The Last Hurrah

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It is no secret that quarterback Eli Manning’s time with the New York Giants is coming to a close. Following the Giants 28-14 home loss in Week Two to the Buffalo Bills this season, Manning was benched in favor of quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones was the Giants first-round pick this past spring in the National Football League Draft, and the writing was on the wall that he’d be New York’s heir apparent to Manning. The Giants brass gave Manning the opportunity to remain as the starter based on his play, but after Big Blue’s slow start here in 2019, you knew that his time was coming to an end.

To Manning’s credit he has been a professional throughout the process as he has helped Jones in preparation, while also keeping himself prepped should his number get called one more time.

That was the case in Week 14 when Manning started in place of an injured Jones for the Giants against the Philadelphia Eagles. Manning started off hot as he led the Giants on three scoring drives in the first half, but he could not help the Giants in the second half as the entire team wilted as Big Blue fell to the Eagles in overtime.

Image result for eli manning vs dolphinsHowever Manning would get one final start as he was under center for the Giants in their Week 15 home contest against the Miami Dolphins. Manning did throw 3 interceptions versus the Dolphins, but he also did manage to go 20-for-28 overall passing with a pair of touchdown passes as New York rallied to defeat Miami 36-20. And in garbage time, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur gave Manning the sendoff that he deserved by replacing him with Alex Tanney which gave the veteran the opportunity the hear the cheers from the home fans at MetLife Stadium for possibly the last time.

Manning returned to his role as the backup this past Sunday when the Giants went on the road to face the Washington Redskins as Jones returned from his ankle injury. And in doing so Manning watched Jones throw 5 touchdown passes in leading the Giants to a 41-35 win.

The Giants have long been eliminated from playoff contention which means that this Sunday’s home game versus the Eagles will see Manning in the blue and white one last time. And barring another injury to Jones, or a blowout, Manning will only be a spectator in the contest. But when it’s all said and done, Manning has nothing to be ashamed of in regards to his career.

Image result for eli manning chargersIn 2004, Manning came to the Giants with a ton of hoopla around him. The San Diego Chargers came into the 2004 National Football League Draft in possession of the first overall pick, and they made it clear of their intentions to select Manning. However Manning had let it be known that he didn’t want to play for the Chargers as his heart was set on playing for the Giants. The Giants owned the fourth overall pick in the draft, and they were seeking to meet the Chargers high asking price for moving up in the draft which included sending a first-round pick to San Diego in the 2005 draft.

At first it looked like a deal would not get done as the Chargers stuck to their guns and selected Manning who looked disgruntled at best during the entire process. But later on that day, the Giants and Chargers would work out a deal which would send Manning to New York, while quarterback Philip Rivers (whom New York took fourth overall) would be heading West.

Aside from the trade, Manning also joined the Giants with the pressure of being the son of a former National Football League quarterback as his father Archie spent most of his career with the New Orleans Saints, while his older brother Peyton was a star with the Indianapolis Colts. But Manning showed that he could live up to the family name, while his relaxed demeanor was just right for the pressure packed Big Apple.

There were those in New York City who wanted the younger Manning to immediately be his older brother, but that was not the case. In Manning’s first two years as a starter with the Giants, he did help the team make the playoffs, but without a victory in the postseason, there were those who questioned whether or not that he could get it done.

However in 2007, the Giants entered the playoffs as a wild card, and there they looked to exercise some demons. After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, the Giants would travel to face the Dallas Cowboys who had beaten them twice in the regular season. And as the Cowboys anticipated getting past the Giants easily, it was New York with Manning under center who would upset the heavily favored team from Dallas.

The Giants run would not stop there as they would upset the Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field in freezing temperatures to win the NFC Championship and advance to the Super Bowl.

But in the Super Bowl, the Giants had a tall task ahead of them as they had to face the mighty New England Patriots who were seeking to become the first team in National Football League history to finish a season 19-0.

