Mathias Kiwanuka says defense has to carry Eli Manning, because he has carried them
By Mike Dyce
The New York Giants started the season 0-6, but have bounced back to win three straight. The division leaders are 5-5, and sitting at 3-6 has them in position to make a run at the NFC East crown and a playoff spot. If quarterback Eli Manning continues to struggle it could be difficult, but defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka suggested that the defense needs to step up and help carry the team because Eli’s done it in the past.
“You can’t just look at him and say,’Oh, he’s the reason.’ I have no doubt in my mind he’s going to get it turned around and start putting up the numbers that we’re used to seeing,” Kiwanuka said, via the Newark Star Ledger. “But until that happens we have to be able to take it upon ourselves as a defense and say, ‘You know what, he’s carried our butts when we weren’t getting it done for a number of games, a number of seasons even, so we have to make sure we can do the same for him while he’s going through it.’”
On the season, Eli has completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,307 yards 11 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Most of those picks came in the first six games of the season, in the three game win streak he has thrown just one interception. In that span he has also only thrown 2 touchdowns and 586 yards. That averages out to less than 200 yards a game in those three wins.