Eli Manning: I'm in the same class as Tom Brady

[VC15]

By Matt Ehalt
Special to ESPNNewYork.com
Archive

Eli Manning is a top-caliber quarterback. Well, at least he says he is.

Kay: Eli Manning - 8/16 Listen

Giants QB Eli Manning joins "The Michael Kay Show" about the offensive struggles in the preseason game, cutting down the turnovers this year and where he feel he ranks among the best QB's in the league.

The New York Giants quarterback, who does have a Super Bowl MVP award to his name, said on "The Michael Kay Show" on ESPN New York 1050 on Tuesday that he considers himself to be a top quarterback who belongs in the same class as New England's Tom Brady.

"I consider myself in that class and Tom Brady is a great quarterback, he's a great player and what you've seen with him is he's gotten better every year and he started off winning championships and I think he's a better quarterback now than what he was, in all honesty, when he was winning those championships," Manning said Tuesday. "It's funny, you say well he won championships, but the team, but I think know he's grown up and gotten better every year and that's what I'm trying to do. I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best."

While Manning is regarded as a very good quarterback by most, as he's led the Giants to the playoffs in four of his seven seasons as the full-time starter, there is usually a hesitation to place him among the elite in the game. While Manning was fifth in the league in passing yards with 4,002 yards and fourth in touchdowns with 31 scores last season, his 25 interceptions are the number that jumps out the most.


He did say he didn't feel that too many of his interceptions last year were caused by bad decisions.

When explaining why he feels he's an elite quarterback, Manning said the Giants have an offense that puts him in a good situation and with their stingy run game, it opens the play action, which is a facet of the game that he performs well in. He recalled just one interception on play action and said he's good with the ball on those situations.

"I'm not a 25-interception quarterback, I know that," Manning said. "That's going to be fixed and it should be a good year."

It could be a challenge for Manning to live up to his claim this year, as the Giants swung and missed on their receiving targets this offseason.

Two of Manning's former safety valves, tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith, have signed with new teams, with Boss heading to Oakland and Smith signing with NFC East rival Philadelphia. It's still unknown who will be the Giants' No. 3 receiver at this point.


The Giants also watched Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress spurn them to sign with the New York Jets, despite Burress coming to the Giants facility and meeting with former players, organizational members and coach Tom Coughlin. During Burress' brief stay in New York, however, he and Manning never met and Manning said he was busy preparing.

While the two worked well together on the field in their nearly four seasons together, highlighted by their Super Bowl title in 2007, Manning also failed to visit Burress while he was in jail and the quarterback did not have a reason Tuesday for why he didn't. He said he called Burress once he got out of jail, but didn't want to have it be a big deal if he visited Burress.

Manning said Tuesday that he was indecisive on some parts on whether he wanted to reunite with the talented, 6-foot-5 receiver, without saying yes or no as to whether he wanted Burress back. He also reiterated why he didn't publicly lobby for Burress to rejoin the Giants.

"I didn't want to put my owners in a spot, I didn't want to put my other teammates in a spot saying that I thought we needed him because then all of a sudden it would be in the papers that Eli didn't think his receivers were good enough or something like that," Manning said. "It's not my job to go out there and promote for somebody. I'm trying to get better and if they want to bring him in, great, and we'll get back to work and see how we can get better. I didn't know what the circumstances were. It wasn't going to be a case of me going after it and make a decision whether Plaxico is coming to the Giants. It was going to be some other factors."

Matt Ehalt is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

Let the haters converge.

 

[elcheato]

Are they taking summer classes together or something?

 

[bosoxlover12]

 

[kam.]

Same drivers license class? Thats it?

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

Well, there's not many other QB's in the "Tom Brady class" and I'm pretty sure Eli Manning is not one of them, his older brother might be though. lol

 

[TTN2810]

I actually LOL'd when I saw this.
Dudes a scrub.
More INT's than career games! lmaoooo

 

[DJT]

Dude has some confidence...like Suh.

