10 Reasons NY Giants’ Eli Manning Belongs in the Hall of Fame
By David Solow
Reason #9: Eli Manning is one of the most clutch quarterbacks of all time
According to FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, Eli Manning is without a doubt the most clutch postseason quarterback of all time.
The NY Giants were underdogs in seven of Manning’s first eleven postseason games. Based on the data and simulations from Silver, there was only a 1% chance Manning could have won 8 of the 11 playoff contests. There was a .1% chance a replacement-level QB could have won those games.
Manning had 27 fourth-quarter comebacks and 37 game-winning drives in the regular season. He also had four 4th quarter comebacks and 5 game-winning drives in the postseason. Eli Manning was always at his best when the pressure was the highest.
The play Manning will be remembered for the most is probably the “helmet catch play” with David Tyree. The catch was spectacular, but Manning’s ability to break a near-certain sack was just as impressive.
Manning’s most clutch play though came vs. New England four years later. Backed up late in the fourth, Manning made the greatest throw in NFL history to Mario Manningham.
After the play was made, everyone knew the game was over. There was no stopping Manning.
2011: HBD to @ManninghamNYG who turns 35 today. In Super Bowl XLVI his 38 yard catch from @EliManning was one of the most skilled receptions in NFL history, from both the difficulty of the throw by Eli to Manningham's catch/stay in bounds & set up win for #NYGiants #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/W3etUPAYML
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) May 25, 2021