Rank Eli's top 5 seasons

2011: Peak performance
2008: Peak efficiency.
2007: Bumpy regular season redeemed by magical playoff run
2009: Passing game carried the team, but ugh, that fumble vs. Philly.
2010: Very nearly overcame injuries all around him. The turnovers, though...

2011- MVP level.

2007- Bumpy regular season but playoffs were amazing.

2015- Played at 2011 level. Held back by defense and coaching decisions.

2005- Division title first full season. Denver game.

2008- Dominant offense dogged by Burgess incident.

In comment 14440391 Big Blue Blogger said:

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2011: Peak performance 2008: Peak efficiency. 2007: Bumpy regular season redeemed by magical playoff run 2009: Passing game carried the team, but ugh, that fumble vs. Philly. 2010: Very nearly overcame injuries all around him. The turnovers, though...

I thought 2010 was not a great season. The defense created like 45 turnovers that year and Eli gave almost as many back.

2nd- 2007 postseason

Everything else tied for 3rd...

Come to realize that Eli’s best years have been as the ultimate game manager. This isn’t a criticism. That’s just who he is.

So if he throws twice as many TDs as interceptions, for example 32 TDs and 16 interceptions with about 3000-3500 yds, and 2000 rush yards, mostly from Barkley of course, the Giants will be in the playoffs where anything can happen.

The only time he had dealt with circumstances that adverse was for a few games his rookie year. The formula on offense from 2005 to 2008 relied heavily on the line and the running game. Those elements started to crumble in 2009. Eli continued to play well for the most part, but with too many forced throws and critical, often bizarre mistakes: the sliding fumbles against the Eagles, the left-handed end zone pick against Tennessee, etc. By 2011, he was better equipped to handle the adversity. Nicks and Cruz has something to do with it too. Eli was the same player in 2011 as the previous two years, just a slightly cleaner version throwing into slightly wider windows.

in 2007, Richard Spencer or some other pos Cowboy injured Eli's shoulder early in the season and pundits believed he'd miss significant time. But he played through the injury and shocked the worl;d when he felt better.

In comment 14440677 Phil in LA said:

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in 2007, Richard Spencer or some other pos Cowboy injured Eli's shoulder early in the season and pundits believed he'd miss significant time. But he played through the injury and shocked the worl;d when he felt better.

Very true. That was what made Eli, Eli was that iron man streak. The season was going nowhere so it was ended over no reason other than that fat blob McAdoo.

everything was clicking until Plax shot himself.

or so we hope.

Phil in LA said:

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in 2007, Richard Spencer or some other pos Cowboy injured Eli's shoulder early in the season and pundits believed he'd miss significant time.

I think you mean Anthony Spencer. Understandable mistake: Richard Spencer is a PoS too.

is there any point going beyond 2? After that, it's just numbers.

In comment 14441009 Bill in UT said:

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is there any point going beyond 2? After that, it's just numbers.

Was there any point of this comment?

Eli was a lot better than he'll ever get credit for in 2010.

I've never seen a season where a QB here threw more passes on target than Eli did that year that wound up picked off. Almost every week, he'd hit one of his guys right in the hands or the chest with a pass, it would bounce right into the air and go back the other way.

Some of it was his fault - I'm pretty sure 2010 was the year he tried the left handed pass in the red zone vs. TEN, but I never felt like the numbers told the real story on that season and absolutely would put it in his top 5. 4k+ yards and 31 TD's - his 2nd highest TD total of his career.

If I had to rank them with the best at the top, I'd probably say...

2011 - clearly Eli's best year and it ended with a SB MVP. This one is inarguable - it's his best season, hands down.
2015 - Just from an Eli perspective, I thought he was fantastic this season. The defense let him down over and over again - but he was really, really good.
2008 - Tremendously efficient. Wasn't just a game manager, either.
2009 - This is an under the radar Eli year because of the way it ended and went down the tubes. But again, it was mostly the defense that completely fell apart. Eli was really good for the majority of this season.
2010 - See above.

I mean he won a Super Bowl and played through a 6-8 week injury.

For as much flak as Chris Mortenson took for his injury report that season, he was right, Eli just made him wrong by playing through it.

.

It's hard for me to include a season of Eli's where half the fan base wanted to see a near-300 lb. QB instead because they had just about given up on him completely by mid-year.

