Elisha Nelson Manning IV[1] (born January 3, 1981) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Mississippi from 2000 to 2003. He was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and was immediately traded to the Giants who in return gave up a package, highlighted by fourth overall selection Philip Rivers. Manning is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the younger brother of former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.
Manning holds Giants franchise records for most passing yards, touchdown passes, and completed passes in a career.[2] In 2012, in a 41–34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he threw for 510 yards, 3 yards short of Phil Simms' record of 513. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, defeating the New England Patriots in both games. Manning was named Most Valuable Player in both Super Bowls, becoming one of five players to have multiple Super Bowl MVP awards (Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw also have two, Joe Montana three and Tom Brady four).
Manning started 210 straight games from 2004 to 2017, the second-longest consecutive starts streak by a quarterback in NFL history. He is the seventh all-time leader in passing yards and eighth in touchdowns.[3] Though lacking his brother's regular-season consistency and high-caliber performances, Manning is known for his two improbable Super Bowl-winning postseason runs in 2007 and 2011, in which he led an underdog Giants squad to Super Bowl victories twice against the Patriots.
Early years
Manning attended Isidore Newman School, where he played football and basketball for the Greenies.[5][6] In his high school career, Manning passed for 7,389 yards and 89 touchdowns.[7] On February 7, 1999, he committed to play college football at Ole Miss.[8]
College career
During his years with the Rebels at Ole Miss, Manning set or tied 45 single-game, season, and career records. His career numbers include 10,119 passing yards (fifth on the SEC career list), 81 touchdown passes (third on the SEC career list), and a passer rating of 137.7 (tied for sixth on the SEC career list).[9]
2000 season
As a freshman, Manning competed with veteran Romaro Miller for the starting quarterback position.[10] Manning saw little playing time behind Miller.[11] He appeared in six games and passed for 170 total yards and one interception.[12]
2001 season
With the departure of Miller, Manning became the Rebels' starting quarterback as a sophomore. In the first game, against Murray State, he passed for 271 yards and five passing touchdowns.[13] In the following game, a loss to Auburn, he had 265 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception.[14][15] Over the next few games, Manning helped lead the Rebels to victories over Kentucky, Alabama, and LSU.[16][17][18] On November 3, in 58–56 loss to Arkansas, Manning passed for 312 passing yards and six passing touchdowns.[19] Overall, Manning had a solid first year as the Rebels' starting quarterback with 2,948 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.[20]
2002 season
Manning's junior season started out promising with the Rebels winning their first two games over Louisiana-Monroe and Memphis. Manning had four passing touchdowns and one interception in those two games.[21][22] In the next game, at Texas Tech, Manning passed for 374 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in a losing effort.[23] The Rebels won their next three games, which were over Vanderbilt, #6 Florida, and Arkansas State to earn Ole Miss a #21 ranking in the AP Poll.[24][25][26] Manning had five touchdowns and one interception in that stretch. The Rebels' fortunes turned in the latter half of the season with a five-game losing streak.[27] In the stretch was a loss to Arkansas, in which Manning passed for 414 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. In addition, he had a rushing touchdown.[28] After a win over rival Mississippi State, the Rebels qualified for the Independence Bowl against Nebraska. Manning passed for 313 yards and one touchdown in the 27–23 victory.[29][30] Overall, Manning finished with 3,401 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in his junior season.[31]
2003 season
Manning started off his senior season with a 2–2 record. He played well in that stretch with 1,329 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions with victories over Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe but losses to Memphis and Texas Tech.[32][33][34][35] The Rebels went on a six-game winning streak that included victories over major SEC opponents #24 Florida,[36] Alabama,[37] #21 Arkansas,[38] South Carolina,[39] and Auburn.[40][41] Manning passed for over 1,500 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions in the winning streak. Overall, he led the Rebels to a 10–3 record and a 31–28 SBC Cotton Bowl Classic victory over the #21 Oklahoma State Cowboys with 259 passing yards and two touchdowns in 2003.[42][43] He was invited to play in the 2004 Senior Bowl, but chose not to play.[44][45]
