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THE GAME

The Giants (1-5) at the Atlanta Falcons (2-4) at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Oct. 22 at 8:15 p.m.

With the Giants lacking wide receiver depth, WR Quadree Henderson was promoted from the practice squad ahead of their matchup against the Falcons on Monday night. 

The Giants' No. 3 receiver in Cody Latimer was placed on the IR for a hamstring injury, while WR Jawill Davis is in concussion protocol. Russell Shepard is also questionable for the game with a neck injury. Big Blue did, however, sign former Broncos WR Bennie Fowler earlier this week to add some depth behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard. 

So, the 5-foot-8 rookie Henderson wasn't necessarily promoted for receiving duties, although the Giants can obviously use him if need be. Instead, he will likely take the role Davis had as the team's return specialist. 

The Giants are 1-5 and might find themselves witih a Top-3 pick in the NFL Draft for the second-straight year. But if they do, they shouldn't expect standout Oregon QB Justin Herbert to be there.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, citing NFL scouts who have been in touch with "friends and contacts" on the Oregon staff, and "strong signals throughout the agent community," says it would be "a surprise" if Herbert opted to declare for the 2019 Draft.

Instead, the 20-year-old Herbert is expected to return to Oregon for his senior year. 

The Giants were looking to catch a break this Monday as Falcons wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Mohamed Sanu were both banged up last week. But the latest injury report on Saturday had only K Matt Bryant out for Monday's contest. 

So, one of the NFL's deadliest wide receiving tandems will be at full strength for QB Matt Ryan to work with. For most defenses, WR Julio Jones is enough to deal with, but Ridley and Sanu make matters worse with the production they have put up so far thi season. 

While Jones leads the team in yards for a mile (708), the rookie Ridley leads receivers in touchdowns (6) while Sanu has 303 yards and three touchdowns on the year as well. Jones is still looking for his first touchdown after six weeks.

Giants left tackle Nate Solder (neck) will play Monday night after being limited in practice, but right guard Patrick Omameh (knee) will not despite being listed as questionable.

The Giants have decided to bench the interior lineman and start Spencer Pulley instead, according to NJ.com.

Pulley, claimed off waivers by the Giants on Sept. 2, will likely start at center and John Greco will move to Omameh's spot at right guard. 

Dick Modzelewski, a star defensive tackle for the Giants from 1956-63, has died at 87, at his home in Eastlake, Ohio on Friday, the team announced in a statement Saturday. 

Modzelewski played 14 seasons in the NFL -- eight with the Giants, three with the Browns, two with the Redskins and one with the Steelers -- and never missed a game in his career. 

He was a two-time NFL champion, winning titles with the Giants in 1956 and Browns in 1964, and played in five more title games as part of the Giants defensive front. 

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants want the Odell Beckham Jr.-Eli Manning controversy to go away. They need it to go away. John Mara even went public with his anger to try to make it go away.

But there's one problem: Given another chance to put it to rest, to offer his support to his quarterback and teammate, to finally make this madness end, Beckham didn't. Or couldn't. Or wouldn't. He keeps refusing to directly say what he thinks of his quarterback and, perhaps purposely, leaves too much open for interpretation.

There wasn't much good that came out of last Thursday's loss to the Eagles, but rookie RB Saquon Barkley had his best game of the season. And that performance led him to be named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for Week 6.

Barkley was voted the best rookie in the NFL this past week after totaling 229 scrimmage yards (130 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards) that included a 50-yard touchdown run. 

Not only was Barkley recognized for this weekly stat line, but his stats this season put him in the Rookie of the Year conversation. He leads all rookie running backs with 438 yards on 84 carries, and his 40 receptions for 373 yards leads all rookies in those two categories as well...

All 53 Giants players practice on Thursday, but DE Olivier Vernon was still a limited participant. Until today. 

Vernon (ribs) was upgraded to a full practice participant on Friday ahead of the Giants' Monday Night Football matchup on the road against the Falcons. The veteran edge rusher obviously has more time to get healthy with two more days before gameday, but it is good to see him out there in full. 

Defensive coordinator James Bettcher preaches to "never look back," but when it comes to Vernon, he loved what he saw last week...

Odell Beckham Jr. said on Friday that he "respects and values" owner John Mara's opinion. 

His father, on the other hand....

Odell Beckham Sr. reposted a video on Instagram on Thursday that showed the Giants co-owner tossing a chair in his suite during a previous game. 