He finished the year strong, obviously - and was brilliant in the playoffs and capped it with the ultimate prize. But, if we're talking about Eli Manning's top 5 seasons as a whole - 2007 doesn't belong on the list.

He also led the league in INT's that year and posted a near-career-low completion % (56%). That regular season is full of unimpressive/mediocre performances and had very few great ones.

Eli became a much better, more efficient player the following year.

2008 was where his peak began, in my opinion. He started becoming a much better player around that point and his 2008-2011 stretch was probably his best overall.

In comment 14441328 arcarsenal said:

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It's hard for me to include a season of Eli's where half the fan base wanted to see a near-300 lb. QB instead because they had just about given up on him completely by mid-year. He finished the year strong, obviously - and was brilliant in the playoffs and capped it with the ultimate prize. But, if we're talking about Eli Manning's top 5 seasons as a whole - 2007 doesn't belong on the list. He also led the league in INT's that year and posted a near-career-low completion % (56%). That regular season is full of unimpressive/mediocre performances and had very few great ones. Eli became a much better, more efficient player the following year. 2008 was where his peak began, in my opinion. He started becoming a much better player around that point and his 2008-2011 stretch was probably his best overall.

If the qualifier is "statistical" seasons, sure. 2007 doesn't belong on the list.

Otherwise I don't know a case is made against it. We're including playoffs, and his performance that postseason puts him up there with any in history.

What some moronic Giants fans may have been calling for at one point that season should have no bearing. The majority of NYG fans have proven to be brain dead when it comes to Eli Manning through the years anyway.

3rd full season as starter. A/C joint separation with only a few snaps missed on a 6-8 week injury. Engineered several late game drives over a 10 game road winning streak.

It's actually not statistical at all. Eli just didn't play well for the majority of that season. It's inarguable. He had several games during that regular season where he either completely sucked or did very little through the course of the game.

We're not talking about Giants seasons, we're talking about Eli specifically.

What if the 2010 team made the playoffs? They won 10 games that year, but they didn't get in. It shouldn't be a strike against Eli - it's just the way things played out that year. If the 2010 team hadn't collapsed against the Eagles and had actually made the playoffs, they may well have had a 2011-esque run a year early.

I can't consider a year where Eli posted a near career low completion percentage, was almost 50/50 in terms of TD:INT's and led the league in INT's as one of his best years.

He threw for like 50 yards in London. The field was awful, but cmon. He threw more passes to Darren Sharper than his own WR's when we played Minnesota. He was awful in Buffalo and Bradshaw saved his bread with the long TD scamper.

There were serious questions about him during that season. Not just from Giants fans. And the questions were fair at the time. He would routinely look as awful as he'd look great - and at that point in time, there were no playoff heroics. No MVP awards. No trophies.

Hindsight is playing too much of a role if anyone thinks 2007 was one of Eli's best seasons. It wasn't.

Eli was a better player in 2012 than he was in 2007.

Even if you just use PFR's "AV" metric as a loose gauge to measure approximate value - there are like ten years where his approximated value was higher than it was in 2007.

The 2007/08 postseason is the only reason that year is even in the conversation at all. If the Giants hadn't made the playoffs at all that year, 2007 would probably be considered one of Eli's worst seasons.

In comment 14441380 arcarsenal said:

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It's actually not statistical at all. Eli just didn't play well for the majority of that season. It's inarguable. He had several games during that regular season where he either completely sucked or did very little through the course of the game. We're not talking about Giants seasons, we're talking about Eli specifically. What if the 2010 team made the playoffs? They won 10 games that year, but they didn't get in. It shouldn't be a strike against Eli - it's just the way things played out that year. If the 2010 team hadn't collapsed against the Eagles and had actually made the playoffs, they may well have had a 2011-esque run a year early. I can't consider a year where Eli posted a near career low completion percentage, was almost 50/50 in terms of TD:INT's and led the league in INT's as one of his best years. He threw for like 50 yards in London. The field was awful, but cmon. He threw more passes to Darren Sharper than his own WR's when we played Minnesota. He was awful in Buffalo and Bradshaw saved his bread with the long TD scamper. There were serious questions about him during that season. Not just from Giants fans. And the questions were fair at the time. He would routinely look as awful as he'd look great - and at that point in time, there were no playoff heroics. No MVP awards. No trophies. Hindsight is playing too much of a role if anyone thinks 2007 was one of Eli's best seasons. It wasn't. Eli was a better player in 2012 than he was in 2007. Even if you just use PFR's "AV" metric as a loose gauge to measure approximate value - there are like ten years where his approximated value was higher than it was in 2007. The 2007/08 postseason is the only reason that year is even in the conversation at all. If the Giants hadn't made the playoffs at all that year, 2007 would probably be considered one of Eli's worst seasons.

