BY RALPH VACCHIANO
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tom Coughlin left no doubt yesterday that the game-ending interception by Eagles defensive end Trent Cole was the fault of Eli Manning.
Coughlin blamed Manning for not seeing blitzing cornerback Sheldon Brown on the first-down play from the Giants' 20. Brown came from Manning's right and should have been in the quarterback's field of vision. But instead of dumping the ball off to his "hot" receiver, Manning held it long enough for Brown to hit him as he threw it, allowing it to float into Cole's hands.
Cole ended up returning the interception 19 yards for a touchdown that sealed the Eagles' 36-22 win.
"He should have seen it," Coughlin said. "He's in the (shot)gun. He has a good chance to see it. I think his attention is drawn off to the left. He doesn't see it.
"It happens. But you'd like to think (he'd) hit the hot (receiver) and maybe make five or six yards and have it be second down instead of a turnover."
Manning, who was apparently trying to throw deep to Plaxico Burress near the left sideline, said he saw Brown but didn't make the right adjustment.
"I saw the blitz coming but I thought I could hold long enough to get the ball to Plaxico," he said. "Obviously I made the mistake. I should have just thrown it to (tight end Jeremy) Shockey and got five yards."
"I would've really looked forward to that last drive," Coughlin said. "It became a real simple interception for them."
