Jets QB Mark Sanchez is walking into a pressure cooker, and nobody knows that more than Giants QB Eli Manning. The Giants sent QB Philip Rivers and picks to the Chargers ? which became LB Shawne Merriman and K Nate Kaeding ? to acquire Manning. The move paid off when Manning was selected as the MVP of Super Bowl XLII. Jets fans are looking for a similar return. That?s the pressure of playing in New York. Eli told the New York Post that Jets fans are going to have awfully high expectations of Sanchez coming into the season. ?In New York, it just goes game-by-game of how he?s doing,? Manning said. ?That?s just kind of the way it works in New York. There?s not a whole lot of leeway with people saying, ?He?s got it or he doesn?t have it.? People are going to make quick decisions about you whether good or bad, and you can?t let it affect you, good or bad.? The only way to get over the hump, Manning says, is to win a Super Bowl. ?It definitely was a great experience, and you love having one under your belt,? he said. ?You feel not so much that you have to keep proving yourself every game. You get some of the doubters out of there. But it doesn?t end any hunger from my aspect. If anything it makes you hungrier to get back to a championship.? Is that going to happen in Sanchez?s first year? It could, but Sanchez might not be the guy under center. At least not to start. The Jets could be following the Giants? model here, as Manning learned under Kurt Warner before becoming the starter. Eli told the Post that he plans to reach out to Sanchez at some point and that he and former Jets QB Chad Pennington used to hang out and send text messages. Seems kind of odd to have competing quarterbacks being so chummy, but maybe that?s a necessary evil when it comes to playing in New York. http://blogs.nfl.com/category/around-the-web/
This is exactly the same example I used earlier today. I find it interesting that Eli and Chad were close.
giants fans have every reason to be judgmental with eli. they gave up a king's ransom for him, probably more than he's worth. i think rivers is straight up better than eli. by the same logic, rivers + merriman > eli. imagine merriman with that defense? and rivers throwing to plaxico (well, pre-gunshot incident)? we jet fans would be even more jealous than we are now.
Right, because the fact that Rivers gets to play in the balmy weather of San Diego and was allowed to hand off to one of the best RBs ever to play the game while Eli had deal with the windy weather of the Meadowlands, a new HC and his system, as well as two world-class assholes in Barber and Shockey completely have nothing to do with how their careers have looked so far. Oh, and let's not even go into how a world class asshole like Rivers would handle the New York media. Eli was coveted by Accorsi because of his ability to put a team of inferior talent on his back and carry them to victory (he did this throughout his college career) and there was also concern about Rivers' longevity at QB due to his unorthodox throwing motion. The first of these things is obviously a proven fact. Rivers' arm and his ability to maintain while throwing as he does is something we will have to wait and see about. And tell me, do you actually have a reason (besides general bitterness towards Eli/the Giants in general) for thinking Rivers is better. And remember, you can't look at stats in a vacuum.
The fact that Eli got the Giants their 3rd Lombardi Trophy alone makes him worth the trade. But I digress from that point to bring up another. I think that ultimately both teams benefited greatly from this trade. The reasons why the Chargers did well are obvious and have been touted ad naseum by the media. Thus I will not be writing as much about these reasons. 1. Rivers doesn't have a strong throwing arm, but this does not matter in San Diego as the weather is great. 2. Rivers being a jackass is actually beneficial to San Diego as they are a traditionally small football market. In its own way, Rivers' dickheadedness puts them on the map. 3. Merriman was a very talented player coming in to the league, but San Diego was able to place him under the tutelage of Wade Phillips. Phillips is a total boob as an HC, but he is very good at developing pass-rushing LBs in a 3-4. Now for why the Giants did well in this trade... 1. The Giants needed a QB with a strong arm and high football IQ. Rivers' arm would not fare well in the Meadowlands and there were concerns about Roethlisberger's football IQ leading up to the draft. Eli provides both these things. Having said this his development was slow due to lack of talent (initially) on the part of the offense as a whole, locker room issues involving Barber and Shockey, and the extreme incompetence of 1st time OC Jim Hufnagel (he is currently carrying on his coaching career in the CFL). 2. The Giants needed a QB that could say all the right things and endure what was certain to be a lengthy and frustrating rebuilding process. Rebuilding is tough in the NFL, and it's tougher still when you have the Sword of Damocles that is the NY media constantly reminding you of this fact. Couple this with the fact that the Giants are transitioning from a laissez-faire HC in Fassel to a strict disciplinarian with Coughlin as well the sad truth that the Giants simply were not a very talented team at this point and it is pretty easy to see that they are in for a bit of tough sledding. Eli is a QB that always says the right thing and handles stress, pressure, and criticism well (possibly better than any other QB in that 2004 class). 3. The Giants had an excellent offseason following the 2004 season. They brought in Antonio Pierce, Kareem McKenzie, and Plaxico Burress. The Giants would not have had the money to bring these three players in if they also had a 1st round pick to pay. These are 3 players that were integral in turning around the Giants' fortunes and helping them win the Super Bowl in 2007. So for these reasons I think the trade worked out well for both teams. Rivers and Eli will always have their stats compared, but it's not like their careers are over. They are both still works in progress and have lots of football left in them. It will be quite interesting to see how their careers ultimately compare.
For Eli, I would never give up what Giants gave up for him...But...if it gets them a ring with him under center somehow, I wouldnt mind even giving up twice as much. Its all about the ring. (not to take anything away from their D)
What the Giants gave up is pretty much on par with the point chart if you're trading up from the 4th overall pick to the 1st overall pick. EDIT: And keep in mind AJ Smith had asked for Osi. The Giants refused to give him up.
I agree Rivers is better than Eli, but the Giants cannot regret that trade at all. Eli won them a Super Bowl, and it wasn't in spite of him. That alone makes it worth it.
good for eli helping out our young new QB.... its good to see that Eli is ready to lend a helping hand, but I don't see Sanchez being destroyed the way Eli was due to his personality. Eli's demeanor makes the evil media want to knock him because he's very relaxed about the whole deal. I find Sanchez too much of a schmoozer for the media to truly come down on him the way they did Eli. Eli was unfairly mocked to death his first 2 years. In my opinion, I don't see Sanchez having that "pick on the quiet kid" problem as much. Plus, lest we forget - Eli is Peyton Manning's younger brother. That was a lot of added pressure on Eli. And Peyton told the media Eli was better than he was at one point. Thats a lot for one person to take - that's why I support Eli Manning, even with my Jets loyalty.
Eli - Rivers- does not matter... Once Eli won a super bowl - whatever the Giants paid was not an issue...The Giants got what they wanted...If he can help Sanchez - God bless him...
Mark is already in contact with his Trojan brothers in NY....Stevie Smith and Terrell Thomas. Although they are with the Giants, it will give him some sense of family out there. The Manning brothers are good guys, so it is not surprising that Eli would reach out. All this will help your QB in the transition period from college to the NFL.
Eli was an integral part of that Super Bowl run. The defense played great, but it also played at more or less the same level it did during the regular season (with the notable exception of the Super Bowl). The offense, however, was far more productive in the playoffs and that was all because of Eli Manning. To say another QB could have lead the Giants to the 2007 Super Bowl is to not fully understand the factors that made that run possible.
