Giants’ Eli Manning doesn’t take success for granted

“It won’t happen again,” Bennett said.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, a former quarterback, said Manning is a major reason why the Giants have had success.

“He’s an outstanding pocket passer; he can move around and make plays on the move,” Garrett said. “He’s a very smart player. He can make any throw that you need to make on the football field. He clearly makes his teammates better, makes his team better.”

While not the buffest of players, Manning is as tough as they come. He has started the last 130 games for the Giants, a run that dates to his rookie season in 2004. He has led New York to five playoff berths and three division titles in his seven full seasons as a starter.

“We know we have to improve,” Manning said. “We were 9-7 last year in the regular season and that’s not good enough. We’re a better team than that, and we obviously showed that throughout the playoffs. We’ve got to have that urgency and consistency throughout the whole season, play our best football through 16 regular-season games.”

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