August 29, 2004 in Sports

Coughlin won’t reveal Giants’ starter

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Eli Manning and Kurt Warner probably are going to have to wait until after the final preseason game to find out who will start at quarterback for the New York Giants.

While Warner had the better game against the New York Jets on Friday, coach Tom Coughlin continued being coy when it came to selecting a starter for the season opener at Philadelphia on Sept. 12.

“I am on course with what the decision will be, (but) I am not going to announce it,” Coughlin said in a conference call on Saturday.

Coughlin even refused to say who will start the preseason finale against Baltimore on Thursday at Giants Stadium.

When pressed, Coughlin didn’t budge.

“I am still going to stick with the schedule I set from the very beginning and I will announce the starter as soon as I have made that decision.”

Warner was 9 of 11 for 104 yards in making the start against the Jets (2-1). He led the Giants (1-2) on their only touchdown drive in the 17-7 loss and had another scoring chance spoiled when receiver Tim Carter fumbled inside the 10-yard line.

Manning, who played predominantly with the first-team offense, was 4 of 14 for 20 yards and two interceptions. The No. 1 pick in the NFL draft also lost a fumble that was returned for a Jets touchdown.

Coughlin was interested in seeing how the experience affected Manning. Until Friday night, he looked ready to start ahead of the two-time NFL MVP.

“That is the first time he has experienced one of those nights, and he has to put the blinders on and he has to get back to work and try to understand what happened,” Coughlin said.

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