Eli Manning passed for a career-best 510 yards Sunday in the New York Giants' 41-34 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Giants (1-0) needed every last one of them as they rallied from a 27-13 deficit.
"He hung in there. That's the best example I can tell you as he does. He made a couple of bad plays and yet didn't get discouraged," head coach Tom Coughlin said. "We got them together when we first came in at the half and talked about the character of our team would show up in the second half, how we needed to play, what we needed to do to get back in this thing. We were just down two scores but we just weren't playing very well. We just kept hanging in and believing."
Below are some numbers from Sunday's game.
Buccaneers vs. Giants 2012: Eli Manning Overcomes Shaky 1st Half, Throws 510 Yards in Wild 41-34 Win (via sbnation)
- Manning's 510 yards were the second-highest total by a quarterback in Giants history. Phil Simms threw for 513 yards at Cincinnati on Oct. 13, 1985. Y.A. Tittle's 505-yard game vs. Washington on Oct. 28, 1962 is the only other 500-yard passing game by a quarterback in Giants history.
- Manning’s previous career high was 420 yards vs. Seattle on Oct. 9, 2011.
- The 510-yard outing was Manning's 23rd career 300-yard game. The Giants are 12-11 in regular season games in which Manning throws for at least 300 yards.
- This was the 21st time Manning has rallied the Giants from a fourth-quarter deficit or tie to win a regular season game.
- The Giants gained 604 total yards vs. Tampa Bay. That is the second-highest total in franchise history. The franchise record of 609 yards was set on Dec. 3, 1950 in a 51-7 victory over the New York Yanks. It was the third 600-yard game in Giants history; they gained 602 yards in a 49-34 victory over Washington on Oct. 28, 1962.
- The Giants' 510 net passing yards were a franchise record. The previous record of 505 yards was set in that 1962 game vs. Washington. Those are the only two 500-yard passing games in Giants history.
- Victor Cruz caught 11 passes for 179 yards and Hakeem Nicks added 10 receptions for 199 yards. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Giants are the first team in NFL history with two players with at least 10 catches and at least 175 receiving yards in the same game.
- According to the NFL, Manning, Cruz and Nicks joined three Hall of Famers - quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and receivers Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsh and Tom Fears of the 1951 Los Angeles Rams - as the only teammates in history with 500 passing yards, plus two receivers with at least 150 yards, in the same game. The Rams' trio accomplished the feat on Sept. 28, 1951 vs. - ironically - the New York Yanks.
- Stats provided by the Giants' PR department.