In a Monday night victory over the San Francisco 49ers, old became new again as New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning turned back the clock for a vintage showing that concluded with a late fourth quarter touchdown pass to secure the team’s second win of the season.

The three-touchdown performance was far from perfect with Manning missing on a few throws and failing to see a wide open Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone during the first half, but in the end, he got the job done and his young teammates got to witness his true magic for the first time.

“After we scored, I came back to the sideline and said to him, ‘Man, you’ve been this since I was like 12!'” running back Saquon Barkley said via NJ Advance Media. “That’s Eli. When he’s in one of those moments, he’s a heck of a player.”

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard took things a step further, saying he’s embracing the chance to play with “greatness” while also expressing his frustration with the constant verbal assault against his quarterback.

“It frustrates me when people go at him,” Shepard said. “You see that all throughout the media. You wouldn’t want a better guy with the ball in his hands than Eli. You saw what he did on that last drive. When we need him, he is going to come through for us.

“I’m happy to be with him. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m embracing the time to play with greatness. I’m taking in every moment.”

Fellow wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who had previously been critical of Manning, praised him after the game, calling him “phenomenal.” Meanwhile, safety Landon Collins said the team values the knowledge that Eli will never quit.

“We live by Eli,” Collins said. “He is our quarterback. We value the fact that we know he has it in him. It’s in there. He showcased it today. He showcased it in Houston.”

Tight end Evan Engram was even more candid, shrugging off Manning’s late-game heroics as just another day at the office for the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

“Eli has been doing this forever,” Engram said. “He was on the same beat back there. Everybody else was anxious, ready, hopping around.”

Center Spencer Pulley also had no doubt.

“You look at Eli, and he’s ready to go. You can just tell that he wants it. Just looking in his eyes, it’s nothing new to him. When we were out there, I just knew we were going. If we protect for him, we’re going to go score,” Pulley said.

Head coach Pat Shurmur shared similar sentiments, saying Manning has long had a knack for coming up big in the final two minutes of a game dating back to college.

“That’s one of the things that he does extremely well,” Shurmur said. “I thought that was terrific. He hung in there and made some really good throws and got us in the end zone.

“Back when he was at Ole Miss, the guys who drafted him and brought him here said he was good at doing that. Some quarterbacks have a knack for that phase of the game. He showed tonight he can still do it.”

Will Monday represent a last stand for Manning or the first step in a revitalization of his career and the Giants’ season? At least for now, it appears as if the team will continue riding with him as their starting quarterback.