Kevin Gilbride: Eli Manning 'loathe' to take sacks, will 'invite disaster'

Kevin Gilbride worked closer with Eli Manning than anyone during the first 10 years of Manning's NFL career, first as quarterbacks coach and then as offensive coordinator. He knows precisely what makes the New York Giants quarterback tick, and why he sometimes has implosions like he did Sunday in a five-interception performance against the San Francisco 49ers.

Manning, Gilbride told Michael Kay Wednesday on ESPN New York, hates to acknowledge that sometimes a play is just not going to work. It is something about which Gilbride said he and Manning had "many conversations" over the years.

"You've gotta recognize that you're about to get hit, there is no way in heck you're gonna complete the pass all you're gonna do is invite disaster if you push it down the field, and sometimes that's what happens," Gilbride said.

"If you give him good protection he's always gonna know where to throw the ball, he's an accurate passer, he's always well-prepared. You don't give him good protection he is not built to avoid the protection problems with his feet.

"He's gotta learn to throw it away or accept the sack, which he has a very difficult time doing."

Gilbride, who now works as an NFL analyst for NBC Sports, said the two interceptions Manning threw Sunday that were bothersome from a coaching aspect would be the third and fourth ones because"it's where he tries to exceed what I call the ceiling of a play.... It's obvious the play is not gonna be successful."

"In both occasions he'd been better served just taking a sack, which I know he's loathe to do, he hates to do it. You've gotta sometimes recognize the best I can get out of this play is a sack or a throwaway."

Gilbride: Beckham 'Just what the doctor ordered'

Gilbride acknowledged to Kay that during his time in New York the Giants never had a wide receiver with the talent shown by rookie Odell Beckham Jr.

"He is really, really impressive. He's just what the doctor ordered for them.

"I had heard from the coaches all along ‘wait til you see him, wait til you see him.' He's not like anybody we've had, he's the complete package. He's got great speed, he's got the ability to get in and out of breaks and besides that he's got a great catch radius. He's got unbelievable hands.'

"They were right on point. This guy is special. He will change things for them in the future, particularly now when they get Victor (Cruz) back. You'll be amazed."