Longtime Giants quarterback Eli Manning will start his 200th consecutive regular season game Sunday night when the Giants start their 2017 regular season opener against the Cowboys. It is the longest active streak in the NFL, and third longest of all time behind only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.
It just seemed like yesterday he was drafted, wasn’t it? Yes, 2004 is long ways from 2017, but where has the time gone all this time? Giants fans have taken it for granted all these years. He is 36 years old, and he’s no spring chicken. He has only few more good prime years left.
The question is this: Could this be his last year as a Giants quarterback if the Giants miss the playoffs or have an early playoff exit? It may be a stretch to think that way, but it’s not a coincidence second-year Giants head coach Ben McAdoo urged his quarterback to play better during the offseason, not to mention the Giants drafted Davis Webb as the No. 87 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. It could be McAdoo would prefer a quarterback that can play the West Coast offense.
Manning is not oblivious to what’s going on. Despite winning two Super Bowls, the Giants have missed the playoffs in his recent years due to his inconsistent performances such as throwing interceptions. The Giants have given him so many playmakers, so it’s on him to get it done. If not, someone else will get it done for him.
That’s the way it works in the NFL. It’s no wonder the NFL can be an acronym for “Not For Long”.
The Giants quarterback had a good season last year. He completed 63 percent of his passes, threw for 26 touchdowns and had a 86 percent quarterback rating. He was 377-of-598 with 4,027 yards. But he also threw 16 interceptions, and he did not distinguish himself by completing 23-of-44 for 299 yards and one touchdown to show for it in the Giants’ 38-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC wild-card game in January.
It may be good enough for other teams, but it may not be good enough for the Giants. For McAdoo to publicly critique his quarterback and urge him to do better this offseason, it was telling.
Manning is looking at this as a motivational ploy. He is not going to fire back. He doesn’t have to when his actions speaks louder than words through his play. This is what McAdoo is banking on to prove that he has the current quarterback to run his offense.
Manning wants to play as long as he can, and he wants to do it for one team only, which is playing for the Giants. He knows nothing lasts forever. Even if he feels he has it, the Giants may want to move on. He knows this from experience through his brother Peyton, who was released by the Colts in 2012 after the Colts decided they were going to draft then-Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to start a new era as a result of a poor season that had drafting them drafting No. 1 in the 2012 draft, even though Peyton had a neck injury that made him miss the 2011 season.
That’s why Manning has a sense of urgency. He wants to show the Giants he can win several more championships beyond this season. His intentions is to show McAdoo that he is the guy that can flourish under him.
For what it’s worth, the Giants hierarchy hope Manning has a great year. They would prefer not to have Webb play quarterback this soon. What they want to see is him being an understudy to the Giants incumbent quarterback for at least three years before they make the transition.
It takes so much to get Manning fired up. He is unflappable as he comes. He won’t let anyone know he is worried about his job or his future in the league. This has served him well in what should be a Hall of Fame career, so he’s not changing for McAdoo or anyone else. He will go out there and play like he has for 13 seasons.
Manning will have fun this season. He is pining to start Sunday against the Cowboys. He is not thinking ahead, but he is not going to take this season for granted. At his age, any game could be his last game whether it’s performance wise or injury wise. He will appreciate each and every game out there.
Don’t expect him to admit he is playing for his job. Don’t even expect him to be sentimental. That’s not how he is wired. But he also knows what’s up.
If the Giants underachieve by missing the playoffs or being one and out in the playoffs, someone will be paying the price.
It won’t be Jerry Reese, Odell Beckham Jr. or McAdoo.
