Tom Coughlin took Eli Manning off the hook Tuesday.
A day after an emotional Manning declared the Giants had “failed” their now-former coach, Coughlin absolved his quarterback for the recent struggles that greased Coughlin’s exit after 12 seasons.
“He thinks he’s the reason, [but] he’s not the reason,” Coughlin said of Manning during his going-away press conference at the Giants’ Meadowlands headquarters.
Coughlin then motioned to a teary-eyed Manning, who was seated in the first row of the auditorium along with several teammates and members of Coughlin’s family.
“Eli, it’s not you, it’s not you — it’s us,” Coughlin said.