Eli Manning will do whatever Ben McAdoo tells him, whether it be playing the entire game on Sunday against Washington and trying to beat the Redskins, playing just a few series to get warmed up and then coming out of the lineup, or skipping the game entirely.
It's all up to McAdoo, whose Giants are in the playoffs, but whose final regular season game has no bearing whatsoever on their playoff seeding.
The smart play for the first-year coach when it comes to what to do with his franchise quarterback: Use Manning as if this is a preseason game.
With the Giants having zero to gain by beating the Redskins, other than the satisfaction of a divisional win that gets them to 11-5, there is much more to be gained by having a rested-and-ready Manning for what they hope will be an extended playoff run.
The Giants are uncertain of which first-round opponent they'll face, but the one guarantee is that they don't get a bye week heading into the playoffs and they'll be on the road for as long as they remain alive. And while there is something to be said for momentum heading into the playoffs, there's an even greater reward if McAdoo can energize his soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback before the postseason begins.
Skeptics of that theory can point to Tom Coughlin's gutsy call heading into the final weekend of the 2007 season, when the Giants faced the unbeaten Patriots despite having clinched a playoff berth the week before. Coughlin had the choice of resting his key players in that game because they would begin the playoffs the following week, but he played to win and nearly pulled off a huge upset.
Manning was extremely sharp that game, throwing four touchdown passes and only one interception in what turned out to be a 38-35 loss. And the players spoke afterward of being invigorated by almost ending the Patriots' perfect season.
"I guess there's benefits either way you look at it," said Manning, who turns 36 next Tuesday. "Obviously in '07, we clinched the spot in the playoffs and couldn't make a difference in the last game whether we won or loss. But we went and played well offensively and got into a good rhythm, kind of took that confidence into the playoffs. I think we're going to be confident going into the playoffs, no matter what. The mindset is we've got a game to play, and I'm going to be ready to play."
Credit Coughlin with creating the right dynamic in 2007 by going for it all and setting the stage for a rematch against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants won that game in one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, as Manning drove for the winning touchdown in the final minutes _ complete with a spectacular completion to seldom-used wide receiver David Tyree, who pinned the ball to the side of his helmet _ in a 17-14 win.
McAdoo surely will take that example into consideration when figuring out his approach this week, but he should add into his calculus that Manning isn't a 26-year-old quarterback with no Super Bowl experience like he was in 2007. He's an aging quarterback who has started 209 straight games, including playoffs, dating back to his rookie season in 2004.
There have been some disconcerting moments this season for Manning, whose inconsistency has at least raised the possibility that his best days are behind him. He is coming off a 24-19 loss to the Eagles in which he had three interceptions. In his last four games, he has six touchdown passes and as many interceptions, while he had 20 touchdowns and 20 touchdowns and 10 picks in the first 11 games.
Manning's arm is still good enough and his football IQ is still high enough to function better than most NFL quarterbacks, but he absolutely has to raise his play to levels he showed in his previous two Super Bowl championship runs, when he had a combined 15 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.
McAdoo may consider the notion of playing Manning the whole way against the Redskins and try to use it as a springboard to the playoffs. But after watching quarterbacks Derek Carr of the Raiders and Marcus Mariota of the Titans each suffer a broken leg last week, the risk is simply higher than the reward.
And while you can't put Bubble Wrap around the players to ensure their safety, you can play it smart and realize the benefit of having Manning fresh for the games that really matter. The games that don't start until after next week's regular season finale.
"My take is to play," Manning said. "I think that's the mindset. Until I'm told differently, that's how I'm taking it."
McAdoo would be wise to tell him differently. Let Manning play a few series, or even the first half, but there's simply no use risking more than that.
