coming off wins against Tennessee and Washington, the Giants have quieted some of the critics. But the focus now is the Rams.
“I know they’re aggressive on defense,” Coughlin said. “They show a diversity of looks and different kinds of pressures. They play well together, they’re physical (and) they’ve collected some very good football players.
“Offensively, they’ve got a number of skill players, guys that can put the ball in the end zone at any time.”
Manning, who holds virtually every Giants’ passing record, has enjoyed success in three previous victories over the Rams, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 779 yards with nine touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 115.5.
“I think it’s a coincidence,” he said. “They’re playing good football right now with (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and Coach (Jeff) Fisher. ... They’re just not giving up many big plays. They’re getting great pressure on the quarterback (and) teams aren’t running the ball well against them. They’re playing fast and aggressive.”
Injuries have been a problem this season for the Giants, who have 22 players on the season-ending injured reserve list.
“Obviously, it can be difficult, especially when you lose some key guys,” said Manning, who has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season for 3,590 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. “But we’ve also had some young guys step up and contribute.”
With the offseason just two games away, Manning said it’s about maintaining focus.
“We don’t have the record that we want, but we’ve been playing better,” he said. “I think you have to be professional about it and understand these games; they’re still important to us. We’re going to fight our tails off, and we’re going to try and get a win and try to feel good that we’re getting better. ... We know we’re going against a tough team in the Rams, a team that’s probably playing its best football.”
Coughlin added: “We know this is pretty much about pride, but it’s also an opportunity because we have many young people who have a chance to play and contribute. It’s very important to finish as strong as possible because you’re also looking toward the future.”
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d2bc1c9a-0c3c-52aa-93db-0e5be4951cd7.html
The New York Giants football careers of coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning began in 2004.
After a year away from football following an eight-year stint with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin was hired to replace Jim Fassel as head coach. That spring, after a standout career at the University of Mississippi, Manning was selected by San Diego with the first overall pick of the draft and then traded to the Giants in exchange for the No. 4 overall pick that year, quarterback Philip Rivers, and two more draft picks.
In their 11th season together, Coughlin and Manning are third all-time in NFL starts with 165, trailing only New England’s Bill Belichick/Tom Brady (205) and Dan Marino/Don Shula (184). Manning’s 165 consecutive starts is the league’s longest active streak — Rivers is No. 2 at 145 — and the third-longest in history behind Brett Favre (297) and Eli’s older brother Peyton (208).
“I really just want to be there for my teammates, to be there week in and week out,” Eli Manning said of the streak. “I know I’ve got a lot of teammates who are playing injured and playing through pain. ... I just take pride being out there and being accountable.”
Coughlin and Manning, who helped guide the Giants to Super Bowl titles following the 2007 and 2011 seasons, have a special bond.
“Eli’s a guy what works his tail off. He always has,” said Coughlin, 68. “He loves to play. He loves to compete and this is very important to him. He’s all that you would like to have in any young man in terms of his work ethic, his focus, and his desire to be the best.”
And the feeling is mutual.
“I think Coach Coughlin and I get along very well,” Manning, 33, said. “I have great respect for him and his work ethic, his commitment to football, (and) how he gets us mentally prepared to play each game.”
The Giants, who suffered through a seven-game losing streak this season, will carry a 5-9 record into Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. game against the Rams (6-8) at the Edward Jones Dome. New York enters with back-to-back wins, but some believe Coughlin is on the hot seat after the team finished 9-7 in 2012 and 7-9 a year ago.
“You never want to see that or hear that because it means I’m not doing my job very well,” Manning said of the coaching-change talk. “I think Coach Coughlin has done a great job. He’s done a great job of talking to the players and telling us not to worry about any distractions. Just worry about this next game and getting a win.”
Coughlin added: “I focus on my team and trying to be the very best we can be and making sure that we all combine to make a great effort. That’s where my thoughts go.”
Coming off wins against Tennessee and Washington, the Giants have quieted some of the critics. But the focus now is the Rams.
“I know they’re aggressive on defense,” Coughlin said. “They show a diversity of looks and different kinds of pressures. They play well together, they’re physical (and) they’ve collected some very good football players.
“Offensively, they’ve got a number of skill players, guys that can put the ball in the end zone at any time.”
Manning, who holds virtually every Giants’ passing record, has enjoyed success in three previous victories over the Rams, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 779 yards with nine touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 115.5.
“I think it’s a coincidence,” he said. “They’re playing good football right now with (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams and Coach (Jeff) Fisher. ... They’re just not giving up many big plays. They’re getting great pressure on the quarterback (and) teams aren’t running the ball well against them. They’re playing fast and aggressive.”
Injuries have been a problem this season for the Giants, who have 22 players on the season-ending injured reserve list.
“Obviously, it can be difficult, especially when you lose some key guys,” said Manning, who has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season for 3,590 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. “But we’ve also had some young guys step up and contribute.”
With the offseason just two games away, Manning said it’s about maintaining focus.
“We don’t have the record that we want, but we’ve been playing better,” he said. “I think you have to be professional about it and understand these games; they’re still important to us. We’re going to fight our tails off, and we’re going to try and get a win and try to feel good that we’re getting better. ... We know we’re going against a tough team in the Rams, a team that’s probably playing its best football.”
Coughlin added: “We know this is pretty much about pride, but it’s also an opportunity because we have many young people who have a chance to play and contribute. It’s very important to finish as strong as possible because you’re also looking toward the future.”
