32/58 with 316 yards passing. All those attempts and 0 turnovers, but took 6 sacks vs a stiff defense and kept getting up. 3rd and 15 touchdown to Manningham one of my favorite Eli throws, EVER.
If not, what do you think is? I have Green Bay 2007 in the playoffs up there as well.
Just the weather factor. Eli handled beyond anyone's expectations.
And, he probably had about 80-100 yards taken away in dropped passes.
The 2011 Dallas game, in Dallas, was big time clutch.
I think it was better than 2007 as well, only for the fact that he didn't throw a TD in that game. Yes I'm weird like that.
It was Eli's TOUGHEST game. He showed so much grit and balls by staying in that pocket all game long as the Niners front 7 kept on pounding him. That image of Eli calling TO despite looking all messed up with grass in his helmet said everything.
Considering the Defense and the Situation (On the Road in the NFC Champ game vs. a dominant D), it was one of the Eli's most impressive performances. But it wasn't his best imo.
The thing that everyone points to (o turnovers in a million pass attempts) was impressive, but you also have to realize that the Niners dropped like 2-3 picks. Hakeem Nicks was a beast during this time but he was clearly scared going over the middle against that D and it caused Eli to throw a couple of balls that could've easily been picked.
As amazing as this game was from Eli, I don't quite hold it in as high-esteem as some of you other guys.
IMO Eli's best game is the 1st '11 regular season game vs. the Cowboys where him and JPP took over. That 2nd to last drive in that game was the greatest drive in Eli's career imo.
Sonic, same play I'm thinking of in the 4th qtr. Pressure forcing Eli to roll to his right and throw a perfect strike fading away to I think Nicks on the sideline, with good coverage by the Cowboys to keep a drive alive. Was about a 25 yard throw.
That was a huge play I think to get them within striking distance.
IMO it's up there with the greatest performances I've ever seen in any sport. Ali vs Frazier type performance...
Epic.
I think it was better than 2007 as well, only for the fact that he didn't throw a TD in that game. Yes I'm weird like that.
I've heard people say that, which is basically not doing your homework.
Eli's passing got them down to the goaline, where the run game was powerful enough to punch it in.
Super Bowl 42, as well as the NFCC in Green Bay, are also right there.
Super Bowl 42, as well as the NFCC in Green Bay, are also right there.
I was writing a replay when you wrote yours, and I picked SB 46 as well. The ball control and able to sustain drives is an overlooked part of the game. Excellent choice.
I would have like to replay the game if they didnt call that BS hold on Boothe where even Wilfork admitted he flopped. It would have put us in a position to score when it was alread 9-3. So instead of going up 12-3 or possibly 16-3 with all the momuentum. We gave the ball back and they scored, and they scored again to open the half.
I remember 3rd down conversion after 3rd down conversion by Eli, and Plax's drop of a bomb right before the half was over.
*me, *get...ugh stupid phone
It is not only his best game, I think it is 1 of the best games a QB has ever played in the playoffs
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cold also. Everyone remembers Pkax making Harris his bitch, and with good reason on a bad ankle, but Eli was sick that game. He had quite a few spot on passes dropped. But nothing rattled him, he just kept on getting his throws right on target....
I remember 3rd down conversion after 3rd down conversion by Eli, and Plax's drop of a bomb right before the half was over.
As I said above, he lost nearly 100 yards in passing yards in "dropped" passes. Of course it was cold.
But his stats would have been that much better.......
No turnovers.....perfect throws by a QB up to that point who could be erratic at times.
That final 12 minutes in Dallas though, I'm still waiting for 3rd and 5 to be completed.
What a fucking roller-coaster that season
Agreed.
Eli completed 75% of his passes that game. 30-40.
That final 12 minutes in Dallas though, I'm still waiting for 3rd and 5 to be completed.
What a fucking roller-coaster that season
He was,in the truest sense of the phrase, the MVP of the league that year IMO.
His stats support that, too. But mostly it was his play in the 4th quarters.
I would have to say that the '07 title game in arctic temps was the best. That game is what football is all about. Eli played like a champion and brought the team down again and again until the OT kick, as stated there were quite a few drops that day as well.
Ask me tomorrow I may say '11 title game or one of the bowls. So many choices, what a career and what a champion.
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He was incredible that game. His pocket presence was insane. He felt the pressure so well, stepped up to get just enough time to throw perfect laser strikes off of his back foot.