There are two things we know Odell Beckham Jr. hates: losing and water. 

The Giants wide receiver made the unusual revelation about the latter on Friday when explaining why he was dehydrated and needed an IV before halftime in last week's 34-13 loss to the Eagles. 

"I really don't like water," he said. "I'm trying. I really just don't like it. You get that stomach feeling -- it's all slushy. I'm trying to just stay hydrated. Sometimes I gotta get an IV, it's just necessary. If you're cramping in both calves it's hard to run and make cuts."

Odell Beckham Jr. could not definitively stand by Eli Manning. 

While the Giants receiver dismissed the notion on Friday that players on the team are frustrated with their quarterback, he was unable to give a direct answer when asked if his 37-year-old quarterback is the right guy to get them back on track. 

"You gotta ask him," Beckham said. "Every time we get in the huddle I say, 'take me home 10.' Which, to me, carries weight because he's been there, he knows how to win, he knows what he's doing, he's the most prepared of anybody I've seen.

Picture this: Odell Beckham Jr. hits a double move, loses his defender, and runs down the sideline wide open as the ball comes soaring toward him for an easy touchdown. As the team celebrates in the end zone, a No. 4 Big Blue jersey comes running toward his new favorite receiver. Wearing the jersey is the Giants new quarterback -- Derek Carr. 

Now, this scenario wouldn't be until next season, but CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora offered a pretty intriguing prediction on the "Pick Six Podcast" on Wednesday.

With Jon Gruden and the Raiders blowing it up out in Oakland, no one on the roster is safe, not even their franchise quarterback that just signed a five-year deal before the start of the 2017 season. On the other hand, the Giants don't want to rebuild, but rather make moves to win now...

It's always a good day at practice when all 53 players are out and about, and that was the case for the Giants on Thursday. 

There were a few limited participants, though, with LT Nate Solder (neck) and DE Olivier Vernon (ribs) among them. Solder said after practice that he feels fine and should be ready to go on Monday. 

And the way head coach Pat Shurmur spoke about Vernon appears to indicate he will be full-go against the Falcons as well...

Giants LT Nate Solder isn't used to losing. 

In his seven years in New England, Solder's Patriots went an outstanding 88-20 that included two Super Bowl rings. But now Solder is on a 1-5 Giants squad that is teetering to stay relevant before the fanbase starts to compare it to the dreadful season of last. 

Unfortunately, some believe the season is lost already, with the Giants stuck at the bottom of the NFC East. But it is still early, and Solder is confident this team -- and his offensive unit specifically -- can ramp up their level of play and pick up some much-needed wins. 

Looking up "New York Giants players" on Google images, a long scroll shows up at the top with various players on the teams. But there's one flaw: Saquon Barkley is Eli Manning. 

It's a side-by-side image with both players, but Manning is at the forefront with his actual image next to it...

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE IMAGE

When the Giants cut former first-round T Ereck Flowers last week, fans weren't at all surprised by the move.

Well, neither was Flowers.

"I expected [the release], it wasn't a shock to me," Flowers told Jacksonville.com. "I actually was looking forward to another opportunity. To go from that situation to getting a chance to play here and [possibly] get into the playoffs, that would be 100 percent perfect. That would be like 'wow.' "

A day after taking a swipe at WR Odell Beckham Jr., Giants co-owner John Mara said that despite all the drama, he still has trust in his $95 million man.

"Listen, I think he wants to win," Mara told Newsday after Wednesday's NFL owners meetings in Manhattan. "He wants the same things that we want. He's a work in progress, but I still believe in him."

Mara on Tuesday was blunt when speaking about Beckham and the wide out's recent controversial ESPN interview, saying "I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking." 

The Giants could be getting some help for their offense this week in the form of tight end Evan Engram. 

The second-year tight end sounded optimistic on Tuesday about returning to the field for Monday's game against the Falcons after missing the last three games with a knee injury he sustained Sept. 23 at Houston. 

"I feel really good," he said. "Today was a really good day. Went out there and made sure I got warm and stuff and was running around and going as fast as I can go and making all the cuts and doing everything I can do to block, so it felt good. Still got a lot of time, good amount of days until game time, so very probable and I feel really good about going into and the rest of this week."

Giants fans have certainly voiced their frustrations with Eli Manning's play so far this season, but are the players also ticked off by what they have seen through the first six games?

