EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants' offense is no longer stuck in a rut. It's comfortably situated in a gaping crater after 12 games of sputtering along through this NFL season. They've been consistent at being inconsistent, their quarterback included.

The troubles are so deep that there are only five teams averaging fewer yards per game this season than the Giants. Those teams' quarterbacks are Brock Osweiler, Colin Kaepernick, whoever the Browns are throwing out there this week, Sam Bradford and Jared Goff.

The Giants have Eli Manning, a 13-year veteran with two Super Bowl MVPs. They're not supposed to be among that group with a quarterback of his pedigree.

But they are. And there are a multitude of reasons for the struggles. Manning, who still thinks he can "get hot," wasn't helped by several key drops and constant pressure Sunday night. It's hardly anything new. The Giants' offensive line, running backs, tight end blocking and quarterback play have been subpar as a whole this season.

It is that last one that boggles the mind. Manning is supposed to be among the team's strengths. He's supposed to disguise and camouflage some of the their weaknesses.

The Giants (9-4) need Manning to be good-to-great in order for their offense to run efficiently. It's why they pay him significantly more than any other player on the roster. More often than not this season, he hasn't been, including Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

Put simply: The Giants need Manning to make plays, not simply run the offense, even if it means he has to take a few more hits in the process.

Without confidence in the offensive line to pass protect, Manning averaged 2.25 seconds from snap to pass against the Cowboys, according to Pro Football Focus. That is even less than the 2.36 seconds (eighth in the NFL) that he averages this season.

"I don't know what's average or if that's a lot or little," Manning said when asked about the 2.25 seconds. "Just have my reads and try and get out on time."

It might be time to look into it considering their lack of success this season. At some point, quick may be too quick, especially if the end result equals fewer than 200 yards passing for the third straight week. At some point, playing within the offense when everything is breaking down may be overdoing it a tad.

This is the first third down the Giants faced in Sunday night's contest, when Manning threw for fewer than 200 yards for the third straight game. It is third-and-13 and the Cowboys only rush three men. Manning takes the easy, quick checkdown to Shane Vereen in the middle of the field rather than stepping up in the pocket and trying to make a throw for a first down.

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Vereen's chances of getting a first down on this play are slim. The Giants punt.

Manning's very next pass attempt on the following drive he again gets rid of the ball lightning quick. This is second-and-8. Pressure is coming up the middle but is being pushed to his left. Manning insta-checks to running back Paul Perkins in the flat.

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That's tight end Will Tye open in the middle, wide receiver Sterling Shepard open at the numbers and wide receiver Victor Cruz with a step on the defender down the right sideline. For the second time in three pass attempts to this point, Manning opted for the checkdown, which might be OK if he wasn't turning the ball over as well. He had three turnovers (could've been six) against the Cowboys.

This willingness to take the easy out happened throughout Sunday night's game. It has happened with regularity this season. The Giants have been steadfast about Manning staying within the offense, and it could possibly be backfiring.

This is the opening drive of the third quarter. It's much of the same.

Again it's third-and-long. It's just two plays after Manning almost threw a back-breaking interception to start the half. Fortunately for the Giants, Cowboys safety Barry Church dropped it.

Manning does navigate the pocket successfully this time. He has some options that would've had a chance to get the first down. Again, he went with the checkdown.

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This and some sloppy ballhandling didn't doom the Giants on Sunday night. Their defense was so good they were able to escape with an eye-opening victory. But if it continues, it may come back to haunt the Giants down the stretch or in the postseason. It's hard to beat quality teams averaging fewer than 20 points per game.

The Giants need their quarterback to have a more aggressive mindset and, put simply, play better than he has for a large chunk of this season.