EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin said quarterback Eli Manning and the rest of the starters would play about 15-18 snaps in Thursday's preseason finale against the New England Patriots. It will be the fifth preseason game for Manning and most of the starters, who have spent this offseason trying to learn a new offense with so-far disappointing results.

"Sounds right," Manning said after Monday's practice. "I hadn't heard a number yet, so just preparing for them and for however much he wants to keep us in. But we expect to go out there and try to move the ball and see if we can do something. See if we can get into a good rhythm early in the game instead of having to wait until later."

The Giants' offense has struggled all preseason, and Manning hadn't thrown a touchdown pass until his final play of Friday night's preseason game against the New York Jets. That 15-yarder to Rueben Randle capped a successful two-minute-drill drive at the end of the first half of that game and left the Giants encouraged about their progress on offense.

"I think everybody knows what to do. It's just the pace it needs to be done, and everything done precisely," Manning said. "So every day we're trying to get better at that. We're making small steps. We're probably not all the way where we need to be, and I think there'll always be things we're going to improve on. It's not something you're going to master in four weeks. As the season goes on, we'll know what we do well, we'll progress, we'll put different things in."

The idea that the Giants will arrive at the regular season in two weeks without a full command of their new offense isn't shocking. It's even understandable. What's more alarming is the current state of the offensive personnel. Injuries on the already-questionable offensive line this week have resulted in new starters at both guard positions, and it's difficult for Manning to know for sure which five guys will be lining up in front of him two weeks from now in Detroit.

"Those might be the guys who are playing for us, so the more reps they can get together, the better it'll be," Manning said of the newly configured line, which has rookie Weston Richburg at left guard and John Jerry at right guard at the moment. "Making calls, guys communicating. We don't know who's going to be there that first game, so we've got to be ready and get a lot of guys ready to play. So it'll be good to work with this group. The more options we can have at offensive line to step into different roles, the better off we'll be."