Some reports have surfaced claiming certain players have been disgruntled by Manning, but WR Sterling Shepard said he hasn't heard a peep on the matter. 

In fact, the entire locker room is still on Manning's side.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The critics of Eli Manning have been relentless over the last month, convinced that he's primarily - if not solely -- to blame for the Giants' mess.

It's understandable too, since the Giants pinned their entire offseason plan on their belief that Manning was still an elite quarterback. Instead, he's looked old. The offense he runs has been terrible. He looks skittish in the pocket and checks down too much. His lack of mobility is more of an issue than it's ever been, and he hasn't been successful even when he's had time to throw down the field.

But if you think the Giants' latest disastrous season is all about Eli Manning, then think again.

After taking a shot at Odell Beckham Jr. on Tuesday, Giants co-owner John Mara was asked if the Giants were "all-in" on sticking with the struggling Eli Manning. 

"I don't know what you mean by going 'all in' with [Eli Manning]," Mara told reporters at the NFL Meetings in Manhattan. "He's been our quarterback. He was still under contract. I know he's the punching bag right now, but a lot of guys need to play better right now. It's not just him."

The 1-5 Giants are a mess, but Mara went out of his way to reiterate that it's not just Manning who's to blame. 

Giants co-owner John Mara took a swipe at WR Odell Beckham Jr. while speaking at the owner's meetings on Tuesday in New York City.

"I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking," Mara said, according to Judy Battista of NFL.com.

Beckham has been taking heat for a candid interview he gave to ESPN before Week 5 when he said "I don't know" when asked if Eli Manning was a problem for the team at quarterback. During that same interview, Beckham was also hesitant to say he was happy in New York.

The Giants are waiving CB Donte Deayon, the team announced Tuesday, with his spot on the roster being taken by Grant Haley.

The 24-year-old Deayon played in four games for the Giants this season (he didn't play in Week 1 or Week 6), and had six tackles and two passes defensed. 

Former Giants QB Phil Simms said the 2018 team was built for Eli Manning "to have success" and that it isn't "working out" for the 37-year-old.

When asked by Christopher Russo on Mad Dog Radio if Manning was done as a "big-time starting quarterback," Simms said yes. 

"As a big-time starting quarterback? Yes.," he said. "Okay, when you phrase it that way, as a big-time starter he is. ... The Giants built this team for this year for Eli Manning to have success. That's what they did. They re-did basically the whole offensive line. They've signed Odell Beckham Jr.  They bring in an offensive coach, the defensive coach. Everything was there. They draft Saquon Barkley, which is a great deal. We saw the kid can be great, we know that. So it's all set up. Sterling Shephard, a good second receiver.  Evan Engram, we know he's hurt, but it's all there because we want the quarterback to do well, and it's not working out."

There's no indication that the Giants are open to trading Eli Manning (and let's not forget Manning's no-trade clause). But if they did want to toy with the idea of trading him, are the Jacksonville Jaguars a fit?

ESPN's Matt Hasselbeck thinks so, and believes the Giants would be doing Manning a "solid" by trading him to Jacksonville.

"Tom Coughlin loves Eli Manning. Eli Manning is Tom Coughlin's quarterback," Hasselbeck said Sunday morning on ESPN. "If you said to Tom Coughlin, 'what are you looking for in a quarterback,' he's thinking about what Eli Manning was for him. Having him in that organization would be of value to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And it lets the Giants and Giants fans turn the page."

It has been an interesting past few days for Giants star WR Odell Beckham Jr. 

First, his controversial ESPN interview comments ended up with Beckham having to apologize to his teammates while also getting fined. Then, during a bad home loss to the Eagles, Beckham's frustrations were showcased on the sideline yet again as he banged his head into a cooling fan. 

So, in the latest edition of his UNINTERRUPTED Facebook series "I AM MORE: OBJ," Beckham sat down for an interview to address all that has happened in the past week. And this is how the video started...

Eli Manning had another subpar performance in Thursday' 34-13 loss to the Eagles and it may be time for the Giants to face the cruel reality: Manning's days are numbered. 

The 37-year-old quarterback is 1-5 this season despite possessing offensive weapons such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley. Yes, he has a shoddy offensive line, but he is 4-17 in his last 21 games and is only showing signs of regression. 

With the way things are going, the Giants will be in the market -- whether it be free agency or in the draft -- for a quarterback this offseason. 