Again, you're saying there were times he "sucked" which is fine, but he played through an injury that sidelines most people 8 weeks.

He couldn't really throw the ball against Green Bay.

Give me the games he "sucked" in. I'll give you Minnesota (which is probably weighing on your mind) and maybe the Redskins in the wind.

They played Miami one of the first, if not the first game in London on a sloppy soccer pitch in horrible conditions.

The offense posted 30+ points in 6 regular season games in a season that was supposedly so bad. Huge late drives @ Washington, @ Chicago, @ Philly.

I don't know how this wasn't one of his top 5 overall seasons. I don't care what the stats say.

Citing point totals in random games without mentioning that NYG had a top 5 rush attack in 2007 seems disingenuous.

For example, one of the games we put up 30+ was against the Jets. We ran for nearly 200 yards that day. We actually rushed for 188 yards and Eli threw for 186. So, why is Eli getting all the credit there?

I didn't think the idea here was to point out things like playing hurt and then use that as an excuse for not playing well all year or use overall team accomplishments as the heaviest weights - I thought it was simply to cite Eli's best 5 overall seasons as a QB. 2007 wasn't one of those, if you ask me.

He had his moments and again, he was incredible @ Lambeau in the playoffs, but most games, he really wasn't good at all.

We beat the Eagles 16-3 in Week 4... he completed 14 passes for 135 yards. 1 TD, 1 INT. He had a bunch of games like that during that season.

He wasn't good against the Bears. Completed just 33% of his passes against the Redskins late in the season - he really wasn't anything to write home about the first time we played them that year, either. Completed just 7 passes against the Bills - got picked off twice.

Eli had 6 game winning drives in 2016, twice as many as 2007... yet no one is mentioning that year as one of his best - and it's for mostly the same reasons 2007 probably shouldn't be mentioned. He simply wasn't that good.

He became a much better player in the following seasons. If this is about Eli and Eli only, I can't personally buy 2007. But I guess everyone has their own criteria here.

wasn't it 35 mph winds in Buffalo in December? Trent Edwards threw 3 INTs that day. Wouldn't any QB struggle in those conditions?

In comment 14442470 RicosRoidedElbow said:

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wasn't it 35 mph winds in Buffalo in December? Trent Edwards threw 3 INTs that day. Wouldn't any QB struggle in those conditions?

Wasn't it like -30 degrees @ Lambeau in January of 2008... less than a month later? Wouldn't any QB struggle in those conditions?

Eli didn't.

You didn't even list 2007 in your OP, so you pretty clearly agree that it wasn't one of his top 5 seasons, no?

If we have to make all sorts of excuses for one of his seasons, it doesn't belong on the list.

So far, for 2007, we're up to....

1. The field conditions @ Wembley were too poor... so he's excused for throwing for just 58 yards that day.
2. It was too cold and windy in Buffalo
3. It was too windy in Washington
4. He was playing hurt
5. We scored 30+ points a few times

So, rather than just pick 5 of Eli's best overall bodies of work, we're trying to force this specific season because it was a championship season.

If it's about the Giants' 5 best seasons with Eli, then yes - 2007 is probably at the top of the entire list.

If this is just about Eli, though... he really wasn't very good that year. Phenomenal performances in the playoffs and in a few other scattered instances. But there was a lot of mediocre that year for Eli, and some downright ugly.

I personally don't view that as a top 5 year for him - I think he became a much better player in the seasons that immediately followed and his peak started around 2008 - but everyone is free to use their own criteria and come up with their own lists, obviously.

GOOD DEBATE.

I just saw the Buffalo game and gave him a pass for that. Wind is a hell of a lot different than ice cold isn't it?

I don't think he was an all-star in 2007 but I do not think he was as awful either. He was still #6 in touchdown throws in the NFC with the likes of Favre, Brees, Warner and Romo ahead of him.

in those conditions, weren't his numbers around the 50% in completions with 0 TDs and 0 INTs?