 

[RipCity32]

Are they taking summer classes together or something?

+1

 

[VC15]

I actually LOL'd when I saw this.
Dudes a scrub.
More INT's than career games! lmaoooo

One more ring than Rivers.
One more SB MVP award than Big Ben.
Five fewer TD passes than Brady last year.

Eli Manning had 52.1 percent of his potential interceptions turn into interceptions, a total that was the fourth-highest in the league and was a prime reason Manning threw a league-high 25 interceptions.

A Titans fan calling Eli a scrub?

Now I've seen it all.

I don't even think that Eli's at Brady's level, but this post is fucking stupid.

Well, I am just shaking my head at your stupid ass.

 

[elcheato]

A Browns fan is calling Eli a scrub, so now you've seen it all. Well actually he's more along the lines of average, but yea.

 

[VC15]

A Browns fan is calling Eli a scrub, so now you've seen it all. Well actually he's more along the lines of average, but yea.

Top five in yards and TD's last season is "average." Thanks for letting me know.

79 TD's to 49 INT's since the superbowl is "average."

Delightful.

 

[RipCity32]

Being in the same "class" as a guy like Brady has a lot more to do than personal stats.

 

[VC15]

Being in the same "class" as a guy like Brady has a lot more to do than personal stats.

I never said it. Eli said it.

But what else separates Eli from Brady? Besides personal stats?

 

[RipCity32]

Leadership, locker-room presence, etc.

 

[elcheato]

Top five in yards and TD's last season is "average." Thanks for letting me know.

79 TD's to 49 INT's since the superbowl is "average."

Delightful.

He was also top 5 in INTs as well, #1 to be exact..

 

[TTN2810]

One more ring than Rivers.
One more SB MVP award than Big Ben.
Five fewer TD passes than Brady last year.

Eli Manning had 52.1 percent of his potential interceptions turn into interceptions, a total that was the fourth-highest in the league and was a prime reason Manning threw a league-high 25 interceptions.

A Titans fan calling Eli a scrub?

Now I've seen it all.

I don't even think that Eli's at Brady's level, but this post is fucking stupid.

Well, I am just shaking my head at your stupid ass.

First off, he wasn't the reason they won the Super Bowl, the defense held the Pats in check. SB MVP really? Nice. And wow, 5 fewer really?! That means he's just as good, cause he threw less TD's? And please, look at his WR corps, and running game, AND defense. Put him on a team with less talent and he's nothing.

And Dome, honestly, you do not belong on a forum. You neg rep anyone who has an opinion against you, and you take every bad comment to your team personally. Then you go into personal attacks. Please dude, it makes you look horrible. Jut calm down a bit and talk and debate instead of freaking out.

Do I have to hide my opinion to make you happy?

Here it goes.

Eli is great. I would love for him to be my QB, and he's waaay better than Tom Brady. He has a stronger arm, more accurate, smarter, and OF COURSE better looking too!!! Eli4Life!

Is that what you want?

 

[bosoxlover12]

5 less TDs? How bout 21 more interventions than Brady!

 

[kam.]

One more ring than Rivers.
One more SB MVP award than Big Ben.
Five fewer TD passes than Brady last year.

Trent Dilfer also has more superbowl rings than Marino.. doesn't mean hes better than him.

By your standards.. Byron Leftwich > Jim Kelly

Or Charlie Batch > Phillip Rivers.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

All I can say is "lol at Eli" and "lol at Domerocker"

 

[cruzg24]

Eli is a good quarterback who has the ability to win Super Bowls due to a proven track record. There are only a handful of QB's who I would take instead of him and if thats what Manning will be for the rest of his career as a decent QB, then I am content because most teams dont have that. Eli Manning did what he was supposed to do and that was deliver and contribute significantly to a Super Bowl win.

I disagree that he is on the same level as Brady, but I do agree with the fact that this will end up being his best year as an NFL starter.