Why Eli Manning's Job Should Be Secure

     
       

                                                                       

     
After starting the second straight season 0-2, many Giants fans want starting quarterback and 2-time Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning to be benched in favor of Ryan Nassib, a Syracuse alum. However, Giants fans should be patient and let Eli Manning remain the starter for the remainder of the regular season.

Manning had a great game this week against the Arizona Cardinals.  Despite the loss, he went 26/39 with 277 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  It should be noted that one of these interceptions came in garbage time, with the Giants trailing 25-14, when Manning's deep pass was intercepted by Larry Foote with 10 seconds left.  Moreover, Victor Cruz dropped three passes and Reuben Randle had a big drop during the 4th quarter drive in which the Giants had a turnover on downs.  Even with those dropped passes, Manning completed 66.7% of his passes.  The bottom line is that Eli Manning has done a lot for this organization in the past, as well as this season, and he is not the reason why the Giants are off to yet another slow start in 2014.

The Giants are beating themselves thus far in the 2014 season.  The team as a whole is losing games, not Eli Manning.  For instance, the Giants defense has forced 0 turnovers in the first two games, putting the team's cumulative turnover differential at -6.  If you lose the turnover battle in the NFL, you will lose games.  Moreover, the Giants special teams played badly, allowing the Cardinals Ted Ginn Jr to have a 71-yard punt return touchdown, in which a Giants player missed a tackle the second Ginn fielded the punt.   In addition, in the first game of the season against the Detroit Lions, the Lions converted 66.7% of their 3rd down plays while the Giants only converted 23% of their 3rd down plays.  While the Giants 3rd down efficiency against the Cardinals was better, it was two fumbles - one by running back Rashad Jennings in the redzone and one by Quintin Demps on a kick return - that were the difference in today's game.

Football is a team sport.  While people are always going to place the game on individual players, such as the quarterback, or even the coach, games are won and lost by teams as a whole.  With that being said, Giants fans have to be patient and have faith in quarterback Eli Manning.  He has 2 Super Bowl rings, which is more than his brother Peyton has.  Eli's in good company, as Jim Plunkett is the only quarterback in NFL history to have at least 2 Super Bowl rings and not be in the Hall of Fame.