New York Giants: Why 2011 Will Show Eli Manning Isn't a Franchise Quarterback

Eli Manning is not a franchise quarterback.

For years, the New York Giants have pretended and fans have followed suit—excusing his failings, making faulty comparisons and pinning a championship won by the entire team in 2007 solely on Manning's shoulders.

He's not a franchise quarterback.

Let's define that term.

A franchise quarterback isn't just the quarterback a team has decided to build around. Under that very loose definition, Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, Matt Cassel and Chad Henne are franchise quarterbacks. Under that definition, all a quarterback has to do to win that distinction is be drafted. Are Joey Harrington, David Carr, JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn franchise QBs?

Manning may be better than all of those quarterbacks listed above, but he isn't a franchise quarterback.

A franchise quarterback is a quarterback for whom the franchise is built for—a rare arm that can make an entire team better; a rare personality who leads the entire team—offense and defense—without question; a rare talent that is, almost without fail, the best player on the field at any given time; a rare competitor, that when he isn't the most talented player on the field, he can step up and exceed expectations.

Eli Manning is none of those things.

This morning, New York Giants fans sit somewhere between blissful ignorance and full-blown hysteria as Manning turned in another sub par performance on Monday night against the New York Jets.

Mike Garafalo of the New Jersey Star-Ledger, seems to think that this isn't an isolated incident, writing:

"

Truth be told, Eli Manning did not have the best of training camps. He was very much out of sync with his receivers, misfiring on plenty of deep balls, overcooking some short passes and putting passes over the middle in places that might have gotten receivers crushed in live games.

It’s all gone underreported and underanalyzed because, well, it’s Manning and he tends to be erratic in practices. Often, it doesn’t translate to the field, so there was little concern.

Until now.

"

For the preseason, Manning is 28-for-50 with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He's looked poor against the Jets and the Carolina Panthers and had one good game against the Chicago Bears. Essentially, he's showing up to play one game out of three and only completing half of his passes.

But, it's just the preseason!

I hear you and I understand where you're coming from. Preseason mistakes can be forgiven and preseason stats don't matter. Wins and losses in the preseason mean little if anything. However, that doesn't mean the preseason doesn't matter.

Week 3 is the dress rehearsal, and Manning was just caught with his pants down when the curtain came up.

So what is Eli Manning?

Manning is a good quarterback. He can win games and occasionally string together great performances. Yet, Eli needs a lot of help. Unlike his brother Peyton, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, etc, Eli isn't even the best player on his offense!

Hakeem Nicks is the most talented player on the Giants offense, and it isn't even that close. If Ahmad Bradshaw could solve his fumbling woes, he'd be the clear cut number two. Speaking positionally, Chris Snee is probably more dominant at his position than Manning is at quarterback.

Manning is not elevating this performers, they're helping him. Help he desperately needs. In fact, he needs more. The lack of a second viable passing option seems to be sinking Manning. Mario Manningham can be an occasional deep threat, but Manning has poor accuracy deep. Kevin Boss was often the recipient of Manning's check downs, but he's an Oakland Raider.

The lack of protection seems to be troubling Manning as well. In 2007, not only did Manning have three reliable targets—Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey—but he also had a much better offensive line. The 2007 offensive line started all 16 games together and consisted of five guys who were all in the prime of their careers.

In 2011, four of those guys are still there, but David Diehl has switched to guard and William Beatty probably isn't the answer on the blind side.

The New York Giants do not have enough offensive talent in 2011 to make Manning look like an elite quarterback. Because of injuries, their defense might not be enough to win games either.

If the Giants are going to succeed in 2011, they need Manning to channel the 2007 playoffs version of himself who made great decisions and played up to some great competition. If he doesn't, this will be a long season under the bright lights of the Big Apple—and their famously nasty media.

So, Eli Manning, prove the doubters wrong. Put the Giants on your shoulders. Carry your mediocre team through the injuries and the rough division schedule. Show the world that you're the real deal and that Mike Vick and Tony Romo are the over-hyped ones.

Yet, sports fans, until Manning actually does that, let's stop this facade that he's one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL or that he is somehow the great pillar of a perpetual playoff contender. Since the 2007 win, the Giants have missed the playoffs twice.

Unless Eli Manning surprisingly and substantially raises his level play in 2011, it will finally prove he isn't a franchise quarterback—he just plays one on TV.

Michael Schottey is an NFL Associate Editor for Bleacher Report. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, he has professionally covered the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the Scouting Combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on   Twitter.