Less than a month before the NFL season began, New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning set the football world abuzz when he proclaimed that he considered himself in the same class as New England Patriots’ quarterback and future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady.
“I consider myself in that class, and Tom Brady is a great quarterback. He’s a great player,” Manning said in an interview on ESPN Radio in New York.
At the time, almost everyone (myself included) mocked Manning for such a terse judgment of his own talent.
Clearly, Brady was the far-more elite quarterback, and the numbers indicated that as well.
Three Super Bowl wins for Brady compared with one for Manning. Two MVPs for Brady to Manning’s zero. Six Pro Bowls for Brady, one for Manning.
The only argument that could be made for Manning was his head-to-head win against Brady in Super Bowl XLII, in which the Giants beat Brady’s then-undefeated Patriots.
But when NFL Network came out with its Top 100 NFL players of 2011, Brady was at the top of the list. Manning wasn’t even listed.
At the time the story broke, USA Today posted a poll asking whether or not Manning was in Brady’s class. An overwhelming 82 percent of voters answered no.
Coming off a season in which he threw almost as many interceptions (25) as he did touchdowns (31), very few were buying Manning’s argument.
A season-opening loss to Washington in which Manning threw for no touchdowns and one interception only further cemented the belief that Manning was far inferior. Manning threw for no touchdowns and three picks the next time the Giants played the last-place Redskins too.
But quickly and quietly, Manning began to turn doubters into believers.
The game that really started to turn heads was a Week 9 win in which Manning led a game-winning drive to top the Patriots.
But where NFL quarterbacks truly define their legacies is in the playoffs. At 9-7, the Giants barely qualified for the postseason.
After making quick work of the Atlanta Falcons and the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, New York sneaked past the San Francisco 49ers and into a Super Bowl showdown with Brady’s Pats.
On the eve of the big game in Indianapolis, very few Manning-doubters remained, and a second Super Bowl victory over Brady would certainly squelch those that did.
Though almost everyone had all but given up on the Giants in December, Manning finished off the Patriots with yet another fourth-quarter, game-winning drive — his seventh of the season.
Dating back to Super Bowl XLII, it was the third-consecutive game against New England in which Manning led a game-winning drive of at least 80 yards with less than four minutes to play.
In an interview with NBC’s Bob Costas before the game, Brady was asked if he would rather the Patriots be trailing by three points with two minutes to play and have the ball, or be leading by three and Manning have possession.
Likely remembering the last two times the Patriots faced the Giants, Brady confirmed that he would rather keep the ball out of Eli’s hands.
When it was all said and done, Manning finished the postseason with nine touchdown passes and only one interception to go along with his Super Bowl MVP award.
In one less game, Brady finished with eight touchdowns, four interceptions and one less Super Bowl ring.
There is no doubt that Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, but if this season has taught us one thing, it is to never again underestimate Eli Manning.
Rob Ogden is a senior studying journalism and assistant sports editor for The Post. If you think Eli Manning is still Peyton’s little brother, send him an email at ro137807@ohiou.edu.
