Try to find a quarterback to compare to Eli Manning and, at least for me, the one name that always comes to mind is Hall of Famer Brett Favre. No fear. Gunslinger mentality. Lots of success. Durability. On the flip side, plenty of questionable throws, a so-so passer rating, boatloads of interceptions, heaps of criticism.
So, Favre’s thoughts on Manning, expressed on his Sirius XM NFL Radio show this week, are noteworthy.
“All the other records [I set], good or bad, the ones that have fallen and the ones that still stand, would not be possible if not for playing and playing consistently week in and week out. I take a tremendous amount of pride in being there every week and being accountable and leading my team. And I’m sure Eli and any other player would say the same thing,” Favre said.
“You know, with Eli, who else would you rather have if you’re a Giants fan? You take the good with the bad. I know that myself, and with Packer fans, throughout my career. You’ve got to be willing to accept both. The bottom line is they’ve won two Super Bowls and he’s played very well. I’d say much more ‘He’s our guy’ than ‘Oh, gosh, Eli’s killing us.’ If I was a Giants fan I’d take him any day of the week.”
As for the 6-3 Giants, Favre said the rest of the league should be “a little bit scared of them” because they have yet to play to their potential.
“First of all, they (the Giants) find a way to get it done and I think when you watch them, whether you like the Giants or not, you have to believe that there’s still a lot left to achieve for them. In other words, the Cowboys [are] playing outstanding [and] everybody’s like, ‘You gotta be kidding me.’ And I don’t know if they can reach another level, if that makes any sense,” Favre said.
“Where the Giants on the other hand, I could see Ben McAdoo, who I know and was a coach in Green Bay while I was there and I think a lot of him, he’s got to be saying, ‘Guys, we’re finding a way to get it done. Yeah, we’ve lost a few games but there’s so much left for us to achieve. We’re so much better. That being said, we’re not playing bad.’ So there’s a lot of room for improvement which is kind of scary for everyone else. You can say that for the Packers as well and several other teams. That’s what I take from [them]. Of course, you’ve got Eli, an outstanding player, great skill guys. So I’d be a little bit scared of them.”
Listen to a portion of Favre’s remarks below.