Not that we needed more layers to the "New York Giants totally botch a game at the Dallas Cowboys" story, but running back Rashad Jennings provided some by revealing that Eli Manning told him to not score late in the game.
Instead of a simple story of clock mismanagement and Manning throwing the ball away on third down instead of taking a sack, which gave the Cowboys enough time to score a game-winning touchdown, all of a sudden the heat was pretty high on Manning. The New York Post turned his helmet into a dunce cap and included the headline "The $84 million dope."
No wonder Jennings was apologetic, in his weekly column for — wait for it — the New York Post.
"First of all, let me say that I want to apologize from my heart for the negative light that I unintentionally cast my quarterback and friend Eli Manning in. ... I admit in retrospect that I should not have shared that information with the world. I chose to do so, and for that choice, I am truly sorry," Jennings wrote. Jennings said he called Manning to apologize but Manning immediately expressed his understanding before Jennings could apologize. He said Manning just wanted to move on to this week's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Jennings also said he got to "experience the other side of how words can be misconstrued," which is strange. There wasn't anything ambiguous or twisted about his words. He said Manning told him to not score on first and second down. Manning confirmed that on Monday and said he was wrong to tell Jennings to do that. Seems pretty straightforward.
But NFL teams rarely discuss such matters in public, and it became a bigger story once Jennings did. The story will die down soon, although there's no way for the Giants to get that win back. At least Jennings didn't have to think too much about a column idea for this week.
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