The Giants host Oakland in week 5.

East Rutherford, NJ – Eli Manning has made an art out of eluding defenders in the pocket, dodging injury in the process, but one of his missteps may keep him from the field this week.

The Giants quarterback injured himself in last Sunday’s 27-16 win at Kansas City and has been held out of two straight practices heading into the team’s week 5 home matchup with Oakland. Since taking over the starting job in 2004, the former Super Bowl MVP has made 82 consecutive starts – the third-longest streak among active QBs.

With Manning nursing plantar fasciitis, that streak is in jeopardy. Undefeated Big Blue (4-0) may turn to backup David Carr Sunday against the lowly Raiders (1-3).

Backup quarterback David Carr may be under center Sunday for the Giants with Eli Manning nursing an injury.

“I’ve been preparing as if I’m going to start,” said Carr, who took some snaps against the Chiefs. “I told myself last week that I’d be starting.”

Manning did try and attempt to work out Friday morning in the final practice before Sunday’s game. He is still receiving treatment on his plantar fascia, a band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and inserts into the heel.

"If I feel like I can go out and play at a high level and help the team and do everything I can do, and they don't have to limit the game plan or say you can't do this or that, I'll go out there and play," Manning told reporters. "I'm not going to do anything that will put myself in harm for making this worse down the road."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, Carr has 79 career starts, but none since 2006 with Carolina. The Giants remain confident that Carr can get the job done if called upon. “We have a very good backup quarterback,” Giants center Shaun O’Hara told LatinoSports.com during Thursday’s practice, speaking of Carr. “We feel he can do the job.”

The Giants have really caught the injury bug of late, but don’t appear too concerned with their top-ranked defense hosting the hapless Raiders and their league-worst offense. They are allowing a league-low 232.2 yards per game. Meanwhile, Oakland has scored a total of nine points in losing its last two games. Raiders signal caller JaMarcus Russell has one touchdown, four interceptions and a league-low 43 completions among quarterbacks who have started four games. To top it off, Oakland hasn't scored a touchdown in its last eight quarter and will also be without leading rusher Darren McFadden. McFadden will be sidelined two to four weeks after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his knee.

Giants pro bowl defensive end Justin Tuck severely injured his shoulder in week 2 against Dallas, but has played through pain since. He headlines a group of Giants nursing injuries, but said he would be ready for the Raiders, refusing to count them out just because of their struggles.

"We know, we look at it like everyone's in the NFL for a reason. Even though a guy wasn't starting, he might not have played as much as the next guy, there's something about guys when they have something to prove, they have an opportunity that they might not have had beforehand."

While the Giants aren’t certain about Manning’s status, they will be without starting linebacker Michael Boley. Despite several injuries to key players, New York continues to roll on. The Giants haven't had both regular first-string cornerbacks on the field this season and nickel corner Kevin Dockery just returned from a hamstring injury. Safety Kenny Phillips is lost for the season after two games, having to undergo microfracture surgery on his knee.  

The Giants are coming off a five-sack performance in their third straight road game. Defensive ends Tuck and Osi Umenyiora have combined for 4 1/2 sacks this season.

Offensively, presuming Carr gets the start, he will have plenty of options. Giants wide receiver Steve Smith leads the league with 34 receptions and 411 receiving yards. If not by air, the Giants QB could also turn to the ground attack, which is starting to pay dividends. Brandon Jacobs is coming off back-to-back 92-yard performances.

This is the first meeting between these teams since Tiki Barber rushed for 203 yards in New York's 30-21 victory at Oakland on Dec. 31, 2005.

If the Giants win Sunday, it will be the first time they have opened the season 5-0 since 1990 when they reeled off 10 straight wins. That season, they won the franchise’s second of three Super Bowls.