Eli Manning: No longer just Peyton's younger brother
February 7th 2012 00:21
I guess it's safe to say Eli Manning may not be in the conversation as one of the top three quarterbacks currently in the NFL. But there is no argument he is the most clutch quarterback with the game on the line in the final quarter. He proved it more than once this season and the Giants rode the hot hand all the way to a second Super Bowl in four seasons. He did it in regular season games and he did it on the road in the NFC Championship in a hostile environment against of the NFL's best defenses this season.
And in the fourth quarter with around three minutes to go, Manning must have felt at ease. He'd been here before, this was not new territory. I think his perfect throw to Mario Manningham exemplified all the composure with which he played under. If you want to compare the Manning brothers, all well and good, but if it's solely about numbers and stats there really is no comparison. Peyton is five years older and has amassed more numbers and broken passing records that have stood for some time in this league.
Since his rookie season in 2004, Eli Manning has always been plagued by his lack of consistency, accuracy, and decision-making as a field general. Last season, Eli Manning was responsible for 25 interceptions as a seasoned 29 year old. When older brother Peyton was 29 in 2005, he threw for 28 touchdowns and a mere 10 interceptions. Eli Manning is a two time Pro Bowler. Peyton is an 11-time Pro Bowler and a five time First Team All Pro. Peyton's career completion percentage is 64.9% and Eli's is 58.4% according to pro-football-reference.com.
That's a lot of hardware and when you look up on websites that compare numbers of players and who they are most similar to with players in the past. Peyton's numbers are right there with Unitas, Montana, Young, Fouts, Favre, and Marino. He's a sure-ballot Hall of Famer.
Up to this point, Eli Manning's numbers are most in line with David Garrad, Ben Roethlisberger, Ken Anderson, Carson Palmer, Doug Williams, and Tony Romo. Kind of grouped in with some serviceable quarterbacks and a few who've won Super Bowls. But certainly none of whom would be associated with a Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks.
There's one thing Eli has more than Peyton. That's two Super Bowl wins against arguable the best coach-quarterback duo in football history. And he has more game-winning drives and comebacks in the playoffs. All extenuating circumstances aside, Eli Manning is not as good as his older brother, but he beat the Patriots twice when it counted the most. A team that gave his brother fits in the middle part of the 2000s.
When I think of Eli Manning right now, I bundle him in with some winners who don't garner the attention of the upper tier. I'm thinking of guys like Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Jim Plunkett, and Phil Simms. He's only 30 years old and could have another couple 25 interception seasons in front of him, but only time will tell. For now, he no longer is completely in his older brother's shadow and is one of the bigger winners in this era of NFL quarterbacks. He's on a great team with a great coaching and front office staff. Only time will tell if Eli Manning squeezes into the pantheon of transcendent NFL stars.
And in the fourth quarter with around three minutes to go, Manning must have felt at ease. He'd been here before, this was not new territory. I think his perfect throw to Mario Manningham exemplified all the composure with which he played under. If you want to compare the Manning brothers, all well and good, but if it's solely about numbers and stats there really is no comparison. Peyton is five years older and has amassed more numbers and broken passing records that have stood for some time in this league.
Since his rookie season in 2004, Eli Manning has always been plagued by his lack of consistency, accuracy, and decision-making as a field general. Last season, Eli Manning was responsible for 25 interceptions as a seasoned 29 year old. When older brother Peyton was 29 in 2005, he threw for 28 touchdowns and a mere 10 interceptions. Eli Manning is a two time Pro Bowler. Peyton is an 11-time Pro Bowler and a five time First Team All Pro. Peyton's career completion percentage is 64.9% and Eli's is 58.4% according to pro-football-reference.com.
That's a lot of hardware and when you look up on websites that compare numbers of players and who they are most similar to with players in the past. Peyton's numbers are right there with Unitas, Montana, Young, Fouts, Favre, and Marino. He's a sure-ballot Hall of Famer.
Up to this point, Eli Manning's numbers are most in line with David Garrad, Ben Roethlisberger, Ken Anderson, Carson Palmer, Doug Williams, and Tony Romo. Kind of grouped in with some serviceable quarterbacks and a few who've won Super Bowls. But certainly none of whom would be associated with a Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks.
There's one thing Eli has more than Peyton. That's two Super Bowl wins against arguable the best coach-quarterback duo in football history. And he has more game-winning drives and comebacks in the playoffs. All extenuating circumstances aside, Eli Manning is not as good as his older brother, but he beat the Patriots twice when it counted the most. A team that gave his brother fits in the middle part of the 2000s.
When I think of Eli Manning right now, I bundle him in with some winners who don't garner the attention of the upper tier. I'm thinking of guys like Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Jim Plunkett, and Phil Simms. He's only 30 years old and could have another couple 25 interception seasons in front of him, but only time will tell. For now, he no longer is completely in his older brother's shadow and is one of the bigger winners in this era of NFL quarterbacks. He's on a great team with a great coaching and front office staff. Only time will tell if Eli Manning squeezes into the pantheon of transcendent NFL stars.
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