Eli Manning was the sweetheart of New York for about a year. From the week 17 loss to the Patriots in which Manning played very well until about Week 15 this year (or perhaps a bit earlier when the Giants lost Plaxico), since that point, the media and fan base has been ripping Manning like no tomorrow.
The bottom line: The guy is not as good as his brother because he is far more inconsistent. He clearly was made to look better than he is when the Giants had an unstoppable running game and Plaxico Burress on the outside. Eli has a lot less room to throw the ball. That makes him more tentative and unsure of his throwing lanes -hence, he comes up short on some throws and occasionally throws the ball too late.
He is certainly not a poor QB. He has been relatively successful thus far in his regular season career and has that ring.
Note to Giants fans: Ripping the guy this week after suggesting that there should be a debate as to which Manning is better is a bit ridiculous. We all know which Manning is better - the question really is, is Eli Manning a better quarterback that Phillip Rivers? That is a more reasonable question.
Yaros
Welcome back
ReplyDeleteAll i can say if giant fans wish they had phillip rivers and want to rip eli manning is that eli manning has been the best qb drafted number one this decade? Whats the proof? The superbowl he won. He won the giants a superbowl and was the mvp there, I think 2 years ago if the scenario was painted for 2007 and 2008 giant fans would take it.
QBs are judged by winning and without a SB your carrer isnt complete
you're an idiot. QBs are judged by winning. this is true. having one lucky pass to a career scrub does NOT make you a great quarterback. I'm a giants fan, and i've been saying all year that the giants win and lose with the run and at the line of scrimmage. if you watched the game against the eagles, there were numerous situations where receivers were open and manning just missed them. we call that BAD quarterbacking. now i'm not gonna sit here and say he's bad. nor is he great. unfortunately, he's also not the type of mediocre that can be a caretaker (dilfer, brad johnson, etc.) for a team with a dominant defense and great rushing because he takes risks and makes stupid throws like he thinks he's brett favre. hopefully someone shows him a tape of this game and repeatedly smacks him in the head till he learns to be smarter with the football.
ReplyDelete(btw yaros, welcome back, hope the crazy week's been ok)
I don't think it's fair to compare Eli to Peyton because they're very different players. Peyton is better, I agree, but they go about their business very differently. Comparing the two will only lead to questioning what Eli can do to be more like Peyton, and the only answer is to change his game completely. Can he put up Peyton-like stats? For sure, but only by capitalizing on whatever skills he has, and not by emulating big brother. They are very, very different.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, Eli posted career bests this season in completion percentage, picks (that is, fewest picks), and passer rating. Other numbers like yards and touchdowns decreased, but chiefly because he put a career-low in pass attempts (excluding his first season, in which he started less than half the games). He did tie a career high in yards per attempt, and despite nearly 45 fewer attempts than his previous career-low, he threw for almost as many touchdowns, putting up the second-best touchdown percentage of his career.
These stats mean two things. One, Eli is improving, and while he may never be as good as Peyton, he will be fine in the future. Two, he is better with a good running game. This may seem obvious, but it's worth noting, and it's backed by the numbers. With fewer attempts, Eli put up better numbers. He needs the change of pace to succeed, and can't be the only weapon in an offense.
I'd like to make one more point: Eli can't throw in the wind, and that must be worked on. Doesn't matter if he's throwing into the wind or with the wind at his back. When it's windy, the ball floats and spins from his hand. His December home numbers back this up, and it was evident in the game against the Eagles. He needs to throw a tighter spiral, because it gets windy in New York at the end of the year, when it counts. Notice how last year's run was entirely on the road. Coincidence? I think not. That is one specific area where Eli can improve his game and become an excellent quarterback.
P.S. You should change your profile info: I don't think your fiance still has that same view about you, mainly because she's no longer your fiance. Mazel tov.