We haven’t played a single game of preseason, let alone the regular season. So the media coverage is its typical insanity, with too much time on their hands, too much newsprint to use, too much paper to print it on, and just too many “hits” to miss on the internet. The melodrama is laughable. Anointing some players, killing others. The best part was the fans, upon hearing that Eli was crisp in practice, hitting everything.. wait for it.. what’s wrong with the defense?!!
Let’s talk about Eli anyway. Let’s take a moment to refer to what perennials do when you plant them. First year they sleep. Second year they creep. And then the third year they leap. Well, Eli has had two very good years with McAdoo. Now we enter the third year. Think he’s ready? You bet he’s ready. Older Quarterbacks get better with age. The game slows down for them. Eli got interrupted in that process by having to start from scratch in 2014. But that one step back to go two steps forward is looking to pay some nice dividends in this his 3rd season under the same system.
And same mechanics. Remember that 2014 saw Manning change his footwork. So buried underneath that ~35 TD & 14 INT data are some physical growing pains too alongside those mental growing pains. The point is that Eli rates to get better for many reasons. This is why we wanted another good Tackle drafted (or signed) to replace Newhouse. Just keep Eli upright. Just keep him healthy and the Franchise will do the rest.
In the offseason, Giants fans had little to do but debate whether Eli is going to the Hall of Fame. I tweeted on this subject but I will blog it now… Eli will go to the Hall of Fame with another 4 years and a title. Many will argue that he will do it with either, and I expect that to be correct as well. Eli is already 11th in the NFL in All-Time Passing Yards. And he will vault to 6th all-time in 2 more years, begging he remains healthy. The Hall of Fame voters love longevity. Eli Manning is building that. If he won a 3rd Super Bowl, that too would probably get him in. But my conservative recipe is 4 more years and a title. Then it will not even be a debate. Sure, the nattering nabobs of negativity will parade his INT stats, but they have no clue what it is like to have a stable QB in the NFL for over a decade. Two Super Bowl MVPs. 33 game winning drives. We’ll miss him when he’s gone. We heard that too when Simms retired. I hope we do not have to wait another ~10 years after this Franchise QB is gone before we get another.
Back to camp, I am not going to put up the banner for any players until we start watching some preseason and get a glimpse. Remember, it was in preseason 2007 when we spied a rookie 7th rounder named Ahmad Bradshaw. And it was in preseason 2010 when we saw a UFA named Victor Cruz get 3 TDs vs the Jets. So let’s sit back and watch some rookies play football and fight for jobs. Everyone is raving about Sterling Shepard. He’s already a starter on the depth chart. But he has not played a single professional snap, not even in preseason. Let’s let it breathe and see him live. Then you have my blessing to go stark raving mad and anoint him to the Hall of Fame (alongside of Eli, of course).
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