MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. -- Eli Manning has gotten to see his brother Peyton enjoy the spoils of victory these past few days, making his trip to the White House with the Super Bowl 50-winning Denver Broncos and receiving his second championship ring.

Eli has two rings of his own. But watching Peyton enjoy the ultimate victory the NFL provides one more time has stoked Eli's desire to bring a third title to the Giants even more.

"I think any time you see someone close win a championship, and all the things that go into it, and watching him at the Super Bowl ... it definitely makes me want to kind of get back in those situations," Manning said Monday at the 39th Guiding Eyes for the Blind Golf Classic. "Making the playoffs, opportunities to win championships, those are exciting times. And that's what we're working for."

The Giants have not been in those situations for a while. They have missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons after a Super Bowl XLVI win in 2011, and finished with a losing record in the last three years. As a result, Tom Coughlin was nudged out as head coach, Ben McAdoo was promoted to the top job, and general manager Jerry Reese spent over $200 million in free agency to upgrade a roster lacking high-level talent and depth in many key areas.

Manning has been pleased with the Giants' offseason program so far, which wraps up this week with a mandatory three-day minicamp running Tuesday through Thursday. He'd like to think the Giants have what it takes to get back to the postseason, but he admits he can never forecast injuries and how the team will fair in close games - two major factors that impact every team's fate, and two areas where the Giants were burned frequently in 2015.

"I think you're always optimistic, and feel good about where we are and what we're doing, and feel that we can be a good team," Manning said. "But you never know how things are going to shape out."

The clock is ticking on Eli, too, although it is not obvious on first glance. Ask Manning how he feels physically, and he will tell you all is excellent. His arm is still lively, and he's in great shape. "I'm not slowing down," Manning says, "and I've probably gotten smarter and better at understanding what I need to do to last the season and stay healthy."

But Father Time is undefeated. Peyton learned that the hard way this past season before he retired at age 39, just a few days shy of his 40th birthday. Eli is 35, and he has four years left on his contract.

It's not hard to see the potential correlation there. Peyton's playing career is over now; he will now transition into being the Giants' newest fan, and whatever else may be next. But Eli has a few seasons left, and he hopes at least one of them will allow him to experience the rewards of glory his brother just enjoyed one last time.

TALK IS CHEAP, Ep. 55: Giants OTAs, Snapchat and hair gel

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James Kratch can be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find and like NJ.com Giants on Facebook.