Giants QB Eli Manning falls far short of Hall…
Giants QB Eli Manning falls far short of Hall of Fame worthiness
FOXBORO, MA – OCTOBER 10: Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants, and Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants enter the stadium as the Patriots take on the Giants at Gillette Stadium on October 10, 2019 in Manchester, NH. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
By Tom Keegan | Boston Herald
If Eli Manning deserves enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, then it's time to clear a space for Mike Lowell's bust in Cooperstown.
Manning, who watched from the sidelines as rookie Daniel Jones started against the Patriots Thursday night, led the New York football Giants to two Super Bowl titles. Lowell was MVP of the 2007 World Series, hitting .400, scoring six runs and knocking in four in the Red Sox sweep of the Rockies. In the same year, Lowell finished fifth in the regular season MVP voting. Plus, Lowell helped the Marlins to defeat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series. He won a Gold Glove.
Never mind that Lowell had a so-so career. That hasn't kept the younger of Archie's NFL sons from generating Hall of Fame support, based on his two Super Bowl titles, so why should it stop Lowell?
It's too late for Lowell. He was on the ballot in 2016, but immediately fell off of it after not receiving a single vote, as expected.
Exaggerating to make a point? Yes, but only slightly.
Manning has had a better career than Lowell because he's lasted far longer, but that's about the only reason.
Manning's streak of 210 consecutive starts ranks as his top accomplishment. He never led the league in anything except interceptions (three times) and lowest sack percentage (twice).
Pro-football-reference.com tracks the All-Pro choices, first-team and second-team, of four different organizations: Associated Press, Sporting News, Football Writers, Pro Football Focus. During the span of Manning's career, 14 different quarterbacks have earned the distinction, six in multiple seasons. Two Carsons made the list, Palmer and Wentz, but not a single Eli.
If the Pro Football Hall of Fame starts letting in players of Eli's caliber an addition that stretches all the way from Canton to Cleveland will need to be built before long.
Tom Brady, Patriots will end cleaner than Eli Manning and Giants
Manning's support stems entirely from winning two Super Bowls, going 4-0 in each of those postseasons. Never mind that he led the Giants into the postseason in only four other seasons. Disregard that the only postseason games he ever won came in the years that he won the Super Bowl. Other than those impressive rides, he's 0-4 in the playoffs.
In the two years he led the Giants to the Super Bowl title, both times at the expense of the Patriots, the defense-driven Giants averaged 23.75 points in the eight games. That relatively low number doesn't count against Manning. He managed the games well enough to win and that's all that matters, but it's not as if he was the primary reason the Giants won.
Statistics don't tell everything, but it's interesting that Joe Flacco is the quarterback whose numbers come closest to Manning's.
John Hadl, who spent most of his career with the Chargers and was an All-Pro selection in his lone full season with the Rams, ranked fourth all-time in passing yards when he retired. Comparing stats only works with players from the same era. Hadl's numbers most closely resemble Joe Namath's during a time when throwing more interceptions than touchdowns was not unusual. Hadl's not in the Hall of Fame. He never made it to the Super Bowl. Hadl stuck around past his prime, but that should not count against his candidacy any more than it should for Manning, replaced by rookie Daniel Jones after the second game of the season.
Winning multiple Super Bowls vaults Manning into an elite club of 12, but it doesn't guarantee him a bust in Canton. Jim Plunkett, the first pick of the NFL draft 33 years before Manning, led the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles, but never gained entry into the Hall of Fame because his career didn't merit the distinction.
Manning's a lot closer to Jim Plunkett than Jim Kelly and has more Flacco to his game than Joe Montana. The statistic that best captures Manning's career in the regular season is his win-loss record: 116-116. Nothing about that beckons Canton.
Tom Keegan | Sports Columnist
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