In his 15th season, a first for Eli Manning as Giants face Super Bowl champion Eagles
Eli Mannin of the Giants against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 17, 2017. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Eli Manning has done a lot of things in his career. One thing he’s never done is face a defending Super Bowl champion in a division game.
That will change when the Eagles visit MetLife Stadium on Thursday.
In February the Eagles became the last NFC East team to win a Super Bowl championship, making it the only division in the NFL with all four teams owning a Lombardi Trophy. They also became the first NFC East team to win a Super Bowl besides the Giants since the 1995 Cowboys.
Manning said having the reigning champs on the field won’t add anything to the game.
“It’s Giants-Eagles,” he said. “That’s enough said right there.”
Literally. As in Manning refused to call the upcoming opponent the Super Bowl Champion Eagles.
“I haven’t referred to them as that,” Manning said slyly. “It doesn’t say that on the gameplan or anything. Just ‘Eagles.’”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.