Sonic, same play I'm thinking of in the 4th qtr. Pressure forcing Eli to roll to his right and throw a perfect strike fading away to I think Nicks on the sideline, with good coverage by the Cowboys to keep a drive alive. Was about a 25 yard throw.
That was a huge play I think to get them within striking distance.
Huge play. It looked like something Michael Vick would pull off in Madden 04.
He was incredible that game. Might have been my favorite regular season game of the Eli era.
The Giants were the best team in the NFL when they had three WRs on the field that year and they spent that game largely (until they actually physically ran out of bodies) trying to force TE-TE/TE-FB sets against a team with a secondary in such shambles Edelman had been seeing snaps in it.
Eli played great that game, but it makes sense the team didn't score much. They basically played into BB's evil hands for most of it and thankfully it didn't cost them in the end.
The New England game on the road that year was amazing too. Eli and the offense just would not be denied as he led two comeback drives. The Pats do not lose to NFC teams , or in general really, at home. Eli came to town and that was the result, great performance.
Funny thing is those wins book-ended a four game losing streak. Never would have thought that team would have gone all the way. It may not be possible for one player to carry a football team, even a QB, but that season Eli came closer than to doing that than anyone else I have ever seen.
And the Giants' NFL rankings in the following categories should be repeated:
Total pass attempts: 6
Total rushing attempts: 22
Total rushing yardage: 32
Total yards allowed: 27
Total points allowed: 25
Teams knew the Giants were going to throw it, and it didn't matter. The defense blew, and it didn't matter.
The 2011 Giants are the worst Super Bowl winner I've seen in almost 30 years of being a fan. I can't recall another champion that was as carried by a single player.
And the Giants' NFL rankings in the following categories should be repeated:
Total pass attempts: 6
Total rushing attempts: 22
Total rushing yardage: 32
Total yards allowed: 27
Total points allowed: 25
Great post. That's why it annoys the shit out of me when critics diminish Eli's accomplishments by crediting the running game and defense during those two Super Bowl seasons. You could make a case that no quarterback has won a Super Bowl with a worse supporting cast than Eli had in 2011. I know the defense and running game picked it up a bit in the postseason, but Eli was still far and away the most important player on the field.
Teams knew the Giants were going to throw it, and it didn't matter. The defense blew, and it didn't matter.
The 2011 Giants are the worst Super Bowl winner I've seen in almost 30 years of being a fan. I can't recall another champion that was as carried by a single player.
The 2011 SF game was pure grit. Eli could have had a couple interceptions, but more importantly, I don't know how he kept standing up.
It was when we settled for one of those field goals early on. Could've been a big mistake if he caught that, but luckily it was dropped. But other than that, he was perfect in the game and given the elements. Beating Favre at Lambeau, the mystique! or the mystique! my favorite part was Strahan cursing off the Packers and their history in his pre-game speech. A CHAMPIONSHIP IS PERMANENT !!!! !
he was great the whole 2011 playoff run.
dominated the packer game. (2011 div.)
I think SB46 is his best, followed by SB 42, then 2007 NFC Championship then 2011 NFC Championship. played outstanding vs TB in Wild Card round in 2007. Threw some great balls in 2011 WC game vs Atlanta.
And the Giants' NFL rankings in the following categories should be repeated:
Total pass attempts: 6
Total rushing attempts: 22
Total rushing yardage: 32
Total yards allowed: 27
Total points allowed: 25
Teams knew the Giants were going to throw it, and it didn't matter. The defense blew, and it didn't matter.
The 2011 Giants are the worst Super Bowl winner I've seen in almost 30 years of being a fan. I can't recall another champion that was as carried by a single player.
Just perfectly said and completely true.
This^^^^. Without numerous fantastic individual efforts from Cruz and JPP in particular, the Giants were DOA that year with or without Eli. Also, though their running game sucked until the playoffs, their top 3 WR - Nicks, Cruz, Manningham - were arguably the best WR trio in the league.
As for Eli being the MVP that year, it wasn't even remotely close. Look up Rodger's stats that year! And GB didn't have much of a running game or D that year, either...
In 2011 Eli was great, but Rodgers was superb: 45 TDs to 6 ints, with a passer rating of 122 for the season! Rodgers had the best year for a QB in NFL history up to that point.
He had to step on the field *cold* against a red hot D that had already played him tough a few weeks ago. He was off and mccarthy mismanaged his roster imo
Super Bowl 42, as well as the NFCC in Green Bay, are also right there.
