Giant Anomaly

by Max Schwager on Nov 18, 2011 11:12 PM EST

The Giants are 6-3, ranking 12th in the league in points scored (24.2 points per game).

The Giants rank 21st in points allowed (23.4 points per game).

This is mind boggling, that a team with a .667 winning percentage could be outscoring opponents by less than one point per game. We all know how we've reached this point on the strength of Eli Manning's ability to move the ball in the game's final minutes. Few quarterbacks seem to hit throws as if the game hanging in the balance is the green light to play to their abilities and to do it for an entire game would be unfair.

The truth is, Eli has been doing this for a while. Amongst active quarterbacks, he ranks 10th in the league with 19 game-winning drive. Now, if we think of ten quarterbacks in the league that might be on such a list, it probably wouldn't look exactly like this:

1. Peyton Manning (45)

2. Kerry Collins (30)

3. Tom Brady (27)

4. Drew Brees (26)

5. Jake Delhomme (24)

6. Donovan McNabb (24)

7. Ben Roethlisberger (23)

8. Mark Brunell (22)

9. Jon Kitna (22)

10. Eli Manning (19)

Of these quarterbacks, Eli Manning moves up to a tie for 8th (sharing the spot with Donovan McNabb and Mark Brunell) on the list with 16 fourth quarter comebacks. Most of the quarterbacks mentioned are at the end of their careers, irrelevant at this point. He's in his 8th season. Let's add a little perspective:

Through eight complete seasons:

Peyton Manning: 19-25 (Fourth quarter comebacks versus total game-winning drives)

Tom Brady: 21-29

Ben Roethlisberger: 20-26

Drew Brees: 12-20

Dan Marino: 17-25

John Elway: 19-21

Eli Manning: 16-19

Brett Favre: 13-20

With seven games left to play in his eighth season, Eli's clutch play stacks up with a list of Hall of Fame and future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. In the playoffs, we see his stats are even more impressive:

Postseason:

Joe Montana: 5-5 (23 total games)

John Elway: 4-6 (21 total games)

Tom Brady: 3-6 (19 total games)

Dan Marino: 3-4 (18 total games)

Eli Manning: 2-3 (7 total games)

Ben Roethlisberger: 2-3 (13 total games)

Brett Favre: 2-2 (24 total games)

Drew Brees: 1-2 (7 total games)

Peyton Manning: 1-1 (19 total games)

That list tells us a lot about Eli Manning. Plenty of analysts out there attempt to minimize his '07 accomplishments by writing it off as being "hot" for a stretch of games. But that just means that Eli's run was just that good, to the point where he ranks ahead of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and is not far off the top names on the list, having played just a fraction of the games. Postseason is what counts, after all.

Our fearless leader will never be the most marketable name in sports. However, he has a legitimate shot as going down as one of the game's most clutch quarterbacks. Ever. Regular season and postseason included.

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Comments

Shouldn't Brett Favre technicaly be ahead of Eli cuz he was 20

and Peyton has 45?!?!?! wth? thats crazyy

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by netsareboss on Nov 19, 2011 7:53 AM EST reply actions

To explain

The first list is one of active quarterbacks, and the second list isn’t in any particular order. Just names grouped together to give an idea. The third list (postseason comebacks and game winners) is in order, and Eli has three game-winning drives, where Favre only has two.

Even in the regular season though, Eli’s led three more comebacks in the fourth quarter than Favre, which to me shows just how overrated Favre was in some ways.

As for Peyton, yeah, insane stat. Don’t know if anybody is going to touch that for a long, long time (but Marino still holds the record with 51).

by Max Schwager on Nov 19, 2011 8:59 AM EST up reply actions

The Giants are very similar to the Colts with Peyton right now

Everyone thinks the Colts were a team that blew everyone out of the water, but that’s not true.

The team stays close enough so Peyton can win the game at the end. Even in 09 when they went 14-2 that’s what happened a lot

Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.
-John Madden
[Jake Ballard] has 4 speeds actually:
Stop→Slow→Truck (he shifts into that when its time to carry 4 defenders for another 4 yards)→LEAP!
-Raptor 22

by Willgfass on Nov 19, 2011 12:10 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

That’s who I think of every time they win a game like this. The Colts started 14-0, but like the Giants, many of those games were comeback wins. Peyton recorded seven that year. Probably could have recorded another if the Colts didn’t bench their starters in the final two weeks, the biggest middle finger any organization can give its fans and players.

by Max Schwager on Nov 19, 2011 4:45 PM EST up reply actions

Farve wasn't overrated, IMO.

I think he and the Pack won enough games before even being in the position of having to make a fourth quarter comeback.

1996 and 1997 Farve was as good a stretch I have ever seen any QB play. He was unstoppable.

"We borrowed golf from the Scottish as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good." Horace Hutchinson

NYG 23 PHI 21

by tommy d. on Nov 19, 2011 7:46 PM EST up reply actions

Favre was in some ways

I’m not saying he wasn’t a Hall of Fame worthy quarterback or anything like that, just that he’d earned a reputation of being clutch that’s not deserved. Look at the numbers. He played more games than any of the quarterbacks up there, but has few 4QCs/GWDs by comparison.

And there were years where Green Bay (and Favre) weren’t winning many games, so he definitely had chances.

Yes, there are other factors that come into play, but Favre played in 24 postseason games and won one Super Bowl. He had chances to lead the Pack to more, but tossed too many game-sealing interceptions.

Great quarterback, just not a clutch quarterback. The way I see it.

by Max Schwager on Nov 26, 2011 1:08 AM EST up reply actions

Where is Rivers?

He is the elite to end all elites.

by BrooksBridges11 on Nov 19, 2011 9:53 AM EST reply actions

Well at least

He's not an turnover machine

Ryan Miller was the true MVP. See my profile for rant.

by Jsz on Nov 19, 2011 1:21 PM EST up reply actions

Rivers is at

13 fourth quarter comebacks and 16 game-winning drives. Pretty good numbers, all things considered (he didn’t really play his first two years).

Says a lot about that 2004 draft class too. Since that draft, only four of seven Super Bowls have been won by quarterbacks drafted in a different year. Those quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers.

There’s a legitimate chance that the next Super Bowl winner will be led by a 2004 quarterback. If not, probably one of the guys mentioned above (with the exception of Peyton Manning, of course). Right now, they’re in a league of their own, and I don’t really see any other team going to a Super Bowl on the strength of their quarterback.

by Max Schwager on Nov 19, 2011 4:57 PM EST reply actions