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Eli, In Eyes Of His Peers, Won't Ever Measure Up To Peyton, And That's Only Knock

Mr. P

By Mr. P
in New York Giants

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Mr. P

Mr. P

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eli.jpg

 

In 2006, it made sense. Eli Manning was so much more hype than substance back then. For all his promise, potential and the high praise of the men who drafted him, he was nothing but an erratic, struggling quarterback who hadn't found his way.

 

To call him overrated four years ago would have been an understatement.

 

Four years later, Manning has won a Super Bowl MVP and pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history to do it. He's been to a Pro Bowl, had a 4,000-yard season, five straight seasons of 20 or more touchdowns and two straight seasons with a completion percentage in the 60s. Today he's in the midst of another outstanding season and the Giants (4-2) are sitting atop the NFC.

 

And somehow Eli Manning is supposed to be one of the most overrated players in the NFL again?

 

Not that it matters to him - or should matter to anyone - but Manning is apparently the fifth-most overrated player in the NFL, according to a poll of his peers in the Sports Illustrated that hits the newsstands Wednesday. He got 4% of the vote - which, to be fair, is just 10 of the 239 players polled, but enough to rank him behind only Bengals receiver Terrell Owens (14%), Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (7%), Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (5%), and Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (5%).

 

The others make sense. Owens talks bigger than he's capable of playing nowadays, Romo has a star-crossed history late in the season and in the playoffs, Sanchez is young and was carried by his defense last season and Haynesworth is a remarkably overpaid bust. But Manning is as misplaced here as Derek Jeter was when he was voted baseball's most overrated player in 2008. He's not nearly as accomplished as the Hall of Fame-bound shortstop, but he has a perception problem just the same.

 

For Manning, the problem is this: He's no Peyton, and he probably never will be. Some consider that to be a major crime. No matter what he does, he has to constantly hear criticism - like he did last week from former Giants safety C.C. Brown, of all people - that he's too erratic.

 

Most of this latest poll was apparently taken during the preseason and the early part of the regular season, but would it have mattered to his detractors that he is fourth in the NFC in completion percentage (64.7), fifth in passing yards (1,479) and tied for second in touchdown passes (10)? Would it have mattered that he's 24-14 as a starter in the regular season dating back to Super Bowl XLII?

 

Surely, they would have noted his eight interceptions this season - but would they have noticed that five of those passes hit the intended target, but then bounced off his receivers' hands?

 

It should also matter that six games into his seventh NFL season he has passed for 20,000 yards - only the second quarterback in the history of the Giants to do so. And with 20,123 career passing yards, he's on track to pass the great Phil Simms (33,462) and become the franchise leader some time in 2013 - when he'll likely still have another five years or so to distance himself from the pack.

 

All of that begs this question: If a player who may someday be remembered as the greatest quarterback in the history of one of the NFL's oldest franchises, who pulled off one of the greatest Super Bowl comebacks ever, who has been to the playoffs four times in six seasons, and who has won 58 of his 100 starts - including a 4-3 mark in the playoffs - is overrated, how absurdly high are the expectations?

 

And besides trading places with his brother, Freaky Friday style, what can he ever do to meet them?

 

The answer can be found in the history of the SI poll. Four years ago, before he had really done anything, Manning was rated fourth in the "overrated" poll with 7% of the vote. Two years later - after his Super Bowl triumph - Manning's peers rated him the second most overrated quarterback with a startling 10% of the vote.

 

Nothing, it seems, for the youngest Manning will ever be good enough.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2010/10/20/2010-10-20_peers_fumble_on_eli.html?r=sports%2Ffootball&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fsports%2Ffootball+%28Sports%2FFootball%29&utm_content=Twitter

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JMFP

JMFP

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Yea I read that this morning both in the Daily News and the NY Post... it's fucking laughable that these guys say he's overrated.. compared to who? oh.. the no names they are.

 

Eli is good......but he's no C.C. Brown.

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BlueInCanada

BlueInCanada

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If Eli's last name was Smith he would be regarded as a top 10 QB in the league and a QB who lead the Giants to beat the undefeated Pats in the Superbowl. However since his last name is Manning he will always be refereed to as the brother to one of the best QB to ever play the game and rode into the league on his name alone.

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NightFire

NightFire

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That poll is a joke. Like him or not (and I don't), you can't argue that Terrill Owens wasn't a very good receiver in his prime, if not one of the best in the league.

 

So how seriously can you take the rest of it?

 

Not only that but he is playing well again this year. He gets a bad rap because he is labeled a locker room cancer, mainly because he blames everybody for losses, so his deeds become over shadowed. Like him or not he is a future HOFer.