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- When the Giants took Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the NFL draft, it wasn't just a declaration that they were all-in on Eli Manning, it was their way of punting their search for Manning's successor into the future. They believed that somehow, some way, they'd find their heir apparent somewhere down the line.

It sounded so easy. Of course, don't try telling that to teams like the Jets.

Now maybe the Giants won't need 50 years to find their next franchise quarterback, but now that they have no choice but to begin the search, the truth is it likely won't be easy at all. They learned that the hard way back when they cut Phil Simms after the 1993 season and suffered through Dave Brown, Kent Graham, Danny Kanell and even Tommy Maddox before they lucked into Kerry Collins in 1999.

Either Tom Coughlin sees something in Ereck Flowers or he has become exceptional in trolling the Giants.  

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed the former Giants left tackle to a one-year deal on Friday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, just three days after he was released by Big Blue. 

Coughlin, executive vice president of football operations for the Jaguars, was the Giants head coach when the team drafted Flowers with the ninth overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. 

The Giants won't be benching Eli Manning again... at least not yet.

When Pat Shurmur was asked Friday -- a day after the Giants' crushing 34-13 loss to the Eagles -- if they were considering a change a quarterback, the head coach stated "no."

"We believe in Eli," Shurmur told reporters. 

With the Giants 1-5 and Eli Manning continue to struggle, suddenly Ben McAdoo looks like he was onto something. 

Just ask Geno Smith. 

The former Giants backup quarterback had some thoughts following Big Blue's 34-13 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night -- a game in which Manning threw no touchdowns and an interception with 281 passing yards. 

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning isn't ready to give in to the angry mob that has declared his career over. He took a beating on Thursday night, played a terrible game and watched another season slip away before Halloween, but he still knows what he's capable of doing. He's not budging on that at all.

"My confidence in myself is good," Manning said after the Giants' 34-13 loss to the Eagles. "I know I can play."

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - On the Giants' first drive of the second quarter, on a 2nd-and-19 from their own 28, Eli Manning checked down - again - to a short pass to Cody Latimer. It was a terrible decision, a useless play, and it gained only five meaningless yards.

And that's when FOX's cameras caught an exasperated Pat Shurmur mouthing the words, "Throw the ball!"

If it wasn't clear before, it was clear then that Shurmur is growing a little frustrated with his embattled quarterback - and he certainly had reason in this game. Manning was atrocious, giving nothing but fuel to his critics, completing 24 of 43 passes for a very deceptive 281 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

Not only was this a divisional game with a heated rival, but this Giants-Eagles matchup at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night was viewed as the game to save the Giants season. Sense of urgency was the word thrown around by the team leading up to tonight, but unfortunately that isn't what was seen on the field. 

The Giants lost badly in a 34-13 wallop that left fans speechless and sullen in their seats. With the exception of one dynamic rookie, the performance by the home team wasn't anything to be proud of. And to put it bluntly: What played out tonight was certainly comparable to the miserable group of last season. 

So, let's take a deeper look at what happened at each position in the Giants' fifth loss of the season...

Odell Beckham Jr. appeared to blow off the Giants seconds before their nightmarish first half ended Thursday night against the Eagles.

But head coach Pat Shurmur said after his team's 34-13 loss that the star receiver headed for the locker room early to get an IV, with no drama intended.

"Just dehydrated again," Shurmur said of Beckham, who similarly left early against the Saints two weeks ago. "He went back into the locker room. Some guys dehydrate quicker than others, so we just have to make sure he stays dehydrated."

Giants rookie RB Saquon Barkley was one receiving yard away from making franchise history. 

Barkley was the only light to come out of an ugly loss to the Eagles on Thursday Night Football, as he lit up MetLife Stadium both on the ground and through the air. He rushed for 130 yards on 13 carries that included this 50-yard touchdown run...

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE VIDEO

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. was fined by the team for his controversial comments he made this week, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed. It is unclear how much Beckham was docked for the incident. 

In an ESPN interview with Josina Anderson and Lil' Wayne, Beckham answered "I don't know" when asked if the Giants have a quarterback problem. He also made a mention that he felt the Giants have been "outschemed" on offense. 

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur said he addressed the situation with Beckham in house, and that Beckham apologized to his teammates during a team meeting.

WR Cody Latimer left the game for the Giants during the second half of their 34-13 loss to the Eagles with a hamstring injury.

Latimer led all Giants wide receivers with 52 yards on three catches for the night.

Big Blue's former backs are feeling the love for Saquon Barkley.

