As reigning Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants will be targeted like never before. Just the kind of fodder Eli Manning needs to separate himself as a superior quarterback to brother Peyton.
Take nothing away from Peyton Manning. He’s the best regular-season quarterback in the game. But there are three moments in brother Eli’s short NFL career that foreshadow the greatness still to come.
In the 2004 NFL Draft, Eli was selected No. 1 overall by the San Diego Chargers. Eli (along with father Archie) decided the Chargers were not dedicated to winning and refused to play there. This was a bold move by a player thought by many as being drafted merely because of his last name.
The move showed he had the confidence to be a leader and, most importantly, the ambition to become a winner.
He became a New York Giant.
In 2005, Eli was named starter after Kurt Warner voided his contract. In only his third game, his Giants traveled to San Diego to take on a Charger team the quarterback snubbed a year prior. Amidst being booed loudly every time he touched the ball, Eli went 24-41 for 352 yards and 2 TDs in a 45-23 loss.
This was the first sign of an eager quarterback willing to step up his play in a big-game environment.
In 2007, after losing to the Cowboys and being out-played by Tony Romo, Giants co-owner John Mara publicly questioned Eli’s ability to lead the Giants for the future. Eli bounced back to beat wild-card competitors Detroit Lions on the road and then almost single-handedly ended the Patriots' undefeated season by throwing four touchdown passes in their regular season finale.
He would get another opportunity.
After dismantling Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay; Eli’s Giants met the Patriots for Super Bowl XLII. And in the biggest game of his career, Eli became only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw two go-ahead fourth quarter TDs in a Super Bowl and beat the heavily-favored, undefeated New England Patriots.
He was named Super Bowl MVP the same season he almost lost his starting job.
Peyton Manning’s regular-season stats are too good to list here. Just picture Adriana Lima on her wedding night. Eli’s are more like a Kate Moss, after a two-day binge. Both are worthy. In Eli’s first full season he ranked top five in passing yards and TD passes. And he's only gotten better.
He has a reputation of struggling the second half of a season. But those declining numbers have more to do with key injuries to Amani Toomer and a broken leg of Luke Petitgout than they do the play of Eli.
And since numbers only sometimes lie, take a look at Eli’s playoff stats versus big brother Peyton. Eli has led his team to the playoffs every season as a starter. His post-season record is 4-2. Last season his QB rating elevated over 20 points in the post-season.
The season before that, it rose almost 30 points. As well as increases in completion percentage and YPG.
Peyton’s numbers go down after the regular season. His postseason record is 7-7. His regular-season QB rating is 10 points higher than his playoff rating. His completion percentage is down.
Not to mention the help he’s had throwing to All-Pro Receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne all these years.
He does have a Super Bowl MVP Award to go along with Eli’s, but even in those playoffs, he only had the one great game against Denver and an overall 70.5 passer rating. Which was more than trumped the following year by possibly the most memorable quarterback drive in Super Bowl history, by his brother Eli.
Peyton better start getting used to it.
21 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Orlando Morales 6 months ago
Great job Brad. although I would hesitate to call Eli the better Quarterback. Eli wasn't the driving force that got the Giants to the Super Bowl, the defense was. As for Peyton, he is responsible for the Colts turnaround, if it wasn't for him dominating down the stretch of seasons, the Colts would have never reached the playoffs, or became a great team.
In years 2000-2006, Indy never really had a scary defense, they still don't and that's what cost them games. I would have to say that right now, Peyton is the better player just because of the quality of his play in this decade.
Eli on the other hand was a mediocre QB until the playoffs of 2007-2008. Even then Eli wasn't outstanding, he simply went out there and managed the game, he didn't pick secondaries apart, he just did his job and let the ground game and the defense do theirs.
We'll see how good Eli is following this post season and how he performs now that he has transformed into a true leader. One good playoff year doesn't make you better.
