by By Ashley Fox; Inquirer Columnist , The Philadelphia Inquirer

Barefoot and in sweats, Manning delivers bland words in a monotone, about how the Giants need to regain their consistency and avoid penalties and not miss opportunities. Through the first five weeks of the season, when he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for more than 1,200 yards against what turned out to be some of the NFL's weakest teams, Manning was making a run at league MVP. But after two straight losses, to New Orleans and Arizona, he's back to being Captain Obvious - boring, unrevealing, uninspiring.

At 5-2, with injuries - like questions - mounting, the Giants are at a crossroads, and they know it. They cling to a half-game lead in the NFC East, with the Eagles and Cowboys right behind them. To regain their early-season form today against the Eagles , they need Manning to get back to being Manning.

It's a big game at Lincoln Financial Field, another in the nastiest of NFC East rivalries, and it will be incumbent on Manning to get the Giants out of their two-game lull to avoid an all-out crisis.

"I don't know that it gets any more exciting," New York coach Tom Coughlin said. "Our games with Philadelphia . . . have gone in extremes. There have been games with high scoring, and there have been games with low scoring. There have been games where a field goal at the end settled it, or a missed field goal at the end settled it. It has been extremely exciting, and I really don't see it any different."

For his part, Manning has never lost a regular-season start in Philadelphia. He's 4-0, thanks in part to Mike McMahon (the Eagles' starter late in 2005) but also to huge games from Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, and Brandon Jacobs.

This Giants team is still trying to find its identity. Manning was red hot at the beginning of the season, calmly leading the Giants on a last-minute scoring drive to come from behind and beat Dallas in the opening game at the new Cowboy Stadium. In the first five games combined, Manning threw 10 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.

But during the last two weeks, Manning has had problems with his accuracy. He has sailed routine throws to the sideline over his receivers' heads. He has been impatient in the pocket. He got a gift of a touchdown last week against Arizona when a too-high pass intended for Mario Manningham got tipped to Hakeem Nicks.

The results have been un-Manning-like: a 48.5 completion percentage, four interceptions, two touchdowns, and countless missed opportunities.

The Cardinals and Saints dared Manning to beat them, stacking eight men in the box to prevent Brandon Jacobs from running all over them. Against Arizona, the Giants faced third and 2 five times; twice they ran the ball, twice Manning dropped back to pass (he was sacked once and threw incomplete deep), and once he drew a delay-of-game penalty out of the shotgun.

"We haven't played real good Football the last two games," Manning said.

Coughlin talked in the abstract about the last two weeks, but substitute Manning for You , and Coughlin's words revealed where his focus was preparing for the Eagles : "They are a very aggressive defense, and you have to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that you have. You have to have great vision. You have to see the field. You have to know exactly what is going on and what your plan is, and what your thought is prior to the snap of the ball based on what the look is."

Translation: Manning must be sharp, or the Giants will be in a full-fledged crisis, and that won't look good at all.

Contact columnist Ashley Fox

at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.

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