The Sports Xchange

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Quarterback Eli Manning has seen a lot in his NFL career, including winless starts to the season.

That’s why Manning, a 12-year veteran, isn’t even close to giving up hope on the season, no matter how bad things might seem.

“You’ve just got to understand that games are going to come to the fourth quarter and you just have to believe you’re going to get it done,” he said regarding the Giants’ 2015 season so far.

“When things might be going great, there’s always going to be little lulls or a possession or two that don’t go your way, and you’ve got to be able to bounce back. You can’t let the demeanor or mood get down. So we’ve got to stay positive and keep pushing and fight through those times.”

Manning was asked if he thought the Giants lacked resiliency or tended to get down on itself when the unexpected happened.

“Well, I don’t think they’re getting down, we’ve just got to understand — I thought the game obviously didn’t start our way, we fought back through it.

“We started making plays and doing good things, so we’ve got to understand we’ve got to do our part, we’ve got to keep the energy up, we’ve got to move the ball, and help out our defense. Bring some excitement and some energy to the team.”

Manning himself said he draws his confidence from the fact that he has been in those situations before and has made the plays that maybe aren’t being made at present time.

“I think my confidence just comes from, ‘Hey, I’ve made plays. I’ve made comebacks. I know I can do it.’ I go out in practice, I make the throws. I feel good about where I am in the offense and how I’m throwing. I’ve got to keep just working.”

Still, he admits that with the Giants being a young team, that it can be challenging to keep guys from getting down.

“We’ve just got to make sure guys stay strong. I think we have a good group, and guys are going to keep fighting and keep working to get better,” he said.

“Hopefully we can come out today, it’s a different week, so we’ve got to prepare and stay focused and do everything we’ve got to do without much practice time.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s something we’ve got to be able to accomplish. Make sure everybody is on the same page so we go out there Thursday night and make sure we’re doing everything right to give us the best chance to win.”