Eli Manning admits he needs to improve, knows he 'can get hot'

The New York Giants have surprisingly been one of the better teams in the NFL this year. After three straight losing seasons and back-to-back 6-10 campaigns, it looked like they were in for another lull. That’s hardly been the case as they’re currently 9-4 and just a win or two away from locking down a playoff berth.

Their success hasn’t been thanks to quarterback Eli Manning’s play, though. He’s in the midst of one of his worst seasons in recent years. He’s thrown three interceptions and turned it over five times in his last two games, and the Giants were fortunate to come away with even one win. His poor play has been obvious, and even the two-time Super Bowl winner admits it.

"I know I can make plays," Manning said, via The Associated Press. "I know I can get hot. I have to keep working. I'm confident that I can go out there and have a big game.

"I have to play better. I know that. I have to find completions and protect the ball better. I have to find completions, score points and hopefully win. I know we have to clean some things up."

The Giants have been winning games thanks to their defense, not the Manning-led offense. They have yet to score 30 points in a game this season, making them just one of five teams not to do that. New York is 25th in scoring and 27th in total yards per game, which isn’t consistent with the way they’ve played in recent years.

It’s particularly alarming when considering the offensive weapons they have in place around Manning. Those playmakers can’t do much if Manning doesn’t get them the ball, of course, which is a big part of the problem.

"We've just had some unfortunate plays of late,” he added. “I know I've missed Odell a play here and there. But these problems are easily fixable. We can have a great game plan and then make the plays that are there."

"I have to protect the ball," Manning said. "That's the main thing."