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)

After clearing up his controversial comments with the rest of the Giants on Sunday, WR Odell Beckham Jr. took the opportunity at Tuesday's practice to praise his teammates for getting Big Blue closer to where it wants to be.

"I think we all understand each other," Beckham told reporters. "Like I said, there's nothing that is going to come in between my brothers, my teammates, this is something that is going to pull us closer. I felt very close as a team this Sunday, and that's the way that we have to play. That's the way we're going to fight. Nobody in here likes to lose, we're all tired of losing, we want to change that culture, atmosphere, whatever it is, because this is a place that has a lot of pride and we want to be able to be proud of what we display and do all those things."

Beckham made headlines on Sunday when, in an interview that aired on ESPN, he answered "I don't know" when asked if the Giants have a quarterback problem. Sitting alongside rapper Lil Wayne, Beckham also said he felt he's been "outschemed" on offense, adding he didn't feel he's been in a place where he can play to his full potential. That prompted a summoning to head coach Pat Shurmur's office and a subsequent apology to the team for what he said was a "wrong message."

The Giants have officially released tackle Ereck Flowers after failing to trade him, and have signed tackle Brian Mihalik to replace him on the roster. 

SNY's Ralph Vacchiano reported Monday that things between the Giants and Flowers had been building for a while, and that Flowers had already been told to leave the Giants facility.

Flowers, who the Giants selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, struggled badly earlier this season after having poor seasons in 2017 and 2016. 

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning insisted he hasn't watched Odell Beckham Jr.'s now infamous interview on ESPN, the one with rapper Lil' Wayne sitting by the receiver's side as he offered his quarterback a startling lack of support. And Manning insisted there's a good reason why he hasn't.

"I don't watch Lil' Wayne much," he said.

Giants tight end Evan Engram "has a shot" to play in Thursday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters on Monday.

Engram, the second-year tight end, has missed back-to-back games with a sprained right MCL. He and linebacker Olivier Vernon, who has yet to play in a game this season due to an ankle injury, were both limited in Monday's practice.

"We're still hopeful about Vernon," Shurmur said.

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Odell Beckham Jr. said he doesn't know if the Giants have a problem at quarterback, that it's "tough" to say whether he's happy in New York, that the Giants are being "out-schemed" and that his own personal greatness is being held back.

In other words, so much for the more mature Beckham the Giants were counting on when they signed him to that five-year, $95 million contract with $65 million guaranteed a mere six weeks ago.

The New York Giants, still searching for some consistency, came up short yet again after losing 33-31 to the Carolina Panthers. If the future of their season seemed bleak following last week's brutal 33-18 loss to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, this week's defeat may have cemented another lost season.

To their credit, the Giants did put up a fight and had a comeback victory within grasp. But sitting at 1-4 after Graham Gano's 63-yarder at the end of regulation, you have to wonder how much fight the team has left.

Let's take a look on where it all went wrong this Sunday afternoon…

The Giants were seemingly in position to get the ball back at a crucial point in the second half of Sunday's game against the Panthers, but a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty gave Carolina a fresh set of downs and led to a touchdown.

Landon Collins was trying to intercept a pass from Cam Newton when his helmet bumped Devin Funchess, leading to a flag for "contact on a defenseless player." 

Collins was blunt after the game...

The Giants came in to Carolina needing a win to prevent their season from falling into the abyss -- and to deflect attention away from Odell Beckham Jr.'s comments about Eli Manning.

Things started out well, with Beckham on fire receiving and returning punts as the Giants took a 3-0 lead. Then they got disastrous, with the defense getting gashed and Beckham botching a punt return that led to a Panthers touchdown and 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. 

Big Blue stabilized things late in the second quarter as Beckham launched a shocking 57-yard touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley, the defense firmed up, and Aldrick Rosas nailed a 53-yard field goal as they cut the deficit to 20-13 entering the half...

Giants WR Odell Beckham caught a pass from QB Eli Manning and fired it down the field to a wide open Saquon Barkley, who sprinted into the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Panthers.

See the replay below:

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur was "absolutely livid" after WR Odell Beckham made controversial comments in an interview with ESPN's Josina Anderson, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported on Sunday.

Shurmur summoned Beckham to his office and told him that it is up to him to "make it right" with his teammates. The Giants' star wide receiver apologized to the team for what he said was a "wrong message" and that it "won't happen again."

During Beckham's interview with Anderson, he said he "I don't know" if the Giants have a quarterback problem and that he feels he has been "outschemed."

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. was asked point blank by ESPN's Josina Anderson if there was an "issue" with Eli Manning at quarterback, and his answer was a bit shocking.

"Uh, I don't know," Beckham said during an interview that aired Sunday, adding that "we know Eli's not running (the ball)".

"Like I said, I feel like he's not going to get out the pocket," Beckham added. "We know Eli's not running it. But is it a matter of time issue? Can he still throw it, yeah, but it's been pretty safe and it's been, you know ... cool catching shallow [routes] and trying to take it to the house. But I'm. ... I want to go over the top of somebody."

Beckham, who has been vocal about the need for the team needing to throw the ball downfield more, said he hasn't "been in the place" where he's been able to do what he's capable of doing...

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THE GAME

The Giants (1-3) at the Carolina Panthers (2-1) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER

It will be warm and muggy with temperatures in the mid-80s, and they better play fast because there's a chance for late-day thunderstorms.

