Mr.Bottomtooth
09-11-2007, 06:24 PM
Bob Glauber: Fear not, Manning's injury not serious
11:44 PM EDT, September 10, 2007
Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Furl Google Newsvine Reddit Spurl Yahoo Print Single page view Reprints Reader feedback Text size: You can exhale now, Giants fans. Eli Manning shook my hand late Monday afternoon, and all is well with the Giants' quarterback. His grip was firm. The season lives on.
With the Giants' fate hanging in the balance after Manning took himself out of Sunday night's 45-35 loss to the Cowboys, the sense of dread was palpable throughout the organization. Had the injury been severe enough, the Giants could have said goodbye to this season, and perhaps Tom Coughlin's tenure as coach.
But once the results came in from Monday's MRI, the relief was immediate: a bruise to the A-C joint and a slightly separated shoulder.
It probably sounds worse than it really is, but the bottom line is that Manning is day-to-day and will not -- I repeat, will not -- be out for a .prolonged period. He might even play Sunday against the Packers; if not then, then .almost certainly the following week at Washington.
It's a lot better news than what he feared after being injured midway through the fourth quarter Sunday near the end of a transcendent performance that made you believe that Manning's time is here.
After the game, Manning was so concerned about not aggravating the injury that he was using his left hand to shake hands with Cowboys players.
"I didn't want to tweak anything," he said at his locker late Monday afternoon. "[The shoulder] started getting tighter, so I shook with my left hand."
After a few seconds, I held out my right hand to see what would happen. Manning grabbed it firmly and shook vigorously.
OK, so he wasn't ready to start flinging passes in the stadium, but he clearly was relieved to know he'll be playing football again very soon. He'll likely miss most of practice this week, but it will be entirely up to him as far as when he's ready to return.
"Overall, there's no pain right now," Manning said. "It's sore right now, but I'm not in pain. It will be day-to-day. I'll get treatment every day. I feel positive about my status."
Manning also was encouraged about his range of motion on the day after.
"I brushed my teeth with my right hand," he said. "But I don't want to make it worse, so I won't try to lift a bed or move a couch or anything."
Manning will have to be concerned with getting hit in the same spot, but he said it's a matter of being comfortable enough with the shoulder -- and the potential pain associated with throwing. Depending on how he feels as the week goes on, there's a chance he keeps his consecutive-games streak alive at 41.
Manning said Monday he has never missed a game as a starting quarterback at any level -- pro, college, high school, peewee.
He'll see a quarterback Sunday who has played through his own share of pain over the years. Brett Favre has made 238 straight starts, and he shows no signs of having that streak endangered.
Manning's brother Peyton has never missed a start since joining the Colts in 1998. .Peyton has started 145 straight.
Eli thought about playing through the pain for the rest of the Cowboys game, and he did return for a touchdown drive that pulled the Giants within 38-35. But after the Cowboys scored on their next possession with 3:03 to play, Manning took himself out, fearing he'd make the injury worse. Down two scores with time running down, he said he didn't want to risk further injury.
"I tried to make the smart decision ... Don't try to be a hero when there is limited time left and miss more time than you need to," he said.
Knowing what he knows now, that the injury isn't as serious as first feared, maybe Manning would have kept playing. But you can't kill the guy in .hindsight. After all, what if he did play and hurt himself to the point that he'd be ruled out for the rest of the season? Then what?
"I feel confident I'll be back soon," he said. "I don't want to be limited."
Manning's injury situation overshadowed what turned out to be possibly his best NFL performance. After a solid training camp and preseason, really the best we've seen from him, Manning followed it up by throwing darts at a .Cowboys defense that had been considered one of the best in the league.
Granted, the Cowboys were without starting cornerback Terence Newman, but the Giants lost starting tailback Brandon Jacobs to a sprained knee in the second quarter.
Manning was 28-for-41 for 312 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 113.1 rating. The numbers were brilliant, but it was the look that impressed you even more. The look that told you he knew what he was doing, that he finally gets it.
Fortunately for the Giants, they'll get more chances to see the look this season.
