BY MICHEL GONZALEZ - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
The New York Giants should consider themselves blessed to have had the same quarterback under center since he took over the starting job in 2004.
Up until the later part of the 2011 season, many critics said Eli Manning didn't deserve to be considered a top 10 quarterback in this league. Not only were they seriously underrating him, these pundits are now eating their words.
Over the past three seasons, he's tossed 79 touchdowns versus 49 interceptions, thrown for 11,261 yards, and completed more than 60 percent of his passes.
Have your say: Do you have a great idea for a blog and want to write for Fan Fuel? Email us here. | The best Super Bowls everI'm not sure how that doesn't qualify him as a top 10 quarterback in the league. Throw in a Super Bowl MVP after having led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives in that game, and it's hard to make the argument against him being top 10.
Ever since that amazing playoff run, Eli turned the corner and the Giants have had one of the most potent offences in the league during that time.
Now that's he's no longer known as "Peyton's little brother," here are my Top Ten Eli Manning moments
10. 2004 Draft Power Play
Eli Manning had an impact before he even suited up for an NFL team. In the 2004 draft, the San Diego Chargers originally held the rights to the overall first pick, due to their 4-12 record the year before. With Manning being the consensus No. 1 pick by most experts and the most coveted player in the draft, it appeared that the Chargers' intentions were to draft him first overall. However, Manning stated publicly that he would refuse to play for the Chargers if drafted by them. The sentiment was echoed by his father Archie.
The Chargers still picked him first overall as the team had a deal in place with the New York Giants, whereby the Giants would draft and then trade Philip Rivers and draft picks (used to select Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding) to the Chargers for Manning.
9. 2009 Week 5: Near perfect
It's hard to put Manning's Week 5 performance as a stand-alone moment because frankly, he didn't play the entire game. He was pulled before the end of the first half after re-aggravating his foot injury. It barely mattered, as the Giants scored 31 first-half points on the way to a 44-7 blowout of the Raiders. However, in the time he was in, he put up a perfect quarterback rating going 8-of-10 with 173 yards and two touchdowns.
Funny stat totally unrelated to Eli: Oakland finished with as many punts (seven) as it did first downs.
8. 2006 Week 2: 17-Point comeback win vs. Philadelphia Eagles
In Week 2 of the 2006 season, the Giants found themselves down 17 points entering the fourth quarter. Despite undergoing relentless pressure from the Eagles, who sacked him eight times, Eli Manning led the Giants back and sent the game to overtime.
Eli Manning led two touchdown drives and set the Giants up for the tying field goal with a six play, 63-yard drive in 51 seconds.
After the teams exchanged punts, Eli led the Giants on a 13-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to seal the victory. It was our first taste of the clutch gene that Eli would show throughout his entire career.
7. 2007 Week 3: 14-Point comeback win vs. Washington Redskins
The Giants got off to a terrible start in 2007 under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Giving up 80 points in his first two games and 17 in the first half of the next had fans screaming for his head already.
However, the Giants defence stepped their games up enough to allow Eli enough time to score three touchdowns in the second half, coming back from a 17-3 halftime deficit.
The first two scores of the second half were each double-digit play, 60-plus yard drives.
While it wasn't the best statistical game of his career, it tested his leadership of the offensive huddle after losing Tiki Barber, who had been the offensive leader for several seasons.
That win sparked a run of 10 straight road victories, including an 11th in Super Bowl XLII (technically it was a road game).
6. First win of his career: Giants 28, Cowboys 24
Though he started his career with six straight losses, the future franchise quarterback got his first win against the Dallas Cowboys, one fitting for Giants fans who call the Cowboys the team they hate the most.
Eli did not light up the box score, but did throw three touchdowns to go along with 144 yards and a 101.5 QB rating. He's generally had success against the Cowboys, going 8-6 in his career including one playoff game that will show up later.
5. 2009 Week 15 vs. Washington Redskins
In Week 15, Manning was terrific against the Washington Redskins. On that day, he was 19-of-26 for 268 yards and three touchdowns (each to a different receiver) for a QB rating of 144.4. Manning also got everyone involved, completing passes to 10 different receivers. He threw a 23-yard touchdown to WR Derek Hagan midway through the third quarter to give New York a 31-6 lead. The G-Men never looked back as they won 45-12.
4. 2007 Playoffs: Giants 21, Cowboys 17
When saying no one gave the Giants a chance in hell to win the divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys in 2007, I may actually be underestimating the public opinion.
I mean really, no one outside of New York gave the Giants a shot. True to form of that season, the Giants yet again played shocker and came out on top, thanks in part to a terrific performance by Eli Manning.
Manning went 12-of-18 for 163 yards and two touchdowns with a QB rating of 131.2, the third highest of his career and easily his best playoff performance as a whole.
The Giants would use the confidence gained from knocking off the No. 1 seeded Cowboys to beat the Packers the following week in "Ice Bowl II," then shocked the world in a game represented by the next two slides.
3. "The Catch: Part II"
Before the play to Plaxico Burress that would eventually win the Giants the Super Bowl could happen, Eli Manning and David Tyree had to pull off one of the most incredible plays in Super Bowl history. Just when everyone thought the Patriots had Manning down for a sack, well... see for yourselves!
2. Game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in Super Bowl XLII
Capping off an 80-plus yard touchdown drive that included a fourth-down conversion, a historic play and a 3rd-and-11 conversion by Steve Smith, Eli hit Plaxico Burress on this sluggo (slant and go) route to put the Giants on top for good with 35 seconds to play.
The play brought home the Lombardi trophy for the third time in New York Giants history, and will forever be remembered as the play that ended the pursuit of perfection of the previously undefeated Patriots.
The Giants technically faced the second largest point spread in Super Bowl history, but many call this the biggest upset of all time.
1. 2011 NFC Conference Championship
This ranking goes beyond mere numbers. Sure, Manning was 32 for 58, racked up 316 yards and two touchdowns in spite of being sacked six times, knocked down 10 more and an average of 4.2 yard per pass. He showed a maturity that was well beyond his years and a mastery that was reminiscent of that other guy... you know, his brother Peyton.
His passes were crisp, he was hitting his receivers in perfect stride and fit his throws in tight windows. This thrilling overtime game was Eli's record fifth road playoff win and New York's fifth in a row overall.
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