Eli's marching orders: Step up as consistent QB, leader

That means he improves his play, minimizing the mistakes that plagued him the second half of last season, and maximizing his influence off the field. If things go sour, Manning's teammates need to know they can trust him to turn it around.

They do in Indianapolis with brother Peyton. So follow his lead, Eli. Start playing as you did the second half of last year's first game in Philadelphia.

I know that's more difficult than it sounds. Consistent play has been a concern with Manning, and maybe new quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer can correct it. Palmer, a trusted Coughlin lieutenant in Jacksonville, has been concentrating on Manning's footwork to refine his accuracy, and that's a start.

But the rest is up to Manning, and he knows it.

"When you lose a veteran guy," he said, talking of Barber, "the quarterback always is going to be a leader. But when you lose a running back who's a great player for us ... yeah, it's my job to pick up that slack and pick up that role and become someone to make a play or get that energy back or provide that spark to get the guys going."

There have been times when Eli has done just that. The fourth-quarter comeback against Denver two years ago comes to mind. It was Manning's last-second touchdown pass that won the game, with Barber providing the critical block.

The second-half comeback in Philadelphia in 2006 is another example. Each time those games were cited as "defining moments" in Manning's career, yet each time they were followed by too many mediocre performances.

Injuries had something to do with the Giants' collapse last season. In fact, not enough attention was paid to the loss of Amani Toomer, the club's most reliable receiver. But injuries are part of the game, and Manning and the Giants will suffer more of them. They should be prepared, which means Manning better start sharpening his accuracy and his locker-room speeches.

"I don't think you have to become someone you're not," said the soft-spoken Manning. "I don't think you change your whole personality and all of a sudden become a screamer or a yeller. A leader is someone who can motivate his team when things are going bad -- someone who can change the momentum and the energy of a team, and that can happen by making plays or giving them a start; someone who can either lighten the mood or get serious just to get the team out of a funk and put everyone on the same page.

"A lot of it is the team having faith in you. You have to prove that, and you have to earn that. You don't just say, 'Hey, I'm going to be a leader today.' You have to earn that position, and you have to earn that spot. And they have to have total faith and trust in you."

That's where Palmer, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and Manning will come in. If Eli is to step into the void Barber's retirement created, he must first improve his roller-coaster play. Palmer can address Eli's passing technique, and Gilbride can produce better game plans. But in the end, all of this comes down to Manning.

How he responds to his coaches and how his teammates respond to him could determine what happens to this year's Giants.

"You earn the guys' respect and trust with hard work and by going out there every day in practice, working hard, not messing up and setting the tempo for the season," Manning said.

Manning works hard, and he's there every day in practice. Now he must set the tempo for the season and not mess up. Coughlin calls it "taking the next step." Me? I call it becoming the quarterback -- and the team leader -- he's supposed to be.