Eli's Heel

Eli Manning said his right heel feels a lot better than it did last week, and now it's just a matter of managing practice so he doesn't overdo it.

"It feels good," he said. "I was able to move around."

Manning took about half the practice snaps today, and said he was able to cherry-pick some of the snaps depending on their level of importance.

"I talked a lot to (quarterbacks coach) Chris Palmer as to what I want to do and how much I want to push it," Manning said. "It's really my call. We have a script, and I tell coach Palmer what I want to get and what I need to do.

"If there's a new play I feel like I need to run, I'll go in. If it's something we've done before and I don't really feel like it'll benefit me, I'll let David Carr have it. I'm just trying to be smart about managing practice, try not to push too much."

As the heel becomes less of a question for Manning, his mental state as he approaches his first-ever appearance in his hometown looms as a bigger issue. He has never played in the Superdome before, either as a high school, college, or pro player. But here's a piece of video that indicates an even-keeled approach.

EP