Maybe even Sunday
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spglaub0911,0,2503280.column
11:44 PM EDT, September 10, 2007
Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Furl Google Newsvine Reddit Spurl Yahoo Print Single page view Reprints Reader feedback Text size: You can exhale now, Giants fans. Eli Manning shook my hand late Monday afternoon, and all is well with the Giants' quarterback. His grip was firm. The season lives on.
With the Giants' fate hanging in the balance after Manning took himself out of Sunday night's 45-35 loss to the Cowboys, the sense of dread was palpable throughout the organization. Had the injury been severe enough, the Giants could have said goodbye to this season, and perhaps Tom Coughlin's tenure as coach.
But once the results came in from Monday's MRI, the relief was immediate: a bruise to the A-C joint and a slightly separated shoulder.
It probably sounds worse than it really is, but the bottom line is that Manning is day-to-day and will not -- I repeat, will not -- be out for a .prolonged period. He might even play Sunday against the Packers; if not then, then .almost certainly the following week at Washington.
It's a lot better news than what he feared after being injured midway through the fourth quarter Sunday near the end of a transcendent performance that made you believe that Manning's time is here.
After the game, Manning was so concerned about not aggravating the injury that he was using his left hand to shake hands with Cowboys players.
"I didn't want to tweak anything," he said at his locker late Monday afternoon. "[The shoulder] started getting tighter, so I shook with my left hand."
After a few seconds, I held out my right hand to see what would happen. Manning grabbed it firmly and shook vigorously.
OK, so he wasn't ready to start flinging passes in the stadium, but he clearly was relieved to know he'll be playing football again very soon. He'll likely miss most of practice this week, but it will be entirely up to him as far as when he's ready to return.
"Overall, there's no pain right now," Manning said. "It's sore right now, but I'm not in pain. It will be day-to-day. I'll get treatment every day. I feel positive about my status."
Manning also was encouraged about his range of motion on the day after.
"I brushed my teeth with my right hand," he said. "But I don't want to make it worse, so I won't try to lift a bed or move a couch or anything."
Manning will have to be concerned with getting hit in the same spot, but he said it's a matter of being comfortable enough with the shoulder -- and the potential pain associated with throwing. Depending on how he feels as the week goes on, there's a chance he keeps his consecutive-games streak alive at 41.
Manning said Monday he has never missed a game as a starting quarterback at any level -- pro, college, high school, peewee.
He'll see a quarterback Sunday who has played through his own share of pain over the years. Brett Favre has made 238 straight starts, and he shows no signs of having that streak endangered.
Manning's brother Peyton has never missed a start since joining the Colts in 1998. .Peyton has started 145 straight.
Eli thought about playing through the pain for the rest of the Cowboys game, and he did return for a touchdown drive that pulled the Giants within 38-35. But after the Cowboys scored on their next possession with 3:03 to play, Manning took himself out, fearing he'd make the injury worse. Down two scores with time running down, he said he didn't want to risk further injury.
"I tried to make the smart decision ... Don't try to be a hero when there is limited time left and miss more time than you need to," he said.
Knowing what he knows now, that the injury isn't as serious as first feared, maybe Manning would have kept playing. But you can't kill the guy in .hindsight. After all, what if he did play and hurt himself to the point that he'd be ruled out for the rest of the season? Then what?
"I feel confident I'll be back soon," he said. "I don't want to be limited."
Manning's injury situation overshadowed what turned out to be possibly his best NFL performance. After a solid training camp and preseason, really the best we've seen from him, Manning followed it up by throwing darts at a .Cowboys defense that had been considered one of the best in the league.
Granted, the Cowboys were without starting cornerback Terence Newman, but the Giants lost starting tailback Brandon Jacobs to a sprained knee in the second quarter.
Manning was 28-for-41 for 312 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 113.1 rating. The numbers were brilliant, but it was the look that impressed you even more. The look that told you he knew what he was doing, that he finally gets it.
Fortunately for the Giants, they'll get more chances to see the look this season.
Maybe even Sunday
http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spglaub0911,0,2503280.column