| NY Giants QB UPDATE |
Mon, 22 August 2005 08:13  |
 Rob_Veno
Messages: 4129
Registered: July 2005 |
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New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Mann, that hurts
Monday, August 22nd, 2005
The signs on Saturday night were all good for Eli Manning's elbow. The X-rays were negative. He wasn't icing it on the sidelines. Two plays after he hurt it, he even threw a 41-yard touchdown pass.
But yesterday the mood darkened at the University at Albany when Manning woke up and his elbow still was sore. Then he spent the day "going through a series of tests," including an MRI, according to Tom Coughlin, who admitted he is suddenly "very concerned.
"Anytime you have a quarterback who has soreness in an elbow, there is concern there about what is the injury," the Giants' coach said. "It's not like you woke up the next morning and he was out there throwing or you were getting all kinds of reports that there was nothing to it. I don't know any of that stuff."
The truth is Coughlin doesn't know much about the health of Manning's right arm - or at least he wasn't willing to share much with reporters yesterday afternoon. Manning is scheduled to meet with Dr. Russell Warren, the Giants' team physician, this morning for "a full analysis." Warren was unavailable to meet with Manning yesterday, Coughlin said.
In the meantime, the entire Giants organization will be holding its breath, given the bundle of draft picks it traded to San Diego to get the franchise quarterback just 19 months ago. Manning is the cornerstone of the Giants' future. Coughlin has said Manning is the reason he heads into this season with "hope."
"This situation right here," Coughlin said, "it's one of those things that you wish would not occur."
Manning was hurt with 7:31 left in the second quarter of the Giants' 27-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday night, a game in which the Giants' offensive line was mostly awful. On third-and-6 from the Giants' 47, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers blew around Giants right tackle Kareem McKenzie and stole the ball out of Manning's hand as he attempted to pass.
Manning continued his follow-through without the ball, but apparently Peppers caught enough of Manning's arm to cause some trauma. Manning walked off the field shaking his arm and was briefly examined by trainers. But less than a minute later, he was back on the field throwing a touchdown strike from near midfield.
Manning even came out for the Giants' last series of the half, throwing two incompletions. There was so little concern at the time that Coughlin wasn't made aware of the injury until halftime. And nothing showed up on the X-rays taken then.
"I'm hoping and counting on it being some type of bruise or some kind of sprain," Coughlin said. "To what degree, I don't know. He did turn around and throw a touchdown pass right after that, but there was concern because of the way he felt after the game."
After the game, Manning said his elbow felt "a little tight" but he added that he hoped to practice today and added, "I should be able to play" Friday night against the Jets.
He apparently spoke too soon, and now it seems more likely that backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck will lead the Giants starters into their third preseason game. Hasselbeck (15-of-30, 183 yards, two touchdowns, one interception in two games) apparently has beaten out Jesse Palmer for the No. 2 quarterback job.
In fact, Hasselbeck has inspired enough confidence in the organization that he might even be the long-term starter if Manning's injury is worse than expected. The Giants will continue to look at available quarterbacks, but other than Tim Couch - who tried out Friday, but isn't completely healthy - the market is very dry.
Hasselbeck, though, is not the man the Giants want to be their long-term starter. That's why Coughlin was so worried yesterday and so anxious to hear what Warren has to say today.
"I'm not speculating about anything," Coughlin said. "I'm waiting. I'm hoping for the best."
[Updated on: Mon, 22 August 2005 09:54] by Moderator
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| Re: NY Giants QB UPDATE |
Mon, 22 August 2005 13:49  |
B.JONES
Messages: 1038
Registered: July 2005 |
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Eli Manning addresses the media
By GI Staff
Date: Aug 22, 2005
"I knew it didn’t feel awful and that it wasn’t going to be a season ending injury by any means."
Q: If it was a regular season game this week do you think you would start? Like if it was the first game of the regular season?
A: Yeah I think so. I think that if it was the first game of a long season you wouldn’t want to risk doing anything worse, but if it was an important game then I can still throw the football if I wanted to. I threw a couple balls after the injury in the game. When you are playing you don’t feel it as much, you are thinking about other things. If it was practice and I was warming up then there would be more of a chance to warm up before playing the game.
Q: Would you consider this a set back?
A: I wouldn’t consider it a set back. Obviously I wish I could play this week and to practice because I need more reps in games and in practice to get better. I can still run and take mental reps and continue to work out, stay in good shape and get all my mental reps so it should be ok.
Q: Were you worried that it could have been something worse?
A: I didn’t know. I knew it didn’t feel awful and that it wasn’t going to be a season ending injury by any means. I could just tell by my movement and by doing things, I was still using my arm and it wasn’t a conscious thing like I had to stop using my right arm. I was still opening doors with it and using it. It wasn’t that I can’t use it right now.
Q: Did you consider not going into the game for the second quarter?
A: After it happened I was on the sideline and I threw some balls and I knew I could still throw. I wanted to finish the half and we had a chance for a two-minute drive so I wanted to get in there and throw the ball. I knew I could still throw the ball.
Q: Anytime a quarterback injures an arm, shoulder or anything related to throwing that must be concerning?
A: It is concerning because obviously right now I could probably go throw the ball but I might have to make adjustments to the way I throw and not maybe concentrate well so you don’t feel pain and then it could end up being worse. It could be bad mechanics or all of a sudden your shoulder might start hurting or something else might start hurting instead. This is the smart thing. It is almost better that it happened in the preseason as opposed to the regular season so I have time to come back and take off right now and get it fully healed.
Q: Have they told you when you can practice?
A: They have not told me. We are just going to take it week to week and see how it feels as we go through this week and after the game next week just real slowly get back into shape and see what it feels like when I throw the ball.
********************pasted**************
just found a -5 1/2
B.JONES
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