Rant Sports Round Table – Is New York Giants QB Eli Manning Elite?
"As a Philadelphia Eagles fan as I am and like others out there I really wanted like many Eagles fans to pull my hair out.
Watching the New York Giants win their second Super Bowl in four years at first just made me want to scream.
As time went by and I watched the many Giants fans around me celebrating their teams win, I realized why they
have won another Super Bowl Championship.
The bottom line in all team sports is you need a true leader. A leader who leads by example and puts the team on his shoulders when he needs to.
The New York Giants have that leader in quarterback Eli Manning.
It is amazing that throughout the season many fans of the Giants would yell different things out about their quarterback. Many did not want Eli as their quarterback.
Eli Manning by winning his second Super Bowl Championship has put himself in good company with only a handful of NFL quarterbacks who have won two or more Super Bowl titles.
He no doubt has become the best quarterback in all of New York’s NFL history.
He has put himself past the legend Joe Namath who guaranteed a Super Bowl win in the 1968 game against the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.
He passes former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms who won a title as a starter and was on another team that won a Super Bowl title but was injured and replaced by Jeff Hostetler who won the Super Bowl for the New York Giants.
Eli Manning will never have to buy himself another meal in New York City. He has become an icon and legend by winning his second Super Bowl.
He has become a total leader of the New York Giants. He is tough and he totally leads by example.
He again led his team on a last minute drive to capture his second Super Bowl MVP Award.
Throughout the 2011 season Eli showed his leadership and a way to pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Before the Super Bowl Eli had guided the New York Giants to seven come from behind wins in the fourth quarter.
This past season was no doubt the best of his career.
Listening to the head coach of the New York Giants Tom Coughlin during interviews during the celebration he kept saying the same thing over and over again.
Eli took the team and put us on his back and lead us. He has gotten so much better and has become our leader.
It is really a no brainer here as to whether or not Eli is an elite quarterback. The two Super Bowl titles say that, the two Super Bowl MVP’s say that, and his 8-3 overall career playoff records state that too.
Now if that is not enough for you than well he has the most playoff road wins for any quarterback in NFL history with five. To win on the road in the playoffs in the NFL is tough.
Eli just is not phased about playing on the road in the playoffs. Just look at this years NFC Championship Game in San Francisco against the 49ers.
The 49ers defense just beat up Eli but he just kept getting up and kept on fighting. He totally showed his toughness and leadership qualities in that game against a very good and young 49ers team.
Eli Manning is in the prime of his career. Can he get better? Yes he can and that is a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.
Eli has the chance to step up with the elite Super Bowl quarterbacks who have won three and four Super Bowl titles. He has already made himself a legend in New York.
By winning any more Super Bowls he can make himself a legend with the all-time greats. New York Giants fans you have yourself a great quarterback.
For all those that at one time wanted Phillip Rivers, the current San Diego Chargers quarterback who was traded for Eli, what are you saying now.
No doubt the tune has changed and Eli Manning has become the toast of all New York City.
New York Giants, you have yourself a true quarterback and leader."
10 Rants to “Rant Sports Round Table – Is New York Giants QB ...”
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Eli was elite this season, yes. Overall he’s not an elite quarterback. Now should he perform consistently at this years level, then yes. But not right now.
Give me a break…two Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVPs…he carried this team on his back the entire regular season, it was only until the playoffs that the defense showed up…he has had good numbers since 2008, and only in 2010 did he have a high number of INTs because his receivers dropped between 8 and 10 passes that resulted in interceptions.
If he can do it again in 2012, which would make 4 straight years of 4,000 yards and a deep playoff run then he can be considered elite. He’s still behind Peyton in the family. Not saying Eli isn’t great but there’s great then there’s elite.
He needs 3 deep playoff runs to be considered Elite? So are Tom Brady and Big Ben your only elite quarterbacks?
It’s the entire package/whole body of work. Brady, Roethlisberger
Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Eli Manning is almost elite
much like Victor Cruz isn’t an “elite” wide receiver. One-year doesn’t
make you “elite”.
If you consider Roethlisberger elite and not Eli Manning…I don’t know what else to say.
Ben was 23 when he won his first Super Bowl, the youngest ever. It
was his second year in the league. Both are 2x Super Bowl champs
yet Ben has been there three times, Eli just twice. Eli had to bank
on luck to get to the Super Bowl this season. Just watch the Niners
game. Not saying he’s not great. But there’s great and then there’s
elite. Give it one more year. Needs to be consistent.
@Lars,
After seeing you and Jeff go back and forth about Eli and bringing up Big Ben, I feel that I have to weigh in on this.
As a Browns fans who lived in Pittsburgh, I got to see some of Ben’s “heroics” up close and personal and while I will gladly say that BB is and under-rated elite QB, you HAVE to give Eli his due as well.
The part where you say that Eli got lucky to get to the Super Bowl this season is partially true, as they had to beat Dal to make the playoffs, but it is Dallas’ own fault for putting themselves in that situation in the first place, and it must have been real luck to go ON THE ROAD and beat the defending SB champs on their home field and it must have been luck to beat SF(which had one of the best defenses in the league) at home.
