Eli Manning’s low-risk game plan is driving Giants nowhere fast

Eli Manning against the Saints on Sunday.There is a sarcastic side Eli Manning does not let out, but you could sense it bubbling near the surface the other day. The Giants do not score enough, and they need to send out a search party to locate the whereabouts of the big plays their offense is supposed to be predicated upon. These failings burden many shoulders, none more heavily than those of Manning.

So, the quarterback is in the center of the storm, again.

Is it worth taking a shot down the field, even if the defense is sitting back and waiting for the deep ball?

“That usually leads to bad plays,’’ Manning said.

But … given the losing, isn’t it worth the risk?

“Risks are not what you want to…