Jon Lee takes a look at the quarterbacks in the NFC Beast (or is it Least?).
According to the New York Press, he sucks. Ask just about any NFL fan and he’ll never be Peyton. But, check the stats, and he has the third highest quarterback rating in the league (the NFL’s QBR, not ESPN’s artificial crap). That’s right folks; we’re talking about Eli Manning.
After a less-than-stellar debut against Washington, Manning has become the Giants’ workhorse, throwing for nearly 300 yards per game with 11 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions. Keep in mind that Manning is also working with two new offensive linemen, a brand new tight end, and a young slot receiver. Alright, Jake Ballard has turned out better than Kevin Boss, and Victor Cruz is probably going to be the breakout player of the year, but neither player would even have a chance to excel without the elite – yes, “elite” – play of Eli Manning.
I mean seriously, take a look at the rest of the NFC East quarterbacks:
In Dallas, Tony Romo suffered a serious rib injury in San Francisco and then proceeded to lead his squad to a comeback win. Pretty impressive, right? Well, outside of the San Fran showing, Romo has proven that he is consistently unreliable at the end of the game. Just mention Detroit or New England to the fans in Dallas…
For the Redskins, Rex Grossman was on pace for an incredible season. His quarterback rating was off the charts, and he had Washington off to their best start in years. Then, reality set in. Against an Eagles defense that has been shaky all season, Grossman was in true, midseason form, where he threw 4 interceptions before being benched in favor of John Beck. Yes, the same John Beck who hasn’t played in a game since 2007.
Finally, as the centerpiece of the “dream team” in Philly, Michael Vick has been absolutely dreadful throughout 2011. He is tied for the third-most interceptions in the league with nine, and he has a lackluster QBR of 84.4. In close losses to San Francisco and Buffalo, Vick was definitely a major part of the losing effort. If it wasn’t for his legs, I’m not even sure Vick would be a starter in the NFL.
In the end, stats are for losers, and it’s a long season. All that really matters is who’s on top in the end.
Oh yeah, Eli is the only one with a ring, too… interesting.
NFC East Power Rankings – Week 8:
1 (2). New York Giants (4-2)
After a solid win against a surprisingly tough Buffalo team, the Giants come out of the bye week on a good note, with a chance to finally be healthy and head towards the stretch run, where they’ll take on the Patriots, Eagles, Saints, Packers, and Cowboys in the coming weeks – just to name a few.
2 (1). Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
A well played game against the Patriots doesn’t mean a heck of a lot without coming out on top. Romo struggled in the end, and their defense was non-existent when they needed it most – at the end. Nice rebound game against St. Louis, but keep in mind, the Rams are now 0-6.
3 (4). Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)
Don’t get too excited, Philly. This is more the Redskins moving down a spot, as opposed to you moving up one. Regardless, someone is going to have to create a spark for this team if they expect to compete at the end of the year.
4 (3). Washington Redskins (3-3)
It’s quite difficult to win without a quarterback. While Rex Grossman sat out in favor of John Beck, the Redskins continued to struggle against a Panthers team led by rookie QB Cam Newton. Expect nothing less than a wild ride in Washington for the rest of the year.
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