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Treehugger

Treehugger

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The bottom line is that Eli's play has won more games for the Giants than lost.

 

Im sure there probably are a few, but I cant think of one time where Eli lost the game for the Giants.

There was that game where he threw 4 INTS vs Vikings I think. But your point remains valid.

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JMFP

JMFP

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He is equal to his brother in game management- (Peyton makes a bigger deal of it)

 

 

But his accuracy is only average. That's been Eli's achilles heel.

 

 

He's not the scrambler his brother is, either. Eli does not like running downfield, at all.

 

Not that Peyton is Michael Vick, but he seems to have a better awareness and abililty after he is flushed from the pocket.

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Nas

Nas

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The bottom line is that Eli's play has won more games for the Giants than lost.

 

Im sure there probably are a few, but I cant think of one time where Eli lost the game for the Giants.

 

Minny game 2007.. he made up for it though lol

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Nas

Nas

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He is equal to his brother in game management- (Peyton makes a bigger deal of it)

 

 

But his accuracy is only average. That's been Eli's achilles heel.

 

Actually his accuracy has improved a great deal over the past couple of seasons. Aren't 5 or so out of his INTs were tipped by the receiver?

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boohyah

boohyah

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Actually his accuracy has improved a great deal over the past couple of seasons. Aren't 5 or so out of his INTs were tipped by the receiver?

 

He threw some shitty passes late last season Nas. Kevin Boss might like Eli as a person but I'm sure he can't be happy about being the most clocked tight end in the game because he's getting led into hits because Eli hasn't really done a good job getting him the ball where he should.

 

Eli is not and will not be Peyton, but that not a big deal because in my opinion Peyton has been the best qb in the league for the last 5 years at least. All we need him to do is not make dumb mistakes and force things. When Eli is in a flow, he's good and we're in good shape. But he can't really carry the team or rally them. He's definitely a long way off hall of fame level.

 

And fish is right, the Owens pick is a joke, the man is despicable, but in his prime he was dominant.

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Nas

Nas

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He threw some shitty passes late last season Nas. Kevin Boss might like Eli as a person but I'm sure he can't be happy about being the most clocked tight end in the game because he's getting led into hits because Eli hasn't really done a good job getting him the ball where he should.

 

Eli is not and will not be Peyton, but that not a big deal because in my opinion Peyton has been the best qb in the league for the last 5 years at least. All we need him to do is not make dumb mistakes and force things. When Eli is in a flow, he's good and we're in good shape. But he can't really carry the team or rally them. He's definitely a long way off hall of fame level.

 

And fish is right, the Owens pick is a joke, the man is despicable, but in his prime he was dominant.

 

Agreed.. but I think Eli is far removed from throwing those infamous passes that made Shockey and Plax throw their hands in the air.... I'm not sure why Boss seems to be clocked but it doesn't seem our WR do.... not sure it's all on Eli

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boohyah

boohyah

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Agreed.. but I think Eli is far removed from throwing those infamous passes that made Shockey and Plax throw their hands in the air.... I'm not sure why Boss seems to be clocked but it doesn't seem our WR do.... not sure it's all on Eli

 

 

Because Boss's routes are more likely to be between the linebackers and safeties and Eli does tend to throw away from him so that by the time Boss catches the ball he can't get set to brace himself for the hit.

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RandolphScott

RandolphScott

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He threw some shitty passes late last season Nas. Kevin Boss might like Eli as a person but I'm sure he can't be happy about being the most clocked tight end in the game because he's getting led into hits because Eli hasn't really done a good job getting him the ball where he should.

 

Eli is not and will not be Peyton, but that not a big deal because in my opinion Peyton has been the best qb in the league for the last 5 years at least. All we need him to do is not make dumb mistakes and force things. When Eli is in a flow, he's good and we're in good shape. But he can't really carry the team or rally them. He's definitely a long way off hall of fame level.

 

And fish is right, the Owens pick is a joke, the man is despicable, but in his prime he was dominant.

 

I agree with everything you say, but I think he can carry a team.

 

The rally aspect? I think his 2nd half comebacks speak for themselves.

 

Eli isn't Peyton and never will be, 2nd best QB in the family ain't bad.

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Treehugger

Treehugger

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CC was delivering some nice shots on Sunday but only on guys in front of him......he still cannot cover anyone

 

maybe we should have used CC in the Rolle role.

 

I can understand why his feelings are bruised......he got rejected, and tossed by a FB contender

He wiffed on more hits than he landed, including a couple of Bradshaw's big runs. The guy's a total liability.

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