Giants vs. 49ers: Why Eli Manning Needs to Be Perfect on Sunday

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been fantastic over the past month, leading his team to four straight wins and a berth in the NFC Championship Game. Against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Manning will have to be as good as ever if he wants to lift the G-Men to another NFC crown.

The 49ers finished the regular season with the NFL's best run defense, allowing just 77.3 yards per game. Jim Harbaugh's team was incredibly stout against the run and that trend continued in the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, as San Francisco held Drew Brees' offense to just 37 yards rushing on 14 attempts (2.6 yards per rush). 

The Giants ended the regular season with the league's worst rushing offense, averaging a paltry 89.2 yards per game on the ground. It is a safe bet that New York will not be able to do much on the ground against the 49ers on Sunday. That means Manning and his receivers will have to step up and not make mistakes if they want to reach the Super Bowl. 

During the Giants' current winning streak Manning has been outstanding. The 31-year-old Mississippi product has thrown for 1,178 yards with 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions in that span. When the younger Manning brother is on, he's as good as any quarterback in the NFL, and right now he is on. 

The problem for Manning over the course of his career has been his penchant for throwing interceptions. Heck, in the last three seasons alone he has completed 55 passes to the other team. That's a ridiculously high number. 

On Sunday against the 49ers, Manning's interception problem can't rear its ugly head if New York wants to come away with a victory. He needs to be accurate and throw for a ton of yards, since San Francisco will almost assuredly stop any rushing attack the Giants try to put together.

If Manning and his receivers produce on Sunday, the Giants have a great chance of pulling off another road upset.