Eli Manning and the 10 Most Overrated Players in the NFL

In the NFL, players quickly get labeled "superstar" after one good season or one heroic game.

In what turns out to be the case more then often, these players often become busts rather then team saviors.

Perhaps it is because the media inflates these athletes, where shows like SportsCenter will talk about and show the same play over and over. 

These players have shown strides of success, but in the end, they just haven't been consistent enough in order to keep up the pace to the stardom they have been wrongfully crowned.

These are currently the ten most overrated players in the NFL.

Note: This list is in no particular order.

Honorable Mention: Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow makes the honorable mention spot for one reason only:

He still has a chance to prove himself.

He is overrated though because for some reason, many Bronco fans have already claimed Tebow to be their savior, and he hadn't even played significant time yet. 

In games started, Tebow is 1-2. 

On Sunday, Tebow took over the second half for the Broncos, and he did look good at times. He didn't win though.

And even though he started to bring the Broncos back by igniting their offense with two touchdowns, he just wasn't accurate enough to bring them back. Tebow is not being written off, but he still has ways to go until he deserves the praise he has already received from the Bronco fan base.

John Elway and John Fox are smart guys. One was a great quarterback, and the other has coached great quarterbacks. If they thought Tim Tebow was their answer, they would be more confident in him at this point.

At this point in time, Tebow is still no savior.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo may just be the same song and dance that Tim Tebow will follow.

Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe in the second half of a game in 2006, as the team and many fans were beginning to get disappointed with their current starting quarterback's inconsistent production.

Romo started with much promise, starting 10 games and taking the Cowboys to the wild-card game and making the Pro Bowl in his first major season contributing to a team.

Romo just has never fulfilled, becoming a turnover machine under pressure situations.

This season, he has thrown two picks in last effort drives. Those interceptions lost the game for the Cowboys.

This is nothing new though, as Romo in the playoffs has dropped the snap to lose the game in 2006, threw an end zone interception to lose in 2007 and had two fumbles and an interception to lose to the Minnesota Vikings in a 34-3 loss in 2009.

Michael Vick

No doubt is there that Michael Vick is the most electrifying player in the NFL.

By no means though, is he consistent enough to be a superstar.

This has nothing to do with the fact that the Eagles stand 1-4 on the season. It has to do with Vick's 14 turnovers in four games.

Vick has time to redeem himself, but the fact that his turnovers nearly double his touchdowns, eight, at this point in the season is unacceptable for even Curtis Painter. 

It is just ridiculous, especially from a quarterback who has all the weapons in his arsenal.

Kolb isn't looking that great in Arizona, but perhaps he was the better fit in Philadelphia.

Reggie Bush

The fact that the Dolphins thought that Reggie Bush would be their answers at running back just proves where Tony Sparano's head is at.

Bush, although a good kick returner, has never proven to be effective as the primary back in the running game.

Before coming to Miami, Bush had only scored 13 touchdowns on the ground over four seasons in New Orleans.

Also, Sean Payton is a smart coach. If Bush was talented enough, he would have used him as his primary back. Instead, he was always looking for different options, and that is why they eventually took a true running back in Mark Ingram.

Bush has zero rushing touchdowns in four games, averaging 2.95 yards per carry. Miami would have been better off trying to retain Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams as both proved to be much more successful.

Chad Ochocinco

Chad Ochocinco was the man in Cincinnati, but things have proven to be otherwise in New England.

With the Patriots this season, Ochocinco has only caught nine receptions over five games thus far. Not one of those receptions are a touchdown.

Once the primary threat in Cincinnati, Ochocinco has shown that he doesn't succeed in a complicated system. 

It speaks the truth, too. Tom Brady is obviously a much better quarterback then Carson Palmer, so it isn't Tom Brady's fault that Chad isn't seeing success.

Perhaps Ochocinco has just started to head downhill, especially after only catching four touchdowns a season ago. Only time will tell what is going on with Ochocinco.

Ochocinco may not be around Bill Belichick for much longer, sealing his fate in being overrated.

Eli Manning

Eli Manning has seen success, and he defeated the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Including their Super Bowl season, Eli Manning and the Giants are 4-3 in the playoffs. Those three losses were obviously first round losses, showing the Giants have never been able to see the same success as they did in 2007.

When starting, Manning has a 60-43 record. That is pretty good, but he still is overrated because he isn't consistent.

Last season, Manning threw 25 interceptions and seven fumbles. 

Manning so far has thrown 11 touchdowns and five interceptions on the season. He has a chance to defeat his critics, and at 3-2, the Giants are still very much in things of a very open NFC East.

Manning has proven to be inconsistent though, and it will be interesting to see if he can turn things around from his past.

Chris Johnson

In 2009, Chris Johnson eclipsed 2,000 yards.

In his other two seasons, he has been extremely normal with 1,228 yards in 2008 and 1,364 yards in 2010.

Johnson got a huge pay raise, becoming the highest paid rusher in the NFL in 2011. 

How has Johnson responded? One touchdown through five games and averaging 50 yards per game.

Is this a surprise though?

The touchdowns shouldn't be. Besides for that remarkable 2006 yard season, Johnson has only 20 touchdowns over his two other seasons.

Chris Johnson is possibly the most overpaid player in the NFL.

Frank Gore

Frank Gore needs to stay healthy this season to prove that he is worthy of superstar status.

Gore has put up good numbers over the years, but injuries have cut him short every season thus far.

This season, Gore is averaging only 80 yards per game with three touchdowns on the season. 

The yardage isn't ideal, but perhaps Gore is still getting into the groove of things after coming off of injuries last season.

Gore though just hasn't been successful enough to be called one of the better running backs in the NFL.

Peyton Hills

Peyton Hillis was nothing short of surprising in 2010.

Hillis broke out for 1,177 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns rushing and receiving.

His season even got him on the cover of Madden, but perhaps things were a little too preemptive.

I know Hillis has been sick this season, but even before he was knocked out with strep, Hills was not succeeding as he did a season ago.

So far, Hillis has 197 yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Many expected Hillis to continue his success, but it looks like defenses have figured out how to slow down the slow back. 

Mark Sanchez

Perhaps Pete Carrol was right when he said that Mark Sanchez wasn't ready for the NFL.

In his first season, Sanchez looked to have proven his ex-coach wrong.

He took the Jets the to the playoffs, and it was quite a run until they lost to the Colts in the AFC championship game.

He repeated his performance in 2010, and took the Jets to 11-5 record.

Sanchez just has never been able to come up in the big game though, losing two seasons in a row in the AFC championship.

It is quite a feat to get there two seasons in a row, but both times the offense fell apart late in the game, resulting in a Jets' eventual loss.

Sanchez and the Jets are standing at 2-3 on the season, and that is not satisfactory to the standards they have set.

Sanchez has to prove at this point that he can turn this team around, otherwise he is possibly nothing short of average.

Matt Cassell

Fortunately for Matt Cassel, the Kansas City Chiefs have no better option at quarterback.

Cassel has proven just how great the New England Patriots are because as much as he succeeded when he took over for Tom Brady, things just have not been as pretty in Kansas City.

New England is obviously a better team and has better weapons, but Cassel has proven to not be a true franchise quarterback.

He showed a lot of promise over the last three seasons, but more times then not, he has proven to be ineffective.

This season, Cassel is averaging 189 yards a game. That is not acceptable for a starting quarterback in the NFL.

He has eight touchdowns in five games, but four of those came against the Indianapolis Colts. Still impressive, but it certainly inflates his stats.

Cassel has never proven to be the same guy that we all saw replace Tom Brady like it was nothing.