Hey Guys -
Sorry to chime in on the conversation, and I know I haven't posted in a while but I couldn't help but throw my two cents here. Last year, during the preseason, I heard the same EXACT conversations, only this time people were comparing Roethlisberger and Manning and stating how much better HE is than Manning. While I will certainly give Rivers his due because he deserves it, I think Eli deserves equal due as well. Unlike Rothlis AND Rivers, Manning has been able to A) Stay virtually injury free and on the field for all 16 games, B) Pick up the offense from the get-go and putup big numbers when asked, and C) Has had to do it on a team that hasn't been able to keep quality coaches around or in the same place for very long. Let's face it, the Giants coaching is not at the envy of any in the NFL. Not only was Manning literally, thrown into the fire, but he has also had to do it in the toughest media market bar none, in front of a fan base that has grilled him, and alongside teammates (Shock & Plax) that seem to resent him.
Tiki was an all-world RB, but there is no question that Manning and the threats the Giants possess on Offense (Toomer, Shock, Plax, & YES Manning too) were behind a lot of Tiki's success. For all the numbers Tiki put up, Manning has been right there among the NFL leaders in just about every statistical category. Yes his INT's have been high, but that's the breaks when you run the type of vertical offense the Giants do. Any QB (see Jeff Garcia, Chad Pennington, and Ben Roethlisberger) can throw 5 and 7 yard outs, Manning throws A LOT down the field. I forgot where I saw it, but I recently read a statistic that only the Seahawks threw the ball more passed 20 yards than the Giants (I think it was on NFL Network).
Bottom line - I think Eli will only get better, but he hasn't really played that badly. Comparing the 3-headed QB monster of Manning-Rivers-Roethlisberger is difficult, but I've seen that a lot of the Roethlisberger backers have gone and been substituted with Pro-Rivers folks. It's been unfair to Eli. Why can't he just be seen as a bright young QB who has put up decent numbers and who only stands to get better?
Piz