As his senior year came to a close, Manning won many awards, including the Maxwell Award as the nation's best all-around player, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award, the Sporting News Radio Socrates Award, and the SEC Most Valuable Player Award. He was also a candidate for the 2003 Heisman Trophy, finishing third in the voting after winning quarterback Jason White of the University of Oklahoma and University of Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.[46][47]
Manning graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in marketing and a GPA of 3.44.[48]
Awards
2001: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[49]
2001: Davey O'Brien Award (finalist) – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[49]
2001: Honorable Mention All-American – The Football News[50]
2002: Independence Bowl MVP[51]
2002: Second Team All-American – The Associated Press[52]
2003: Maxwell Award – Nation's Top Player[53]
2003: Conerly Trophy – Best College Football Player in Mississippi[54]
2003: SEC MVP – Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club[54]
2003: Sports Person of the Year in Mississippi – The Clarion-Ledger[54]
2003: Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year – Jackson Touchdown Club[54]
2003: National Scholar-Athlete Class – Division I-A QB[55]
2003: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Awarded to the Nation's Top Quarterback[56]
2003: SEC Offensive Player of the Year – The Associated Press and the SEC Coaches[53]
2003: Sporting News Radio Socrates Award
2004: SBC Cotton Bowl Classic MVP[54]
Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik Leadership Award – All-American Football Foundation[54]
USA Today Player of the Year in Louisiana[44]
First team All-American – The All-American Foundation[50]
SEC Player of the Year – The Commercial Appeal and the SEC Coaches[53]
First Team All-SEC – Associated Press[53]
SEC Top Offensive QB – Touchdown Club of Atlanta Wally Butts Award
Professional career
The San Diego Chargers originally held the rights to the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft due to their 4–12 record in 2003. With Manning being the most coveted player in the draft, it appeared that the Chargers' intentions were to draft him first overall. However, Manning (echoed by his father) stated publicly that he would refuse to play for the Chargers if drafted by them.[58] The Chargers selected him with the first pick overall nonetheless, as the team had a deal in place with the New York Giants, whereby the Giants would draft and then trade Philip Rivers and a 2004 third-round pick, used to select linebacker Shawne Merriman, a 2005 first round pick, used to select placekicker Nate Kaeding, and a 2005 fifth round pick, which was later traded, to the Chargers for Manning. He signed a six-year, $45 million contract with the New York Giants.[59]
Manning was one of four quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft along with Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and J. P. Losman.[60] Manning, Roethlisberger, and Rivers have all been voted to the Pro Bowl since becoming starters. Until 2013, Roethlisberger and Manning had not produced a season with a losing record (although each had an 8–8 season), and Roethlisberger and Manning have each won two Super Bowls.[61] They have been compared favorably to the Quarterback class of 1983, which included Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino, John Elway, and Jim Kelly.[62]
2004 season: Rookie year
See also: 2004 New York Giants season
Manning made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He came into the game toward the end the fourth quarter in relief of Kurt Warner. He finished the 31–17 loss 3-of-9 for 66 yards.[63] Manning made his first career regular season start against the Atlanta Falcons at Giants Stadium on November 21, 2004.[64] In his fourth start, against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 12, 2004, he ended the day with a 0.0 passer rating and was benched in the second half in favor of Warner, but remained the Giants starter through the end of the season.[65] [66] The Giants finished with a 6–10 record and were 1–6 in games that Manning started in.[67][68]
2005 season: NFC East champions
See also: 2005 New York Giants season
Following 2004, Warner left the Giants,[69] and Manning was named the starter for 2005. Manning led the Giants to a 2–0 record with victories against the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints,[70][71] before traveling to the West Coast for a test in a road game agasint the San Diego Chargers. Chargers fans did not forget the snub, and on September 25, 2005 when Manning and the Giants made their first trip to San Diego for a game since that draft day, the crowd booed Manning loudly every time he touched the ball.[72] San Diego defeated the Giants,[73] 45–23, but Manning displayed what may have been his most impressive performance of his young career, going 24-of-41 for 352 yards and two touchdowns.[74]