At New England is one of my favorite road regular season wins. Fantastic performance, and you could tell the Patriots fans knew the game was over when he got the ball back late.
All this talk about how amazing Rodgers is, but it's so hard to fathom he only has one ring. All that talent, and one ring. I thought it was solely on the QB?
It was Eli's TOUGHEST game. He showed so much grit and balls by staying in that pocket all game long as the Niners front 7 kept on pounding him. That image of Eli calling TO despite looking all messed up with grass in his helmet said everything.
Considering the Defense and the Situation (On the Road in the NFC Champ game vs. a dominant D), it was one of the Eli's most impressive performances. But it wasn't his best imo.
The thing that everyone points to (o turnovers in a million pass attempts) was impressive, but you also have to realize that the Niners dropped like 2-3 picks. Hakeem Nicks was a beast during this time but he was clearly scared going over the middle against that D and it caused Eli to throw a couple of balls that could've easily been picked.
As amazing as this game was from Eli, I don't quite hold it in as high-esteem as some of you other guys.
IMO Eli's best game is the 1st '11 regular season game vs. the Cowboys where him and JPP took over. That 2nd to last drive in that game was the greatest drive in Eli's career imo.
Agree 100%
The 49ers game is when my respect for Eli was taken to another level due to his toughness. All game, he stared down the barrel of that 49ers defense knowing that beasts like Justin Smith were going to pummel him and there was nothing his offensive line or running game could do to help him, and that he would have to throw all game in miserable weather.
But in terms of being in that zone--- that Neo from the Matrix zone, I don't think the 49ers game fits that bill.
This...the sf game he showed pure resiliency in constantly taking a beating and getting back up and leading the team to the win..one of a few greatest games he had.
And the Giants' NFL rankings in the following categories should be repeated:
Total pass attempts: 6
Total rushing attempts: 22
Total rushing yardage: 32
Total yards allowed: 27
Total points allowed: 25
Teams knew the Giants were going to throw it, and it didn't matter. The defense blew, and it didn't matter.
The 2011 Giants are the worst Super Bowl winner I've seen in almost 30 years of being a fan. I can't recall another champion that was as carried by a single player.
I love this post. It drives me insane that talking heads continually parrot the line about the giants defense and rushing game being so good in the 2 super bowls. 2007 sure, but the 2011 season was ALL ELI. That's a 4-12 team with 90% of the QBs in the league.
The play I remember most about the 2011 NFCCG was an incompletion. Right before the half, we got down near the goalline with time ticking down. The offense lined up for a spike with less than 10 secs. left. But the field goal unit inexplicably ran onto the field. If Eli snapped the ball and spiked it, it would have been a procedure penalty and the time would have been run off of the clock. Instead of just snapping the ball to spike it, he has the presence of mind to look over his shoulder, see the special teams running onto the field, wave them off, wait for all of them to get off, and then snap and spike the ball.
The presence of mind was amazing.
Some Eli games that just stick out to me:
1) '05 vs. St. Louis.
2) '06 vs. Washington. I don't think his stats were gaudy, but he was deadly efficient. I also remember watching this game in some dive bar in Montreal, the only one giving a damn.
3) '08 @ St. Louis.
4) '09 @ Washington.
5) '11 @ Arizona.
6) '11 @ Dallas.
7) '12 vs. TB.
This^^^^.
I find it amusing that many refer to other games when Eli was more "in the zone." No doubt! Getting your ass knocked silly play after play after play will do that to a QB, and that's why very, very few QBs in the history of the game could duplicate Eli's performance that game.
So it's arguable, but I do think the 9ers game was Eli's "greatest."
Eli played as well as any QB could have played in that NFC title game. The 07 game at GB was terrific but the QB defense was about average and the cold weather actually favors offense. I guess you could say the mus favors the offense too, but the SF defense was by far the best in football that season. A true great D and Eli beat them.
No QB is doing more that day.
He was sacked 8 times and brought us back from 17 down in the fourth quarter to win it in overtime with that spectacular throw to Plaxico.
But I agree with the OP, if the 2011 NFC Championship game isn't the best, it's certainly in the discussion.
Sidenote, how awesome is it that our two recent championship games have had those classic feels to them? The temp in Green Bay and the monsoon rain in San Fran? They were like throwbacks to the games I watched in the 80's.