Giants quarterback Eli Manning is said to be doing “fine,” after a botched play against the New York Jets Monday night required him to leave the preseason game early.
Manning, who left the game in the second quarter immediately after the hit, is reported to have received 12 stitches for a three-inch laceration on the forehead. Manning who said, “It’s really not an injury,” did not suffer a concussion from the hit.
The play called was for a run up the middle on a third-and-1 from the Jets 5 yard line, but before the snap Manning called for a change that apparently didn’t get through to the whole line.
Seeing that the Jets were applying heavy pressure Manning called for an audible. “Brandon (Jacobs) thought he was getting the ball,” said head coach Tom Coughlin, referencing the following chaos that ensued.
The ball was snapped, Manning dropped back and ran into Jacobs, shifting his helmet upwards. He was then hit blind side by Jets linebacker Calvin Pace, with so much force that his helmet popped off. The hit caused Manning’s head to smack into Jets safety Jim Leonhard. Manning got up and signaled to the side as blood gushed from his head.
Giants’ fans, who were already watching their team play without 13 big names, held their breath as they watched their quarterback hustle off the field. During a press conference after the game Coughlin said they would be sure to watch for swelling, so that Manning could get a helmet on and back into practice as soon as possible.
“The play was my fault. We had a run play with an option to throw a fade that I thought I might try, but Brandon was coming right up the middle. Sometimes you make a mistake and you get hit in the head. It’s preseason. You learn from it. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” said Manning in a released statement.
Backup Jim Sorgi, previously the backup for Payton Manning, entered the game and threw two touch downs to help the Giants beat the Jets, 31-16.
