You know, it is a good thing we have a record of what was said and when we said it. This time our observations are only a year and a half ahead of the players, coaches and media.
November 7, 2008- “The Manning Malaise“
UltimateNYG quantifies the statistical dropoff in Eli Manning’s performance at midseason:
Manning peaks in his first 5 games and then slides thereafter, leveling off after Week 10…(this) simple observation is pretty relevant and any QBs coach has to know these things about his player/s.
June 2, 2010- ESPN comments on Eli Manning
ESPN contributor John Clayton reports that Eli Manning is working with his coaches to stop the midseason slump:
Eli Manning (is) doing extra work to try to avoid the mid-season slumps that also have marked his career. Manning usually gets off to a good start, but his accuracy drops to around 56 percent and his interception totals rise in October and November. To correct this, Manning is working with his coaches to make sure his throwing mechanics remain consistent all season.
What is important is that not only were we observant about the tendency to slump, we also quantified the slump by objectively looking at the passer rating numbers week by week. In 2009, it is a little unfair to do this because of the plantar fasciitis injury that Manning suffered in Week 4. Here is the weekly passer rating in 2009 anyway: 94, 111, 106, 104, 158, 61, 48, 56, 113, 112, 66, 89, 131, 144, 75, 71. Also working against Manning in 2009 was the schedule.. Week 6 was when the regular season began, where the Giants were facing credible playoff opponents in New Orleans, Arizona and Philadelphia. That three game stretch saw the passer rating plummet to 55, which still has to be acknowledged for being so far below his 93 season average.
The good news is that Eli Manning improves his play each year. The better news is that he and his coach/s recognize the swoon and aim to make him a more consistent QB throughout the season. Good for him. Good for the coaches. Good for Giants fans.
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