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Transcript: QB Eli Manning

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Physically, I feel fine.  No injuries.  I feel fine.  I feel good.

Did you see anything on the film that might explain some of the things that happened or didn't happen on offense last night?

Yeah, we struggled at times, but I think once I looked at the film I kind of got more upset just because I thought we had some opportunities.  We didn't play our best, but we hung in there at the end and we kind of gave ourselves a fighting chance at the end.  We had a couple opportunities, but we didn't make plays and some of that is my fault.  I made some mistakes, I could have worked to the other side, I could have had a completion, a couple completions, I missed Boss one time where we were in the red zone and on a third down when we could have converted that and given ourselves a shot to score early in the game.  Just some missed opportunities and obviously they played well and sometimes they made it where sometimes we didn't have a shot and they took away some things, but when there are plays there to be made that is where we have to step up and make those plays.  That is where I get upset at myself or get frustrated when we are leaving plays out there on the field.  That is something that we can't afford to do in these tough games where defenses are playing well.  You have to make the plays, when guys are open you have to find them, and you have to hit those plays.

Do you worry at all about the confidence level of any of the offensive players when your offense has not been playing well for the past two games?

No, I don't worry about our confidence.  We have gone through periods where we have struggled and every team kind of goes through that little stretch where you have to kind of regroup and find your identity again and start executing and making plays.  We just have to quickly regroup and get to where we are playing better football.  I have to look at myself first and I have to figure out how I can play better and how I can get more completions and make plays that are there and don't turn the ball over.  It starts with me and we have to find a way to get back to playing well, but I think this team, this group of guys, we have been through a bad stretch before and we know how to come out of it and that is the important thing.  We know that we have lost two games in a row, something that we haven't done in a long time since the first two games of last season, but we know we can bounce-back from it and get back to playing at a high level.  I am not worried about our confidence it is just a matter of we have to figure out how to do it.

Is there anything in common with the fact that you lost your deep threat in Plaxico Burress and now you have lost two straight games?

No.  Obviously Plaxico is a tremendous player and he makes plays for us, but we have played well in games where he wasn't in there.  We had three games where he didn't play where we won all of those games and we were able to throw the ball well and score a lot of points, so we can't use that as an excuse.  Obviously he is a good player for us and I don't want to diminish his talent, but we still feel like we have some guys who can make plays and do some things.  When I look at the film I see that guys are getting open and there are plays there to be made, we are just not making them.  I think that is the issue.  It is not that we don't have one of our players there.  Other guys are doing their part and it is my job to get them the ball.

Are you feeling a need to try to carry the team without Burress and Jacobs out there?

I think you get in trouble when you try to do more than what you can.  I wasn't trying to do more, that is when you start making a lot of mistakes and forcing things that aren't there.  I had the one bad interception early, but I didn't think I was forcing things.  When I started getting pressured you are trying to make plays and that is when you start throwing the ball up and hoping for something to happen.  Our defense was playing well, we weren't forcing things, we gave ourselves a shot in that game.  With four minutes left we were less than a touchdown away and they go down and get that final touchdown, but we kind of feel like, 'hey, if we get the ball back, we have a chance to win this game.'  We were kind of right in it as poorly as we played.  Sometimes you have to play those tough games and just stay in the game and kind of hope that something happens and someone makes a big play and you find yourself in a situation to win.  Obviously it didn't happen for us yesterday, but I have to play better.  I don't have to do wonders, but I have to play better than what I have been playing.  It is just going out there and playing smart and trying to make plays that are there.  I don't consider anything special because there are guys open, it is just a matter of finding them, or buying some time, and doing my job.

Do you think there were some times last night when you held the ball for too long and that caused a sack?

No, I don't think I was.  There could have been a couple where I could have maybe got the ball out earlier, but I don't feel like I was just sitting there waiting for guys to get open.  I consider myself a quarterback who likes to get the ball out pretty quickly and take things when they are open so I don't feel like I was holding the ball real long and looking for fourth and fifth receivers.  They did a good job of getting pressure and doing some good things and that was the way it went.

Do you think if Brandon Jacobs comes back it could make a huge difference or will people stack the box against you like the Eagles did and take the run away too?

When you have your whole arsenal of players it obviously helps and Brandon is an important factor on our team, but we have to get better as a team and that is just everywhere being more consistent.  We are not converting third downs right now, which is something we have been very good at all season, and that keeps your offense on the field, it gives you more opportunities, more plays in the game, and we are just not moving the chains and converting on third downs.  It is just a combination of everybody.  It is not just the running game and just Brandon Jacobs.  It is the passing game and everybody stepping up and doing their part and making plays.

Have you noticed how well the Panthers have been playing and do they look like they are peaking at the right time?

Yeah.  They are playing well.  They won a big game last week versus Tampa.  It looks like they won pretty easily versus Denver, so it seems like they are playing really well right now and so we know we have a big test this weekend, but we just have to prepare, have a great week of practice, go in with a game plan, and try to execute it and see if we can get back to playing consistent football.

Do you get any sense that Domenik Hixon is pressing too much to try to live up to what Plaxico Burress gave the team? 

No.  Hixon is fighting and competing and doing his best.  He is making some big catches for us and making some plays.  He didn't really get to practice all week this past week because he was injured so we just have to get back together and just keep working on our timing because he is going to have to be a big part of this offense the rest of the way.  We just have to keep working together, make sure we are on the same page with everything.  He is a talented receiver, he works extremely hard, and so I think his confidence is fine because he knows I am going to go to him and I have faith in him that he is going to do the right things and make plays for us.