Image result for david tyree super bowl catchThe stage was set for the Patriots to be crowned champions as all they had to do was to protect a 14-10 lead late in the fourth quarter, and keep Manning and the Giants out of the end zone. But Manning had different plans as he would scramble out of danger, heave the football down the field, and find wide receiver David Tyree for the most improbable catch in Super Bowl history. The play went for 32 yards, but more importantly it gave the Giants offense the momentum that they sorely needed. And with the Patriots defense now reeling, Manning would find wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants the 17-14 lead with just 35 seconds left as New York would slay the giant that was the Patriots with Manning leading the biggest upset since Super Bowl 3 where the New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts with quarterback “Broadway” Joe Namath leading the charge.

Image result for eli manning super bowl paradeThe win vaulted Manning into being an overnight celebrity as everyone in Gotham now wanted a piece of him. Fans lined the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan to greet Manning and the Giants following their upset of the Patriots, while endorsement deals were raining down on the younger Manning who was now no longer considered to be Peyton’s little brother.

Manning wasn’t done winning titles there as in 2011, he and the Giants rallied from starting the season with a record of 7-7, to getting victories in their final two contests of the season to win the NFC East which gave them the momentum to get past the Atlanta Falcons, Packers, and San Francisco 49ers in the postseason which set another showdown with the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

It was another showdown between Brady and Manning, and just like it was the first time round, the Patriots needed to stop a late Giants rally in order to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The stage was set as late in the fourth quarter, the Giants had the football deep in their own territory. And just like it was four years before that, Manning would lead the Giants down the field for the go-ahead score as he did it with a new group of unsung characters which included wide receiver Mario Manningham. This time Manning led the Giants on a 12-play, 88-yard drive for the go-ahead score with 57 second remaining. The Giants would hold on to defeat the Patriots for the second time, with Manning taking home Super Bowl MVP honors once again.

The second half of Manning’s career wasn’t as spectacular as the first as an aging supporting cast around him, along with the Giants inability to strike gold in the draft like they had previously done caught up to them. From 2012-present, the Giants have only finished with two winning seasons, while only making one trip to the postseason. Things got so bad in 2017 that late in the season, then Giants head coach Ben McAdoo benched Manning in favor of journeyman Geno Smith. The decision was not a popular one as McAdoo become a whipping boy of  criticism by the Giants beat writers, sports radio jocks, and fans alike in the New York area. Manning’s benching saw his 210 consecutive games streak which was second all-time for quarterbacks in National Football League history come to an end as the Giants had reluctantly turned him into a martyr.

Manning’s benching was so unpopular that several days later the Giants made the decision to fire McAdoo, along with longtime general manager Jerry Reese who was at the helm of New York’s two Super Bowl wins over the Patriots.

In December 2017, the Giants would get a new general manager in Dave Gettleman who vowed to turn things around for Big Blue, while also giving Manning the opportunity to remain as the team’s starting quarterback. But after the Giants went 5-11 last season with Manning under center, you knew that his time as the team’s starting quarterback would be nearing a close.

Image result for eli manning giantsHowever Manning has nothing to be ashamed of as he’ll walk away from the National Football League with 57,023 career passing yards which are seventh all-time, 366 touchdown passes which are also seventh, and 4,895 career completions which are sixth. Manning’s career record is 117-117, and there will be those who will debate whether or not that he deserved enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he will never have to pay for another drink at a bar in the New York/New Jersey area.

In 16 years with the Giants, Manning did what is so tough to do, and that is to join a New York area sports team amid a ton of hype, while being able to back it up. Manning solidified his status of being a legend by beating Brady and the Patriots twice, while always being a stand-up guy for the Giants organization. The majority of Giants fans adore Manning, and more importantly you’ve never heard a former teammate (aside from Tiki Barber) have a bad thing to say about him. There have been those who’ve wanted to see the Giants move on from Manning for the past several years, and I have always maintained that you won’t appreciate him until someone else is playing starting quarterback for Big Blue.

Jones has taken his fair share of lumps this season for the Giants as his record as a starter is 3-8, and only time will tell if he’ll be able to live up to the lofty expectations which have been set by the man who is to bid MetLife Stadium adieu for the last time.

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By | 2019-12-23T18:11:04+00:00 December 24th, 2019|Categories: National Football League|Tags: , |0 Comments

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