It all started back in August (2011) on a New York City radio show. Show host Michael Kay asked New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning if he considers himself an “elite” quarterback, in the class of say……3-time Superbowl champion and American Golden Boy, Tom Brady. Eli’s response?…
“I consider myself in that class. Tom Brady is a great quarterback, he’s a great player, and what you’ve seen with him is he’s gotten better every year. He started off winning championships and I think he’s a better quarterback now than what he was, in all honesty, when he was winning those championships. I think now he’s grown up and gotten better every year and that’s what I’m trying to do. I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best.”
America’s response?…
Eli’s comments were met with laughter, ridicule, and in some circles, even a little anger. No one believed him. But what was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to say, “no, I’m not in that class, I’ll never get any better than I was the last time you saw me, Tom Brady is my daddy”? Had he spoken with that sort of lack of confidence, the firestorm of criticism may have been even greater than what he received for exuding the utmost confidence in his talent, skill level, and abilities. What would Giants fans have thought had Eli cowered in the face of what should have been viewed as a challenge to him to become the very best he could be? I wonder if they even believed him. I’ve had discussions with Giants fans in the past few years who wouldn’t even say that Eli was the best quarterback in the NFC East, let alone one of the better signal callers in the league; a ridiculous notion if you ask me.
I believed Eli’s comments to Michael Kay, and had been a believer for quite some time prior to them. I had long before noticed his propensity to shine in clutch moments and I believed he was well on his way to climbing from underneath the huge shadow cast over him by his older brother. Only this was a belief difficult to defend due to the stat-lackey nature of most sports fans. Though Eli Manning tossed the pigskin around for 4002 yards and a career high 31 touchdowns in the Giants’ 10-6 2010 season, football fans chose to concentrate on the one glaring statistic that could legitimize their arguments against Eli’s ascension into the conversation of the elite…the 25 interceptions. Forget the 156 touchdown passes up to that point. Forget the 4000 yard seasons that have become a trend as he improved as a QB. Forget the 60-43 record as a starter. Forget the 13 4th quarter comebacks and the 16 game winning drives. Forget the Superbowl win after the 2007 season. Forget the Superbowl MVP he EARNED with his performance in that game vs the then 18-0 New England Patriots. Forget all of that stuff and just for a minute watch the game and make a judgment without a boxscore and preconceived notions. It would serve the world better if more of us would learn to administer the “eye test” from time to time rather than depend on Sportscenter highlights to form our sports opinions (That’ll be the day…). This was Eli Manning in a nutshell through the 2010 season.
Then came “the comments”. Eli had boldly stated his arrival to a nation full of cynics. And all he did after that was have his best season as a pro. In the all-important 2011 campaign, Manning completed 61% of his passes, for 4933 yards, to go along with 29 TDs, 16 INTs, a QB rating of 92.9, 7 more 4th quarter comebacks, and 8 more game winning drives; all while the Giants struggled to a 9-7 record and a division title in an unexpectedly weak NFC East. He also threw an NFL record 15- 4th quarter touchdowns; a record originally set by Johnny Unitas (14) and shared with Eli’s older brother, Peyton. In the postseason, he raised his game even more, completing 65% of his passes, for 1219 yards, to go along with 9 TDs, 1 INT, a QB rating of 103.3, 2 more 4th quarter comebacks and 2 more game winning drives. This run consisted of a home win vs Atlanta and 3 road wins vs the NFC #1 seeded, 15-1 defending champion Packers, the #2 seeded 49ers, and a Superbowl rematch with the AFC #1 seeded Patriots.
In my opinion, Superbowl XLVI was Eli’s finest hour. Not because he had his finest game or anything of that nature; but because after all of the intense scrutiny that commenced prior to the season because of his comments, he was in a position to “zip-up” all of his critics in a Superbowl rematch with arguably the greatest quarterback, coach, and dynasty of this or any era…and boy did he deliver! On the biggest stage in sports, Eli went 30/40, for 296 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, with a 103.8 QB rating. Though quite efficient, it wasn’t Eli’s statistics that were most impressive (which it usually isn’t). It was the calm and poise he once again demonstrated, but this time in the biggest moments of the biggest game of his life. Eli Manning’s most important season ever came down to the wire with another one of his signature 4th quarter comebacks and another one of his signature game winning drives. On that final drive, Eli went 5-6 for 76 yards, including a beautiful 38-yard sideline throw and catch from Manning to Manningham, capped off with a 6-yard Bradshaw rushing TD…”by mistake”. The evening culminated with Eli hoisting his second Lombardi trophy and his second Superbowl MVP at the expense of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots, and anyone who still refuses to give Eli Manning his “just due” for being the “elite” winner that he is.
Besides his proverbial trip to Disney World, Eli’s night came complete with a 2012 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible Centennial Edition (fit for an MVP) and these comments from his also often-embattled head coach, Tom Coughlin:
“That was quite a drive that he was able to put together. He deserves all the credit in the world, because he really has put his team on his shoulders all year.”
Anyone with eyes and an objective opinion can see that Tom Coughlin is right. The brightest spot of a struggling Giants team all season was the play of their quarterback. Unlike Kevin Durant, Eli Manning didn’t sport a backpack at his press conferences. But he damn sure hung a big blue one off his shoulder pads for 3 hours every Sunday this Fall. I understand as much as anyone that football is the ultimate TEAM game and that no one wins or loses by themselves. If not for the Giants front four stepping up to help late in the season, or their running game eventually showing up in the playoffs, or their entire team deciding down the stretch that they were “all in” for an historic run, Sunday night may not have happened. However, not many thought that Eli Manning had a chance in the world to remotely live up to his reply to that dreaded Michael Kay question on an innocent August day. Has he made you a b-ELI-ever yet? No matter how you slice it, you definitely can no longer spell “elite” without Eli.
Take off your backpack Eli. You can rest your shoulders now…and maybe; just maybe, the doubters can rest their mouths.