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
Thanks Orlando. Eli wasn't the driving force for their Super Bowl? He threw for 227 YPG in those playoffs, had a 95.7 QB rating and threw 6TDs and only 1 INT. And let's not forget this play:
"Manning takes the snap, back to throw, under pressure, avoids the rush and he's gonna...fight out of it, still fights out of it and then he throws it deep down field wide open Tyree who...MAKES THE CATCH! AT THE 23 YARD LINE! What a play by Manning!"
He's top 5 in passing and TDs every season...you can hardly call that 'managed the game'.
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Secor77 6 months ago
Eli Manning is by far the most underrated quarterback in the game, period. No one wants to give him credit for making the playoffs every year. No one wants to give him credit for the Super Bowl. It's crazy how underrated he is. This year Eli threw for 3238 yards and 21 td with 10 int. The 2 years before that Eli has thrown for 3244 yards and 24 tds, 3336 yards and 21 tds. His win/loss record as a starter is great. Besides Peyton and Brady, who exactly is better than him in the game today?
You said he didn't pick secondaries apart during the 2007 playoffs?
Did you see the Green Bay game where Eli and Plax humiliated All-Pro corner Al Harris? How Eli put the ball perfectly on Plax's sideline shoulder over and over and over again to the point where Al Harris knew what was coming and couldn't stop it (11 catches for 151 yards)? In single digit temperatures in Green Bay no less.
The defense was great in the playoffs last year, especially against the Pats, but that was only half the story, the other half, without a doubt, was Eli.
Why do you think the Giants can run so well? It's because defenses respect the pass and don't cheat the safety up. The reason the Eagles won at the end of the season is because they were jamming our wideouts at the line and blitzing. That won't happen again. Hixon has had weeks to think about it and figure out how to get past that jam, he'll have a big game Sunday. Look for a big play with a fake slant then a go route with Hixon, with jacobs picking up the blitz.
God, I can't wait for Sunday. The Eagles don't scare me. Carolina on the other hand.......
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Orlando Morales 6 months ago
I agree ELi was good in the playoffs but he wasn't GREAT though Brad. The defense shut down both of the leagues top offensive units. The Tyree play was great and if he doesn't make those plays in the fourth quarter, but they still win, no one would be talking about Eli right now. Those two drives in the fourth quarter I think made him what he is right now.
But with that said, Eli was horrible in the playoffs until he was given a solid defense. If Eli plays well throughout these playoffs and doesn't revert back to the 2007 regular season Eli Manning, I'll say he's a better playoff QB than Peyton.
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Orlando Morales 6 months ago
Seccor77, the Eagles shouldn't scare you guys. The Giants are the super bowl champs, the Eagles have a chip on their shoulders and are getting hotter by the second. As an Eagles fan, I think the Giants match up better for us. It's the match-up I certainly wanted for Philly. I'm looking forward to a great game. Ny doesn't scare me. Philly's defense is playing out of it's mind right now and if they keep the ground game under control, Eli will be in for a rough day.
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Brad Webster 6 months ago
I agree with Brad. I wouldn't consider Eli a "driving force," but he realizes that he doesn't have to throw for 300 YPG. To him, he's not out to be the better Manning. He wants to win football games and championships. The 95 rating and 6-1 TD-INT ratio aren't eye-popping stats for a short span. He stepped up when he had to, as he always does, and while defense has got them far, don't forget about the running game, which I might argue was more important than great defense, and the running game and passing game compliment each other.
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Juni Ramos 6 months ago
I agree with both orlando and brad on this one...they both have great points ...but this debate is still up in the air so to speak because of the age difference and obviously experience...i have to see Eli keep his composure for a couple more season before i can say he is BETTER than Peyton...if he continues to play well there is no doubt in my mind that he will become the better Manning...just look at the way better start he is having...how long did it take Peyton to win his first ring?
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
Juni- Don't bother evaluating Eli over the next few seasons; I've already given you the answer to that comparison. Peyton is the better actor though!
I liked your comment...especially the part where it brings up the time it took for each to get their rings.
