WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Notes, Quotes

The Sports Xchange

December 06, 2018 at 1:12 am.

–Despite the Giants success in the second half of the season — they’ve won three out of their last four games, with their offense having scored at least 20 points in each of those contests — talk continues to swirl about the future of starting quarterback Eli Manning.

Manning, you see, will turn 38 next month and has a $23.2 million salary-cap hit.

With the Giants likely to have another top-10 draft pick in 2019, there are those who believe that the Giants should dip into the quarterback class and start getting a successor on board, while there are others who have been beating the drum for the Giants to play backup quarterback Kyle Lauletta, their fourth-round pick this year.

The Giants have thus far stuck to a plan in which so long as they remain mathematically alive for a playoff berth, they’re not budging off Manning. But as for the future, head coach Pat Shurmur, in an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa, admitted that there are no guarantees.

“Those are offseason discussions,” said Shurmur. “I’m really pleased with the way he’s been playing of late.”

Manning is currently enjoying career numbers, particularly in his completion percentage rate, which is currently at 67.9 percent. In the first eight games, he was batted around like a pinball, absorbing 31 sacks, which matched his entire 2017 total.

Since then, the offensive line has undergone several revisions to where it now has a combination that has been a lot better with its pass protection. In the four games played behind the line’s current configuration of left tackle Nate Solder, let guard Will Hernandez, center Spencer Pulley, right guard Jamon Brown and right tackle Chad Wheeler, Manning is 81 of 121 (66.9 percent) for 886 yards, with seven touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Despite Manning having shown that he’s still capable of moving the ball and being an effective quarterback when his protection is up to speed, Shurmur wouldn’t commit to verifying Manning’s return in 2019.

“I can’t answer that,” he told Francesa.

But what he was able to do was praise Manning for what he’s brought to the table thus far.

He said, “I’m fond of everything that Eli brings to the table. I’m fond of who he is as a person. I get a chance to see him behind the scenes, and I see how hard he works. And I know how hard he wants to win. But no matter what the talent level of the quarterback is, the team around him has to play well too.”

–Kicker Aldrick Rosas has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The second-year kicker heavily contributed to the Giants’ 30-27 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, making all three of his field-goal attempts, including the game-winning 44-yarder in overtime.

Rosas’ field goals also included a franchise-record 57-yarder on the final play of the first half, a kick that broke the franchise’s 56-yard record set twice by Ali Haji-Sheikh in 1983, and a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Rosas now has two game-winning field goals in his career; last season, he booted a 23-yarder to beat Kansas City in overtime on Nov. 19, 2017.

Rosas has missed only one field-goal attempt this year, a 52-yarder vs. the Eagles on Oct. 11. His current field-goal percentage conversion rate is 96.3 percent, which if it holds up will top the franchise record for highest percentage, last set by Josh Brown in 2015 when he booted 30 of 32 attempts for a 93.8 percent conversion percentage.

Rosas needs one more point to become the first Giants player to score 100 in a season since Brown scored 134 in 2015.

Rosas is the second Giants player to win a Player of the Week award this year; running back Saquon Barkley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week two weeks ago for his performance in a victory against Tampa Bay.

BY THE NUMBERS: 5 – Number of 100-yard rushing games running back Saquon Barkley has this season, the highest total by a Giants back since Brandon Jacobs had five such games in 2007. In 2017, two rookies had at least five 100-yard rushing games: Kareem Hunt (6) and Leonard Fournette (5).