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Eli Manning Left Off Pro Football Focus Top 101… Again

By Christopher Schwarz

Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 49-17. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 49-17. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus released his Top 101 Players in the NFL Right Now yesterday and it featured a few New York Giants, but not the two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. PFF’s list has different criteria than their previous 101 list released in January and, amongst other things, grades players on a unique scale where all positions are weighed equally. In their words, “if a run-stuffing nose tackle is that good, he can feature ahead of a Pro Bowl quarterback, even if he can never hope to approach the value of the latter player in today’s NFL.”

This PFF list just adds to the hatorade being doused on Manning this offseason. ESPN called him the “Most Overpaid NFL Veteran” and part of an “average” triplet.  Not to mention, his former running back Tiki Barber chose Kirk Cousins as the best QB in the division.
PFF’s list differs from the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2016, still being compiled, because that ranking was voted on by the players themselves. Manning is ranked at number 47, just one spot behind San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Players seem to hold Manning in a higher regard than the staff at PFF. Dallas Cowboys WR Terrance Williams had this to say on NFL Network. “Eli Manning, he’s an assassin to me. He can make throws from the left hash, right hash, down the field. (He’s) a championship-poised quarterback that has been through it all. I just think he has the right package to be in the top 100.”

PFF has historically not felt Manning ranks in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks. Not top 10, not top 20 even, according to their rankings released after the season ended. Eli was in the midst of their “Third Tier” quarterbacks ranked a ridiculously low 24th in the NFL, below Kirk Cousins and Sam Bradford. Here’s what PFF’s Steve Palazzolo had to say about Manning in January. “Manning had his moments, but overall, he received good interception luck (fourth-most TWPs at 30, only 14 interceptions) and incredible play from Odell Beckham Jr. certainly helped his cause.” “TWPs” are turnover-worthy plays.

So, not only was Manning left off this latest quarterback ranking, chances are, he wasn’t even close. Three Giants did show up on PFF’s top 101, however. Odell Beckham Jr., as expected, ranked fairly high at 17. Two of Jerry Reese’s offseason acquisitions also made an appearance. Olivier Vernon was ranked 67th and Damon Harrison snuck in the back door at 100, just ahead of Colts punter Pat McAfee.

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