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joe giant 6 months ago
I'm as big an Eli supporter as you'll meet, but Peyton's regular season's numbers are jaw dropping. They're so unbelievable, it's hard to totally digest them. And he's been doing it for over a decade, with an undersized offensive line, and a running game dependent on the pass to make it work. He has struggled at times against the better, more exotic defenses that can get pressure without necessarily blitzing the house, but he has also gotten alot better at handling those type of teams in recent years in my opinion. And you can't write off regular season numbers: It doesn't matter how well you play in the playoffs if you can't make it there. When's the last time the Colts had less than 12 wins in a season? I don't know either.
As for his recieving corps, is it they who are so good, or is it the person getting them the ball? You can put a mediocre running back behind a superior offensive line and have him put up great numbers, and the same thing applies to a QB and his receivers. Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison are sure handed guys with good speed, and their numbers say that they are great. But they are also vastly undersized. Peyton has never had a Plaxico Burress to throw to. He's had to be perfect with his throws with such small targets. Even his tight end is a relative shrimp. It's tough when you go against the aforementioned, upper echelon defenses, without having any room for error.
When it is all said and done, I do personally think Eli will be viewed as the better of the two, but that is a debate we should be having in about 10 years from now, not today.
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
See comment below...
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
Joe- Will you still be saying that last line if, following Peyton's performance against SD, Eli carries his Giants to back-to-back Super Bowl victories WITHOUT Plaxico Burress, a hurt Brandon Jacobs, and the loss of Michael Strahan?
And I don't buy into this new-school WR needs to be 6'4" mumbo jumbo...Is Steve Smith? Wes Welker? Was Jerry Rice? Being a good WR means running great patterns and never giving up on a play; which Marvin and Wayne have done for years AND Plaxico has failed to do.
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joe giant 6 months ago
Brad- My point wasn't that you can't be a good WR if you're not tall, or that you can't win a championship without having a circus freak as a wideout. But it is inarguable that you don't have to be as accurate with a pass if you're throwing to someone 6'5" as opposed to 5'9". Being small and fast has its advantages, but it helps alot if there is a taller guy to complement the smaller ones, and the Colts have simply always lacked that. Their recievers aren't just small, they have to make sure they're tall enough before they go on rides at amusement parks. Wes Welker plays alongside Randy Moss, Jerry Rice was 6'2", and last time I checked Steve Smith didn't have any rings. And by the way, Welker and Rice just happen to have played alongside two of the greatest QBs of all time.
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
See below again...next time I'll hit the right button.
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
"Joe- Will you still be saying that last line if, following Peyton's performance against SD, Eli carries his Giants to back-to-back Super Bowl victories WITHOUT Plaxico Burress, a hurt Brandon Jacobs, and the loss of Michael Strahan?"
Be honest...!!!
The majority of what makes a good receiver is separation. Which has to do with quickness, not height. Most small receivers have a few distinct advantages over their “prototype” counterparts: quickness, change of direction and acceleration to top speed. All three of those things can help provide the separation that truly matters in successful passing offenses.
“They’re more explosive coming out of their routes because of their body types,” said Redskins offensive coordinator Sherman Smith, who starts a pair of 5-10 receivers in Moss and Antwaan Randle El. “Deion Sanders was talking about it the other day, about guarding a bigger wide receiver and how they are slower out of their breaks than a smaller wide receiver.”
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joe giant 6 months ago
Donovan Mcnabb led his team mto the Super Bowl when T.O. was on the team. Tom Brady threw 50 TDs last year with Randy Dandy. They're both giants. Like I said, there's no question that being small has its advantages, but the Colts have put all their eggs in one basket. But don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Eli fan, and I didn't just get on the bandwagon after the Super Bowl. And I do think Eli will win the title this year, but Peyton's body of work is just too impressive to write off any time soon. I actually just wrote an article about Eli and the G-men. Check it out:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/107267-why-the-new-york-giants-wont-pull-a-dallas
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jeff 6 months ago
I can't believe this article even exists-
Eli played very well last year in the playoffs and may do so again this year- but his defense and running game continue to carry his team - no doubt that he is good and has shown that he can be great under pressure but...
