Giants vs Panthers: Breaking Down What Went Right for Eli Manning in Victory

Eli Manning was amazingly efficient in his seven-on-seven, I mean, game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, completing 27-of-35 passes for 288 yards with one touchdown en route to an impressive 36-7 road win and a 110.2 QB rating.

And he did it without Hakeem Nicks or Domenik Hixon.

Yes, Ramses Barden and Andre Brown stole the show for the G-Men.

This NFL, it's so easy to predict.  

Counting the unbelievable 243-yard final stanza against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Manning has thrown for 531 yards in his last five quarters with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Crazy stuff. 

Anyway, let's take a closer look at how Manning was able to easily shred Carolina's secondary on Thursday night. 

Not surprisingly, the Giants' offensive line was integral in Eli's effective evening. 

The first offensive play of the game foreshadowed what we'd see a lot of throughout. 

Take a look at the huge pocket created for Manning by his offensive front. 

The play appeared to be a simple comeback route for Victor Cruz, and with the Panthers defense scared of the deep ball, his was about as easy of a completion as you'll see in the NFL. 

But hey, first play. The Panthers will adjust, right? 

Wrong. 

Carolina was so mortified by New York's propensity to throw it deep, it made the short-to-intermediate tosses a cinch for Manning and his wideouts. 

Take this second-quarter completion to Ramses Barden as an example. 

Because the Giants were in a traditional run formation and Andre Brown was having success on the ground to start the game, the Panthers have a single high safety to protect the deep pass. 

Upon the snap, Barden does a good job beating press coverage and gaining inside position. 

I'll let Mike Mayock's in-game work with the telestrator explain what happened next. With the entire middle of the field wide open, it's not hard to realize that's where Barden ran his route. 

The result? 

A 21-yard reception for the 6'6'' wideout. Note the impeccably clean pocket for Manning, too. 

Yeah, that easy. 

Later in the game, tight end Martellus Bennett picked up a first down on the simplest completion of the evening. Yes, easier than the first play of the game. 

After coming into motion, Bennett ran a simple drag across the middle, but because Carolina was playing so soft, he was left unattended. 

Manning, with a sturdy pocket, tossed a pass to a wide-open Bennett, who picked up extra yardage. 

So, it was blatantly clear. The Giants' offensive line dominated and New York took advantage of Carolina's soft zone coverages all evening. 

Eli and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, they're onto something.