NFL Source, “With Eli, who else would you rather have?”
As the New York Giants (6-3) prepare to take on the Chicago Bears (2-7) on Sunday. As normal, quarterback play will be a huge focus of the contest. Incidentally the source praising Manning is Brett Favre. This Hall of Fame quarterback who knows something about losing to Eli-led teams. His comments on Wednesday during an interview on Sirius/XM Radio reinforce what Giants’ fans already know. And what other team’s fans are blissfully unaware of.
Eli Manning resides in an elite and respected group of quarterbacks in the NFL. With him under center, the Giants hold a unique and distinct advantage over almost every other team they face. What Manning lacks in perceived athleticism, he more than makes up for with his knowledge of schemes, formations, and defensive tendencies. He has shown this in numerous games this season and most recently in the win over the Bengals.
Favre said, according to the New York Post on Nov. 16, 2016, that Manning’s longevity and consistency are hallmarks to his outstanding play. The Hall of Fame Packer mentioned that Manning’s presence on the field week in and week out is a luxury not many teams have. “I’d say much more ‘he’s our guy’ than ‘oh, gosh, Eli’s killing us.’ If I was a Giants fan I’d take him any day of the week,” Favre stated.
The praise is timely and lends precedence to the idea that the Giants go as Eli goes. When Manning plays well, this team plays well. Favre alludes to his phenomenon in this interview. “[The Giants] find a way to get it done, and I think when you watch them, whether you like the Giants or not, you have to believe that there’s still a lot left to achieve for them…So there’s a lot of room for improvement which is kind of scary for everyone else.”
This improvement should occur as a function of Manning’s performance. As this season drifts into December; teams invariably look to their quarterbacks to win games. Favre and Giants fans realize that there is no other quarterback they’d rather see under center.