Brandon Jacobs, Tiki Barber and Ahmad Bradshaw all sang the praises of the Giants' rookie running back ahead of his Thursday Night Football debut against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Saquon could break every record that's held by any Giant running back that there is now," Jacobs told The Post's Steve Serby. "But the five [offensive linemen] in front of him gotta give him opportunity to be great."

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THE GAME

The Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) at the Giants (1-4) at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 8:20 p.m.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has thrown just six touchdown passes this season, which ranks 23rd in the league and is the third-fewest among all quarterbacks who have played five games. His 7.39 yards per attempt ranks 19th. And he has been sacked 16 times, tied for fourth-most in the NFL.

And even though the Giants are 1-4 this season and are 4-16 in Manning's last 20 starts dating back to 2017, the long-time franchise quarterback has been on the decline over the past several years, and the numbers prove it, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Since 2014, Manning's air yards per attempt has gone down from 8.16 to 7.02; his touchdown passes per attempt has gone down from 5.7 in 2015 to 3.2; and his quarterback rating has fallen from 61.0 to 52.5, and reached a low point of 45.7 in 2016.

LB Olivier Vernon was not listed on Wednesday's Giants injury report and is expected to make his season debut Thursday night against the Eagles.

Vernon, a key piece in the Big Blue defense, has been recovering from an ankle injury since the preseason. He was limited at practice on Wednesday along with K Aldrick Rosas. 

TE Evan Engram (knee) and WR Russell Shepard (neck) won't play for the Giants against the reigning Super Bowl champs.

Michael Strahan says he empathizes with Odell Beckham Jr., even if the Hall of Famer is, by his own admission, not "cool enough to hang with Lil Wayne." (NY Daily News)

The Giants legend shared his thoughts on the latest controversy surrounding Big Blue's star receiver during a conference call ahead of the team's game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Thursday.

Strahan, FOX's Thursday Night Football host, said he can identify with Beckham after the wide out needed to apologize to his teammates on Sunday following comments he made alongside rapper Lil Wayne in an ESPN interview.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - If the Giants played in any other division, their 1-4 record would've been enough to kill their season. But the NFC East is somehow keeping the Giants alive.

That's enough to give them some hope to cling to this week, as they prepare to face the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. Those Eagles are experiencing a Super Bowl hangover at 2-3. They're tied for second with the offensively-challenged Dallas Cowboys, right behind the Washington Redskins, who came off their bye on Monday night to lose in New Orleans, 43-19.

The referees in Carolina may not have listened to Giants players' grievances after Sunday's heartbreaking loss to the Panthers, but Pat Shurmur sure did.

And no matter how bad the calls on the field get, the head coach made it clear he doesn't want to hear any more complaining.

In his weekly interview published on the Giants' website, Shurmur offered his thoughts on gripes from players like S Landon Collins, who said postgame "we need better refs" after officials called him for a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty that eventually led to a touchdown.

With another Giants injury report coming out Tuesday following practice, TE Evan Engram remained under the limited participant section. But he was set to go full speed for the first time to see if he could be available Thursday night against the Eagles. 

Engram, who has been out for two games with a right MCL sprain, was looking forward to taking the field as he knew it could determine whether or not he can help his team win -- something they desperately need to stay in the NFC East hunt. 

"Today's just a big day for me practice wise," Engram said before practice. "Just going to go out there and see how I feel going full speed and getting full speed reps. Been taking it day-by-day and it's a possibility, but we'll see going forward."

Ereck Flowers became a member of a certain club as soon as the Giants made his release official on Tuesday.

Unfortunately for the 2015 first-round draft pick, there's nothing elite about this group of sorry former Giants. After Big Blue finally met its breaking point with the offensive lineman early in his fourth-straight struggling season, Flowers has undoubtedly become one of the biggest first-round draft busts in franchise history.

But where does he rank among other top Giants picks of the last 30 years who failed to live up to the hype?

A day after Eli Manning hinted that he wasn't much of a Lil Wayne fan, the rapper -- who sat alongside Odell Beckham Jr. as the wide receiver gave his controversial interview to ESPN -- fired back at the Giants QB.

"I don't care what you watch. You don't got to do me like that," Lil Wayne said on his Instragram story on Tuesday. "I f*cks with you Eli. It's all good. You ain't got to watch much of me, but you can listen if you could. You probably need to the way you've been playing." 

Click below for the full video (NSFW)