Learning a new offense is not an easy thing to do in football. Let’s just get that out of the way off the top here, and state it as a simple fact. The challenge gets even more difficult when, like Eli Manning, you’re a quarterback who’s been the product of the same system since 2007.
We know that, because we’ve been talking about a new offensive scheme fit for Manning and the Giants all offseason. A similar conversation has hovered around the also stumbling Robert Griffin III. But it’s difficult to make a comparison there, as he’s a mobile, scrambling quarterback placed in an all new offensive environment, and being asked to be a pocket passer.
With Manning, time could heal his wounds, and by extension those of the Giants’ offense. But it’s also possible he’s just not that good.
Last night during a loss to the Lions that actually felt worse than the scoreboard indicated (and it was bad enough at 35-14), the failure was shared between Manning’s misfires, and a general lost and hopeless feeling around the offense. The split between those awful things can be seen in Manning’s two interceptions.
The first came on a remarkably sure-handed play by Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, one we’ve come to expect after his six interceptions and 15 passes defensed last year. But Levy likely wouldn’t have had a chance to make that diving play had Giants tight end Larry Donnell sat down on the route as his quarterback expected.
If you have a gleeful approach to life and seek reasons for hope, you’ll shrug and believe miscommunications like that one and so many others (like the time Manning rolled to his right and both receivers on that side of the field were blocking… on a pass play) will be fixed in time. You’re likely not wrong, as time as mended the souls of many a wayward quarterback.
A few examples: Philip Rivers and Cam newton were named the Comeback Player of The Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year respectively after horrendous preseasons in new offenses, and Ben Roethlisberger has gelled just fine with Todd Haley after a rocky beginning to their offensive relationship. But there’s a difference and fatal flaw between those success stories and Manning.
Back to last night’s interceptions, where that flaw is glaring. On Manning’s second pick of the night he took the snap from his own 16-yard line. At the time his team was down 20-7 with 5:45 left in the third quarter. A sense of urgency was needed, but taken to its extreme that leads to a frantic, panicked mindset, which should be beyond a quarterback who’s in his 11th season playing at a professional level. That’s especially true deep in your own territory, and on first down.
Nope. Manning escaped pressure and rolled to his left. He was being chased by one defender from behind and another was closing in. At that point his two best options were: take a sack, or throw it into the fifth row. Instead, Manning opted for a soft, lazy lob directed at Victor Cruz. The throw was easily undercut by Glover Quin, and five plays later the Lions scored another touchdown, putting the game out of reach for good.
Those two obstacles combined — the time taken to absorb a new offense, and Manning’s continued mental blocks while doing it — could quickly derail the Giants’ season. The latter problem remains far more concerning, because Manning has shown that time does little to correct his problems.
Without two amazing throws that required equally amazing catches to win Super Bowls, at best we would greet Manning with indifference. And considering his current state, that would be a compliment.
A few not at all fun Eli facts, from last night and beyond:
- He averaged 4.9 yards per attempt last night, the sixth time that rate has dropped below 6.0 since the start of last season. In a related and pretty impressive accomplishment(?), Rueben Randle had one receiving yard on three targets Monday.
- He completed only 54.5 percent of his passes, the eighth time that rate has dropped below 55.0 since the start of last season.
- Over his last 17 games Manning has now thrown 29 interceptions, at a pace of one every 20.1 attempts. He’s averaging nearly 35 throws per game.
- In the same time period he’s also logged 10 games with less than 250 passing yards.
Going a little further back, this is a quarterback who has two seasons with 25 or more interceptions over the past four years, a stretch when he’s thrown 83 picks in total. When he’s bad, he’s horrible, desperate, and prone to poor decision making.
And that’s the guy who’s trying to lead a still developing offense.
