Eli Manning's Slump a Mirage

As if in one simultaneous heartbeat, the pencils began sharpening last week without a moment's hesitation. The vultures came out of there hiding places, sensing another chance to write about the woes of the NYG quarterback.  

Eli, apparently, was officially in a slump the moment the Dallas game was concluded.  Never mind that he was winning games, and his team continued to put up points.  He wasn't putting up big numbers, which as we all know, is the only meaningful thing in football. 

It's remarkable how alike sports writers think. Everywhere I've looked from last Monday 'till today, all I can read about is how awful and inconsistently Eli has played over the past five games. 

Not to single the guy out, but Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News writes: "A powerful defense and running game could carry the Giants to another Super Bowl championship. But at some point they're going to need their quarterback, too." 

Really?  I think that point officially came in the Pittsburgh game when the Giants rushing attack was nonexistent, and Manning, while not turning the ball over, continued to get his team inside the opponent's 10-yard line, against what was then the league's ocho cinco defense. 

True enough, they didn't score too much that day, but that was due more to the fact that their "powerful running attack" was doing well when it wasn't fumbling the ball.  In addition, Manning was forced to deal with a coordinator who, after the first series and until the last scoring drive, wet himself any time they sniffed the end zone, and apparently lost the page of his playbook that read 'Play Action.'

As far as Manning's stats are concerned, it's difficult to put up huge yardage when there aren't any plays designed to go more than 20 yards downfield. 

Did the Giants throw one deep pass during the Philly game, other than the one to Plaxico, where there was a defensive holding called.  What about the Dallas game? I can only remember one semi-deep pass in that one.  In fact, I can't recall the last time the Giants made a concerted effort to go vertical. 

And if you want to know why Plaxico is in a funk, there's your answer. His prowess lies in his ability to stretch the field, not to catch 10 yard slants, and he's simply not being given his opportunities.  

And let's take another look back at the Philly game.  After Manning threw the early pick and the Giants were down seven in a hostile environment, he led them on two TD scoring drives anchored by the pass and regained control of the game.  "But at some point they're going to need their quarterback, too," so I guess we've still got to worry about Eli.

The truth is, dissecting Manning's most recent games to determine whether he is a guy who can get it done is astonishingly shortsighted. 

Lest we forget, he is months removed from some of the cleanest, most efficient football ever played in the playoffs.  In each one of those games, there were several times when the G-men needed a score and had to rely on their quarterback's arm, and each and every time he delivered, capping it off with a fourth quarter TD drive to win the Super Bowl. 

So I ask again, are we really questioning whether Eli can lead his team if and when the running game falters.  If only reporters could look past the stats, I would have a much easier time picking up the sports section. 

If you ask me, they're the ones in the slump.