I know Eli has been discussed on numerous threads over the last 24 hours, so I apologize for adding another one. But each topic has it's own story and I am interested in posters opinions.
So, when I watch Eli, I really don't see a physical decline. He looks almost exactly the same as he did 6-7 years ago. I don't see a drop in arm strength, he seems to have a command of the offense. What I see is someone who has completely lost his trust in his offensive line and is playing scared.
This is not something that can necessarily be corrected with just better o-line play and blocking. God knows Eli played with a horrid line in '11 against ferocious defenses like the 49ers, stood up, and delivered under pressure.
Watching some of the game film, you can see some of the receivers running wide open if he stepped up and took a shot down the field. Instead he is dinking and dunking wayy too much. Crossing patterns to Engram, slants to Beckham, wheel routes to Shepard, and check-downs to barkley. You don't see them throwing the deep out anymore, or the post; and the go routes are all heavily planned with play action and max protect.
I thought the playcalling last night was atrocious, but I also think Eli is missing opportunities and with his inability to extend plays, it is incumbant on him to make the right read in order to get the big play, and he's just too scared to.
This happened to David Carr and he never recovered.
So my question to you. Has Eli lost anything physically, or do you agree with my premise that it is very much mental?
He just KNOWS a hit is coming....who can blame the guy, but it doesn't change the fact....
"Watching some of the game film, you can see some of the receivers running wide open if he stepped up and took a shot down the field."
Where is he stepping up into? The center that's being bullrushed into him? or the guard thats being driven back 4 yards into the backfield almost instantly. Or should he roll out right into the man that just blew past Flowers without getting touched.
These guys aren't even slowing down the defensive linemen. Eli takes a 5 step drop and there are players at his feet instantly with defenders coming around the edge. Where is he supposed to go?
I'm not saying that we didn't have a receiver open downfield or that he's missing receivers with a chance to make a play..but how can he consistently look down the field when he's gotta dump the ball if the first option isn't there? There's no such thing as a 2nd or 3rd receiving option on this team. There's not enough time. First look and then dump off. Some times he doesn't even get a look at the first option.
He had 30 passes within 5 yards of the LOS last night.
30.
lol
Yes. Case in point - there was a play action pass in the second half last night where he got very good protection. No pressure at all....yet he heaved a wobbler into double coverage that should have been intercepted. He's becoming a basket case from all the hits he's taken over the past few years.
2. Physically he might even be better than 6 or seven years ago.
3. He may have Carritis. Running around back there trying to find a place to throw the ball and he has probably taken to many hits. The right side of the line has problems and the OL was probably a 2 year fix. The biggest problem is keeping Collins which is a must and having money to fix OL. Cap room can be created but the Giants don't like freeing up cap space other than once a season.
4. It was tough to watch last night and there no holes for Barkley to run through. Everything starts up front.
Said he can’t believe that display on Oline last night. Many of us agree with him. How does anyone watch that game and see anything but the inept blocking? He also gave Nate Solder credit for owning up and saying, “We didn’t recognize anything” as far as blocking the plays. Just awful.
This sums it up. I'd be willing to bet if he had had a line in front of him equivalent to the 2007 line for the entire time he's been a Giant he would still be a highly productive QB. Now you accompany a little bit of a physical decline with major mental/trust issues and you have what have today.
Lol
Gettleman has put together an offensive line that is even worst than last year s.
Did you hear Solder after the game, "They blitzed, they stunted, and we didn t pick up any of it. "
How can they be at this stage of the season and be so unprofessional, that s coaching as much as talent
The critique of Eli today on this board seems to be based more in anger than objectivity.
No.
and No.
if that had been eli, you know would have happened? eli would have done his patented crumble for a loss of ten, the drive would be over, we wouldn't have enough time for even a field goal with no timeouts left, and it's zero points instead of seven. we're talking real points in a real game here - in which the objective is to score more points than the other guy.
and to top it off, all the eli apologists would SCREAM about free rushers. bottom line- it happens every game. the good ones can find a way to burn it, the bad ones crumble. but the truth is, eli is costing them points every single week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUdKnZrrvbE
Watching him get beaten and the futile efforts to check down and move the ball. Three receptions no first down!! This shit has been going on too long. He can't fix it. The Giants should have cut him loose.
if that had been eli, you know would have happened? eli would have done his patented crumble for a loss of ten, the drive would be over, we wouldn't have enough time for even a field goal with no timeouts left, and it's zero points instead of seven. we're talking real points in a real game here - in which the objective is to score more points than the other guy.
and to top it off, all the eli apologists would SCREAM about free rushers. bottom line- it happens every game. the good ones can find a way to burn it, the bad ones crumble. but the truth is, eli is costing them points every single week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUdKnZrrvbE
I don't know. Eli can dance in the pocket around one guy. He can maybe avoid and step around two.There are plays last night where three guys are coming un-fucking touched. That is a disaster. Also, Eli can't get a rhythm. There is no consistency to protection and the team goes backwards when it runs the ball. Forget no gain, this team hands off and goes fucking backwards.
Really I don't know how anyone could function behind that OL. Eli is hearing footsteps without a doubt. Mostly because 90% of the time they are actually there.
Regarding the mental...I'm shocked that suggesting that is considered offensive by some. How can a QB get his teeth kicked in for 5+ years and not have it affect him mentally? The signs are there too, people aren't pulling this out of their ass.
You can win with Eli for sure but that list of teams shrinks every year as leaguewide OL play deteriorates along with his abilities.
I don't think he's processing the information rapidly enough to make the best decision to optimize the play. I guess like everyone else, that's a derivative of this anxiety of being hit. When I re-watch the game there are plays he's giving up on...
Just look at the end of the game last night. He started to make some plays because Dallas just rushed their dline and played soft coverage. Keep everything in front, make the tackle in bounds, let the clock run. No moreexotics.
So he got comfortable knowing Dallas didn't care if he made some throws. It was a more relaxed Eli.
But that's a bad sign. Fool's gold. And you can't buy it as anything significant to build in. He needs to get that mindset from the start and not worry about taking a hit. I know it's easier said than done, but that's got to be his job right now.
Otherwise, we are seeing him morph into Dave Brown. And if that's the case, he's got to be replaced.
I don't think he's processing the information rapidly enough to make the best decision to optimize the play. I guess like everyone else, that's a derivative of this anxiety of being hit. When I re-watch the game there are plays he's giving up on...
Just look at the end of the game last night. He started to make some plays because Dallas just rushed their dline and played soft coverage. Keep everything in front, make the tackle in bounds, let the clock run. No moreexotics.
So he got comfortable knowing Dallas didn't care if he made some throws. It was a more relaxed Eli.
But that's a bad sign. Fool's gold. And you can't buy it as anything significant to build in. He needs to get that mindset from the start and not worry about taking a hit. I know it's easier said than done, but that's got to be his job right now.
Otherwise, we are seeing him morph into Dave Brown. And if that's the case, he's got to be replaced.
Well said bw.
This was my fear going into the offseason - that they would not/could not fix the Oline enough in one year to get it to the point that Eli would be able to play at a high level again. QB was the pick, but that's over, so they need to make sure they get a good one this coming April (Lauletta is not a long term answer).
Barkley is immensely talented, but the Oline has to be able to give him some room to operate.
They have so many holes on this team that it's difficult to gauge how long it will take to fix the roster.
At least 2 Oline, QB, RB to replace Stewart, 4th/5th WR/Return specalists...Defensive backfield, LB, DE....ooof.
Gettleman, you wanted the job - fix it by this time next year or it's going to be a short stay.