Eli Manning has been playing downright disappointing this season. After starting off the season with the highest competition percentage in the NFL, he has quickly regressed. Since throwing a red zone interception to Quinton Dunbar, he has looked very uncomfortable in the pocket. He is not throwing confidently. Manning has been throwing check down passes to his tight end Will Tye and running back Bobby Rainey. Instead, he should be throwing the ball to his three-star receivers. This should only be a phase, rather than what all Giants fan should expect for the remainder of the season.
Eli Manning Will Rediscover His Form
Statistics Do Not Lie
Manning’s past two seasons have been the best of his entire career. As he has matured, he has learned to throw the ball with more consistency and efficiency. Since Ben McAdoo has joined the Giants coaching staff, Manning has thrown 30+ touchdowns as well as 4400+ yards in both seasons. He has drastically dropped the number of interceptions he throws under Ben McAdoo. Manning only threw 28 interceptions in the past two seasons (14 each year), while in 2013; he threw a career high of 27 interceptions. Coach McAdoo has taught Eli to throw more short passes and not take unnecessary risks. If he throws the ball down the field, it is either to Odell Beckham or a receiver who in single coverage. He does not try and squeeze passes into double or even triple coverage anymore, eliminating half of his costly turnovers. Even though he is in a slump now, his interception rate is still at a solid percentage of 2.8%, as well as having the highest completion percentage of his career of 66.4%.
Stronger Than Ever
The New York Giants defense is as strong as it’s been in the past 4 seasons. This will make it easy for him to bounce back. Having a strong defense will allow Manning time to actually get into a rhythm instead of playing catch-up the entire game. In the past, his defenses would give up a lot of points, but it seems to be different this year. He will also not feel pressured to make a big play, which is something he always tried to force in previous years. This can also allow Manning to produce lengthy drives without having to worry about time management.
Triple Headed Weapon
The offense is struggling as a unit, and playing the Minnesota Vikings last week did not help. Manning needs to stick to his game plan and get the ball into his playmakers’ hands. Unlike previous years, he has a trio of receivers at his disposal. Fans expect more from Manning and they rightfully should. This is the first time since the Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz era that he has multiple Pro Bowl receivers lining up together. However, his new trio is still struggling to adapt. Victory Cruz has just returned to the field after a 500+ day absence, Sterling Shepard is still just a rookie, and Odell Beckham is being scrutinized for his every single action. It will take time for everything to click, but when it does, defenses better be careful.
Manning is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. This is not going to be his play for the rest of the season. Expect a bounce back to his usual self, the same man who was the best quarterback in the fourth quarter a few seasons ago. He is on his way, Giants fans just need to be patient and allow him to rediscover his magical form.
