Manning poised for ascent to elite status

By Hugo Guzman  |   Sunday, August 20, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New York Giants
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New York Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning was fairly solid last year. In just his second NFL season, and his first as the full-time starter, Manning threw for over 3,700 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns. He also managed to lead the upstart Giants to a seemingly improbable playoff berth.

That's all fine and dandy, but fairly solid is not what the Manning family is about. They're all about achieving elite status, and that's exactly what young Eli is poised to do in season three.

Why am I so sure of this? For starters, to put it as plainly and simply as possible, it's Eli Manning's birthright. His father was a legitimate NFL star despite playing the bulk of his career for a god-awful New Orleans Saints franchise. His brother is currently the NFL's most prolific passer, a shoe-in Hall of Famer, and is poised to break virtually every passing record known to man. Eli has already shown flashes of the "Manning" brilliance, and has the potential to be an even more dynamic offensive threat than his brother Peyton because of his ability to scramble the way his father did.

Now heading into his second full season, Eli should be able to take a leap forward similar to what Peyton did in his second full season with the Colts. In that year, the elder Peyton was able to improve his passer rating by nearly 20 points, cut his interception total down from 28 to 15, improve his completion percentage from 56.7 to 62.1, and surpass the 4,000-yard plateau.

The younger Manning should also make similar strides, improving on his pedestrian 75.9 passer rating, 52.8 completion percentage and 17 interceptions.

But perhaps the most tangible and compelling reason for his ascendance into the top echelon of NFL quarterbacks is the ridiculously talented cast of skill players surrounding him. Eli Manning now has a full year of work with Pro Bowl- caliber guys like Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress. Together, those four players form the nucleus of what could be the arguably the most potent offense in the league.

Manning will also be aided by a surprisingly sturdy offensive line that gave up only 28 sacks in 2005, good for sixth in the league. As that line continues to gel and approaches the level of reliability enjoyed by Peyton (the Colts ranked first in sacks allowed, giving up only 20), Eli's output should improve that much more.

Thus far in the preseason, Eli Manning has already given New York Giants a taste of what to expect during the regular season. In two outings, the former Ole Miss legend has completed 15-of-21 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. His completion rating is a Peyton-like 71.4 and his passer rating is a lofty 108.0

Can Eli maintain those numbers throughout the 2006 season? Probably not. But if he even nears them, he will come that much closer to cementing his elite status. He is a Manning, after all, so in a sense, it should be expected.

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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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