With due respect, I sense a case of bitterness and resentment over this whole Eli-elite debate and I’m personally shocked that you would even bring up BB considering that he won his first SB against your Hawks.
While on the subject of BB, he is physically gifted and talented, but a also very lucky QB who takes too many chances in critical games, ask any Steelers fan that, and they will say that they like him, but wishes that he wouldn’t hold on to the ball too long or throw into double-triple coverage. BB is the luckiest QB in the whole NFL–not Eli– because he came into a tailor-made system where he didn’t have to throw the ball a whole lot and had the luxury of handing the ball of to Bettis and checking down to two Super Bowl MVP’s with Holmes and Ward, and it also didn’t hurt to have that zone-blitz defense of Lebeau.
In terms of body of work, you have first consider the system in which a QB is in, while Aaron, Brady, Brees and Peyton(they both play in a dome!) play in pass-first and happy offenses, Ben and Eli play in pre-dominately tougher, run-first divisions, the reason for Eli’s “inconsistency” is that he has never had a core group of WR’s for more than 2-3 years at best and while his running game is solid, they did lose Ward to FA.
In terms of Eli being lucky, it takes REAL luck to win on the road eight times and beat the best QB of our generation twice in the Super Bowl.
Brady(3) 2 Super Bowl MVP’s
Eli(2) 2 Super Bowl MVP’s
Big Ben(2)
Peyton(1) 1 Super Bowl MVP
Aaron(1) 1 Super Bowl MVP
Rings count, baby! End of discussion!
@Jeff, It’s all good, bro, in my mind Eli has proven himself to be a top-tier QB, and will only get better. Congrads again.
Big Ben Won two Super Bowls and had two receivers named MVP…you know how many times a receiver has won Super Bowl MVP? six…including the two by his Steeler receivers…so only 4 other times have receivers won the award…and they are Lynn Swann, Fred Belitnikof, Jerry Rice, and Deion Branch….three of those names are the greatest ever…
Eli has been in TWO Super Bowls and won the MVP BOTH times…Luck? Give me a break…Big Ben played HORRIBLE in the first Super Bowl and his defense and running game bailed him out.
Rob, yeah man I was wondering when you were gonna join haha. 1-1 had to break the tie somehow. Ben at times seems very underrated but sometimes it’s also just right. Truthfully I want to give Eli his dues, he’s so close to being tagged as an “elite” quarterback but I am just not 100 percent convinced. Thus why I’ve said give it one more year and make it 4 straight years with 4,000 yards and another deep playoff run. For me here’s what it means to be “elite”. One or more SB rings. Proven winner (beyond 1-2 year stretches), consistent (not erratic), and doesn’t need a huge amount of luck..and more titbits.
Having said that my elite Brady, Brees, Rodgers and Peyton Manning (now that’s based on his career not this year). That’s the key and what I think both oph you are missing. Eli was elite this season, and 2008. The 2 years he won a SB he was elite. That doesn’t make him an elite player. Plus Eli has zero MVP’s. Brady, Rodgers and P.Manning have one or more–with Rodgers expected to have at least more than one going forward.
Well where I meant the luck came in was: Making the playoffs, the 4th quarter and OT of the 49ers game and even the ending in the SB. That was this year. Go back to his 1st SB and the Tyree catch. Eli has banked on luck and it’s paid off. He’s great, but elite players don’t bank on luck.
On the sense of bitterness, I have zero clue where you get that and so with all due respect I think your way off base from that aspect. Well unlike most “bloggers” I’m not bias. I have my teams I like and don’t like but when it comes to comparisons if I think a players good no matter the team I’ll admit it.
Well Eli was given the gift known as the Giants front 4+. Without 1-2 of those DE’s it’s questionable they beat Green Bay.
Any true elite quarterback can overcome that aspect and make his wide outs and tight ends into pro bowlers. Hello, look at his brother Peyton. Collie, Garcon.
Iph Eli was a true elite quarterback he shouldn’t have barely one the East. And should win it year in and year out without problem.
Brady: 7X Pro Bowl, 3X Super Bowl, 2X SB MVP, 5X SB appearance, 2X MVP
Eli: 2X Pro Bowl, 2X Super Bowl 2X SB MVP 2X SB appearance 0 MVP
BB: 2X Pro Bowl 2X Super Bowl 0X SB MVP, 3X SB appearance, 04 OROY
Peyton: 11X Pro Bowl, 5X AllPro, 1SB, 1 SB MVP, 4X MVP etc
Brees: 6X Pro Bowl, 4X All Pro, 1SB, 1 SB MVP,
Rodgers: 2X Pro Bowl, 1X All Pro, 1SB, 1 SB MVP, 1 MVP,
With all the records here’s how the room stacks up. 1) Brady 2) P.Manning 3) Brees 4) BB and 5) Eli.
Eli being the non-elite because he’s only got 2 SB appearances. Like I’ve said give me a 3rd and he’s in. Since he’s got nothing in terms of accolades or records. So those bells you rang are still nonexistent lol. You’ve rang them before and been wrong so only time will tell.
Jeff, I give Eli one more great year and then he’s in that elite group. Being non-bias of course.