Super Bowl 2012: Eli Manning Will Become Elite QB After Super Bowl Glory

After Eli Manning leads the Giants to another Super Bowl win, he will take a seat along side the best QBs in the game. 

It is a remarkable turnaround for a talented, but previously erratic passer. Manning has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of his past three seasons. However, he also led the league with 25 interceptions last season. 

That little stat made Manning's preseason proclamation that he was a top-5 QB a bit preposterous. However, this season has proven that he is more of a prophet than a clown for that remark. 

Manning had a stellar year. He finished fourth in passing yards and sixth in touchdowns, and he did all of this without the aid of a running game to take the pressure off of him. The Giants finished dead last in rushing yards. 

Eli has had such a tremendous season that even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is offering him big props.

Those regular season stats alone are not enough for Manning to gain entrance to the grand council of elite QBs, but his playoff performances are. 

Take a look at his amazing postseason stats from this playoff run. 

It is clear that Eli is at his best when the stakes are at their highest, and there is no better praise for a QB than that. 

Of course, that postseason book has one more chapter to be written, and it is here where Manning will provide the biggest statement that he is elite. 

Manning's Soon to be Super Glory

Eli Manning is going to light up the Super Bowl. As you can see from his postseason stats, he clearly has the hot hand, and the Patriots will not be able to slow him down. 

This game offers a very favorable matchup for the Giants' passing attack. New England has struggled against the pass all year, and more specifically they have struggled to stop opposing wide receivers. 

Football Outsiders ranked the Patriots 32nd in guarding No. 1 receivers, 20th in No. 2s and 25th against the rest. 

This plays right into the Giants' hands, as they have a talented and lethal receiver corp. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are as a good a first and second option as any QB can enjoy, and Mario Manningham is not a bad choice as the third receiver. 

While the Patriots have made some strides in their pass defense, there are still some gaping holes, and the Ravens exposed these. Their trio of receivers Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and Lee Evans combined for 12 catches for 202 yards and a touchdown. 

The Giants will be able to better those numbers in this one, and ultimately it will lead to a New York victory. 

That victory will make Eli just the 11th QB in history to win multiple Super Bowls, giving him a résumé that undeniably qualifies him as elite.