Talking Points: Eli Manning is just one guy




Eli Manning joined some elite company on Sunday.

By winning his second Super Bowl MVP trophy, the Giants quarterback joined the likes of Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady.

But can we please tone down the rhetoric in discussing how great Eli Manning is now. Some talking heads were discussing how Eli is a more accomplished quarterback than his brother Peyton because Eli has won two Super Bowls and Peyton has won only one.


Eli Manning’s honor was well deserved. But as was the case in their previous Super Bowl win, the Giants’ victory was equally a result of outstanding play by their defense as it was of Manning’s solid play.

Eli Manning said it best himself: “This isn’t about one person. This is about a team coming together.”


To further illustrate our point on the overemphasis some folks put on the quarterback, we give you Kurt Warner.

A couple of years ago, some folks were talking how Warner would be one of the all-time great quarterbacks if he could win his second Super Bowl title -- this time with the Cardinals.

Of course, Warner didn’t win that Super Bowl and he ended 1-2 in Super Bowls.

But his two wins could have been victories if his teams’ defenses had stopped their opponents on their final drives (Rams vs. Patriots, and Cardinals vs. Steelers).

And his lone win was a result of his defense stopping its opponent on its final drive (Rams vs. Titans).

So Warner’s legacy ranging anywhere from being one of the all-time great QBs to a QB who couldn’t win the big game was basically decided while Warner was standing on the sideline.