Manning to Start Against Carolina
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ALBANY – Eli Manning is going to get a chance to open the season as the Giants’ starting quarterback.
Coach Tom Coughlin made that clear yesterday, announcing that Manning, the no.1 pick in the NFL draft, will start ahead of two-time MVP Kurt Warner in the preseason game Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers.
“The decision coming in was that they were going to compete for the job,” Coughlin said. “Therefore, we are going to give both of them the opportunity to start, and this week is Eli’s opportunity.”
Warner started on Friday in a 34-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Coughlin said his decision had nothing to do with that game. The new Giants coach planned all along to start Manning in the second preseason game, but he didn’t bother to tell either player.
“I didn’t know what their feeling was; how they were going to go into the preseason,” Manning said of the start. “I guess they want to give me a shot to see how I do against a starting defense and see if I can manage a game well.”
Warner did not seem upset.
“The only fair way in a competitive situation like this is to give guys the same opportunity,” Warner said. “It wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t disappointing. It’s part of the deal I expected going in, and leave it at that.”
Warner, who won the NFL’s MVP award twice with St. Louis, completed 3-of-7 passes for 49 yards against the Chiefs.
Manning, who was given a six-year, $45 million contract, was 7-of-13 for 91 yards in his first taste of NFL game action.
“I don’t know if anything is going to be decided by one game, one preseason game,” Manning said of the upcoming game. “It’s the accumulation of all the practices, all the preseason games, to see how my learning process is going through all this and decision making.
“I’m just trying to make smart decisions. If you have a chance to throw one long, you do. If not, you try to get completions and first downs.”
Manning insisted the media would make more of his start than he would.
“I’m just trying to see where I stand and what I need to work on,” said Manning.