WHAT IT MEANS

The game surely means a lot to Giants GM Dave Gettleman, who built this Panthers team, for the most part, before he was fired. He's still in the early stages of building the Giants, but this is a critical game. Remember, this was supposed to be a win-now team, but they are stuck in a terrible offensive rut and are in great danger of this season slipping away. They're still in the stage of the season where one win can change the mood, because 2-3 will make them feel a heck of a lot better than 1-4. But at 1-4, especially if the offense stinks again, it's going to be hard to make the players believe they have any hope over the last 11 games.

The Giants will be without LB Olivier Vernon and TE Evan Engram yet again on Sunday, but CB Eli Apple will return after he missed a pair of games.

Engram will miss a second straight game after spraining his right MCL in the Giants' Week 3 win over the Texans. Vernon, who has been hobbled by an ankle injury, has yet to play in a regular season game this season.

Apple returned as a full participant at practice this week.

There was a time when Giants second-round pick G Will Hernandez had football as his last priority.

Hernandez' family ran into financial troubles while he was in high school, and he told The Post's Steve Serby in a wide-ranging interview that his first thought was to drop his extracurricular activity, and get a job instead. 

"My family was going through some really, really hard times financially, and so my instinct right away was to get a job and help out," Hernandez said...

The Giants are adding a piece to their defensive front, just not in the form of Olivier Vernon. 

The team announced on Saturday that DT Josh Mauro has been activated while WR Stacy Coley (hamstring) was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Giants rookie G Will Hernandez was named the Pro Football Focus Offensive Rookie of the Month after a great first month. 

Hernandez was the highest-ranked rookie offensive lineman in the NFL, that includes 49ers Mike McGlinchey, Vikings Brian O'Neill, and Cowboys Connor Williams. 

Giants GM Dave Gettleman said the team gave Hernandez a first-round grade, and it looks to be paying dividends. This week, his matchup will be DT Kawaan Short, who also happens to be a draft product of Gettleman during his in Carolina. 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Odell Beckham Jr. is going to take a lot of heat for questioning his teammates' "heart" and "passion" and you can be sure there are people in the Giants organization who wish he hadn't done it.

But here's the thing: He's hardly the first player to try to light a fire under a dead team by using those loaded words.

Also, Beckham is right.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Odell Beckham Jr. questioned the "heart" and the "energy" of his Giants teammates and took a swipe at their low-risk passing attack in yet another sign that his frustrations are on the verge of bubbling over.

The Giants star receiver, in an interview with ESPN that is scheduled to run on Sunday morning, made it clear that his teammates' lack of "heart," "energy" and "passion" is the biggest problem the Giants have faced during their 1-3 start. Sitting down with reporter Josina Anderson -- alongside rapper Lil' Wayne -- Beckham also put the blame on the Giants' offensive strategy, though it wasn't clear whether it was quarterback Eli Manning or coach Pat Shurmur's game plan that he was singling out.

"How come we can't throw the ball for more than 20 yards?" Beckham asked. "How come we don't attempt or try to throw the ball for more than 20 yards? Those are questions that we have to figure out. But for now I would say it's our heart, it's our energy, it's what we bring when we line up before the game. All of that, it counts."

Giants DE Olivier Vernon may have been listed as limited at practice on Thursday, but there is a chance he could see his first game action on Sunday against the Panthers. And he couldn't be more excited to get back out there. 

"I'm just excited for when I finally can get on the field and be able to contribute," Vernon said. "That's what I look forward to and everything else we just got to take it day-by-day."

Vernon has been stuck on the Giants' sideline for the first four weeks, as he continued to nurse his high ankle sprain. But he didn't aimlessly watch the games.

Giants fans and fantasy owners are getting concerned that WR Odell Beckham Jr. hasn't been able to unleash his best touchdown celebration this season, having not caught a touchdown pass. 

But that worrisome attitude isn't affecting the star receiver. 

"You seem more concerned about the end zone than me," he told reporters following practice on Thursday. 

WR Sterling Shepard (back), LB Connor Barwin (knee), and CB Eli Apple (groin) were all full participants for the Giants at practice on Thursday, and all look like they'll be ready when Big Blue faces the Panthers on Sunday.

Shepard had a cyst on his back removed and has missed practice on Wednesday, and Apple has missed the last two games.

DT Damon Harrison (knee) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out on Wednesday, while Olivier Vernon (ankle) was limited for the second straight day.

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is pro-Eli Manning. 

With the Giants offense struggling, the debate has been split between the offensive line and Manning in most cases. Some say Manning doesn't have time to work with a leaky line, while others claim Manning's skills are diminishing. 

Favre believes Manning is a pocket passer that needs to be given more time than his line has this season.

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - No matter what you think of the Giants right now -- whether you think Eli Manning is done, whether Odell Beckham Jr. looks slower, whether you believe the offensive line is salvageable, or if you think they made a wrong decision when they chose their new coach -- this is their reality. Reinforcements are not coming. They are what they are.

So what can Pat Shurmur do about it? Can he find any way to spark his offense, salvage the season, and knock the Giants off what sometimes seems like an irreversible course towards another disastrous season? They are 1-3 as they prepare to face the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, so there's some urgency to this question.

Is there any way he can to fix this mess?

Giants coach Pat Shurmur was quick to admit this week that he should have called more running plays for Saquon Barkley during Sunday's loss to the Saints.

With Big Blue heading to Carolina, the rookie running back said he's more than happy to take on a heavier workload.

"Whatever. Simple as that," Barkley told reporters on Wednesday. "Whatever the team needs me to do, however many touches they need me to do, however many carries they need me to do, however many plays they need me to do, I'm willing to do it. It wouldn't bother me, my mind wouldn't be different, my body wouldn't be different. At the end of the day you still have to come in here and take care of your body, I'm still going to do that no matter if I touch the ball twice or touch the ball 25 times."