New York Giants: Eli Manning might have nothing left to give and that’s okay

Eli Manning might have nothing left to give the New York Giants and that’s okay. He’s given them everything and asked for nothing in return because that’s Eli Manning.

Manning is not terrible like some want you to believe, but he is declining. Since his best statistical season in 2015, the New York Giants veteran quarterback has declined and declined fast.

The combination of his deteriorating skills and the Giants’ mess around him has left the franchise in a tough spot. It’s too early to punt on this season, but unless the Giants win the next two games it might get to that point.

In 2017, Manning showed he was declining but played okay in the games he had his weapons. However, it all fell apart when Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard went down with injuries. It really collapsed when Ben McAdoo benched Manning and lost the locker room and his job.

New York Giants

This year, the 37-year-old quarterback has weapons, but the offensive line is still a train wreck. Manning has looked jumpy in the pocket and has refused to take shots downfield. It is obvious he is looking for the pass rush and expecting pressure and that is a problem.

Manning’s Magic

Manning is a two-time Super Bowl MVP. He is on the top 10 of almost every NFL passing list. He won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award and is a four-time Pro Bowler. He has been everything you could want in a franchise leader.

Manning does not have to prove anything to anyone. His legacy is set. His haters will try to take away from his Hall of Fame résumé by talking about his interceptions. They will try to say he was carried to his championships, but in reality, he carried the Giants in 2011.

On December 11, 2011, the Giants trailed the Cowboys by 12 points with a little over five minutes left in the game. Manning would go on to lead the Giants to the win. He worked his magic, passing for 400 yards while leading Big Blue to two late touchdowns.

Cris Collinsworth praised Manning’s clutch performance from the broadcast booth with the Giants season on the line. Manning would keep that magic going and eventually led Big Blue to another Super Bowl victory, defeating Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady along the way.

Manning hasn’t failed the Giants. He just can’t overcome bad offensive lines and poor defenses like he has in the past. He is old now, and he has taken so many big hits over his career, especially in recent years.

Now, Manning might have his best skill players ever in Saquon Barkley, Beckham, Shepard and Evan Engram, but even with that, he still can’t overcome the offensive line.

That says something about how bad the offensive line is, but it also says something about how Manning has declined. The No. 10 of old would be slinging the ball all over the field, taking hits, taking chances and that’s not happening now.

The Giants chose to double down on Manning, and it looks like it’s already starting to backfire. Did John Mara double down on Manning out of respect, or did he do it out of guilt for allowing his franchise to waste what was left of Manning’s talents? Maybe both.

End of an Era

In 2014 and 2015, Manning threw for a combined 65 touchdowns. That was with no run game, no offensive line, and no real pass catchers besides Beckham. In 2015, Manning got over 790 yards and 8 touchdowns out of Rueben Randle, who never made another NFL roster after leaving Big Blue. Can you imagine how different those seasons could have been with this group.

The Giants wasted the last few years that they could have won with Manning. Now they are paying for it.

They tried to squeeze one more title out of him, and it appears like it will fail. Fans shouldn’t be angry with Manning. They should be grateful he was here in the first place. He gave so much and never asked for anything in return maybe to a fault.

It is painful to think about what a young Manning could have done with this current skill group. It is time for Manning to ride off into the sunset. He deserves a better ending than this but that doesn’t always happen in sports. The Eli Manning era is coming to a close.