Peyton's team has won at least 12 games each of the last 6 years- Yes he has had awful playoff games in the past (though he's hardly to blame for the last 2 playoff losses) but there have been numerous times over the years where he has willed that team to win games - I won't even go into the stats he has put up over the years which will, in the end, be well ahead of Eli's. The comparison between the two of them is completely unwarranted, especially at this point in Eli's career.
Also- to the author who wrote this- Indy did not play Denver in the 2006 playoffs- they played KC, Balt, NE, and Chi although he has made a habit of dropping a perfect passer rating on the Broncos...in the playoffs
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
reply below...
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
Jeff- My apologies for the Bronco misprint. Thanks for pointing that out.
You can't believe this article even exists? Eli's been in the league 5 seasons now. He is a veteran. He's taken his team to the playoffs EVERY year as a starter. With HALF the talent on offense as Peyton has! He WON a Championship Ring in only his 3rd year as starter. It took Peyton 9 seasons. Do I need to go on?
Say all you want about their defense and running game; but neither would excel without Eli.
What separates QB's from other positions is their ability to win the game. That's why they're the leader. Not to throw for the most yards in a single season. Are you a numbers guy Jeff? I was too, in the 12th grade! C'mon...this is big-boy talk.
I guess in your world the only case against Peyton is Kerry Collins and his 38,000 yards.
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jeff 6 months ago
I just don't agree that the Giants couldn't excel with another QB- I'm not really sure where you're coming from with that- whereas the Colts wouldn't have sniffed the playoffs this year without Peyton
Yes Eli has taken his team to the post season for 3 straight years- so has Peyton- for 7
Im not a "numbers guy" and would agree that stats have to be looked at in context- but how can you completely ignore stats in a "who is better" argument? And how can you ignore Peyton's consistency?
I mean I'm just led to believe you haven't seen these guys play on a consistent basis- I really don't think that anyone who did could make the argument you are making
Finally, Eli has 3 playoff appearances- 2 of which were one and done. I know Peyton's record is not good in the playoffs but can a lesser-skilled QB really be considered better after only having 1 big (although it was amazing) post-season run? You are projecting that Eli will continue to win championships throughout his career, which is a tough thing to predict.
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Brad Scott 6 months ago
Of course there is a strong argument for Peyton, or I would have never even thought to write the article. I am a fan of both Manning's. They're both class acts and tremendous on the field. But teams like the Colts and Giants are put together so nicely to do one thing, win championships. Which Eli has excelled over Peyton in by the numbers. And Peyton has single-handedly lost championships for his team, as we saw a couple weeks ago with his fumble.
I am convinced the Giants would not have won it last year without Eli's big game mentality. His demeanor is what puts him over the top. He doesn't allow emotions to affect his play. The same thing we saw in Tebow last night over Bradford. Numbers and consistency pale in comparison. I'm not ignoring them, just putting them in perspective.
And yes, I am boldly projecting Eli's future as a QB winning championships. This may or may not come back to bite me in the ass. But projections like these are not arbitrary when warranted by valid stats, which I provided. I'm not a homer; I'm a Panthers fan! And our comments alone imply there is reason for this article to exist. I just think you must be a Colts fan...
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jeff 6 months ago
"Which Eli has excelled over Peyton in by the numbers."
They both have 1 championship- yes Eli won his after fewer seasons. But Roethlisberger won in his first year....is he better than both Eli and Peyton?
"And Peyton has single-handedly lost championships for his team, as we saw a couple weeks ago with his fumble."
What fumble are you talking about? I dont think he lost a fumble all year....
I agree that the giants may not have won it without Eli last year but one great playoff run doesn't make him a better QB -
I am a Colts fan but I live in NY and root for Eli to do well- so I have watched plenty of games from both teams and I just don't see Eli on the same level as Peyton -
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