Manning returned home to throw for almost 300 yards and a career-high four touchdowns against the St. Louis Rams at Giants Stadium in a 44–24 romp.[75] Two games later, he led a last-minute drive against the Denver Broncos to secure a 24–23 victory for the Giants.[76] The drive culminated in a two-yard touchdown to Amani Toomer with five seconds remaining.[76] Two weeks later, Manning overcame a weak first half at San Francisco to help his team secure their first official road victory of the season, 24–6. Despite a poor performance at home against the Minnesota Vikings, throwing four interceptions, he again led his team back to tie the game in the final minutes before the Vikings won on a late field goal.[77]
Manning finished among the top five quarterbacks in both passing yards and touchdown passes, while leading an offense that finished third in the NFL in scoring with a total of 422 points.[78][79] It was the most points the Giants scored in a single season since 1963. The Giants won the NFC East with an 11–5 record[80] and advanced to the postseason as the #4-seed.[81] In the Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers, Manning was 10-of-18 for 113 yards and three interceptions in the 23–0 loss.[82]
2006 season
See also: 2006 New York Giants season
Manning's second full season was reminiscent of his 2005 season. He started off playing well and completed over 65 percent of his passes through the first four games. However, he struggled in the second half of the season and his production diminished towards the end of the regular season. After losing a tough game to his brother Peyton and the Indianapolis Colts on opening day,[83] Manning and the Giants rebounded from a 24–7 4th-quarter deficit en route to a 30–24 overtime victory over the division rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.[84] Manning threw for a career-high 371 yards in the win with three touchdowns including a game-winning pass to Plaxico Burress in overtime to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[85][86] Following a poor performance against Seattle the next week,[87] Manning and the Giants responded by winning five straight games including wins over the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and Atlanta Falcons to push their record to 6–2.[88]
Following this winning streak, key injuries including one to receiver Amani Toomer pushed Manning and the Giants into a downward slide.[89] Playing against the Chicago Bears, Manning started well, but the Giants' offense was derailed by the loss of left tackle Luke Petitgout to a broken leg.[90] Manning was held to only 141 yards passing with two interceptions. Petigout's loss left a gaping hole at the crucial left tackle position, and Manning was unable to repeat his first-half success.[91][92] Manning struggled the next week at Jacksonville[93] and the week after that, a costly interception helped to culminate a huge collapse at Tennessee, with the Giants seeing a 21-point fourth quarter lead simply evaporate.[94] Manning improved the following week, throwing for 270 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys, but the Giants lost 23–20.[95] Finally regaining momentum, Manning threw three touchdowns in a win on the road against the Carolina Panthers,[96] but then he stumbled badly in the final three games. He threw two interceptions against the Eagles and tallied only 73 passing yards in a game against the New Orleans Saints.[97] Although the Giants battled back to 8–8 the following week on the road against the Washington Redskins, Manning completed only 12 of 26 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown.[98] The Giants qualified for the postseason as the #6-seed and met the Philadelphia Eagles.[99] Although he did significantly better in this game than the 2005 playoff game against the Carolina Panthers, completing 16 of 27 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, the Giants lost in the Wild Card Round on a last-second field goal by the Eagles.[100]
For the year, Manning threw for 3,244 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.[101] He completed 57.7 percent of his passes, a five-point improvement from 2005, but he again struggled badly in the second half of the season. Manning finished the season with a quarterback efficiency rating of 77.0 (18th in the league) with 6.2 yards per attempt.[102]
2007 season: Super Bowl champions
Manning trained in the Meadowlands with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and new quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer prior to the 2007 regular season.[103] For the first time ever, Plaxico Burress[104] and Jeremy Shockey[105] practiced in the off-season with Manning to perfect their timing and chemistry rather than training alone in Miami as they did in previous years.[106]
Regular season
Manning opened the 2007 season with an outstanding personal performance against the Dallas Cowboys, completing 28 of 41 passing attempts for 312 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception,[107] but suffered a shoulder sprain[108] and was removed from the game late in the second half. Although he did play against the Green Bay Packers in week 2 while throwing for 211 yards with one touchdown,[109] the Giants defense performed poorly again and the team dropped to 0–2 with Green Bay winning, 35–13.[109] In week three, Manning got a come-from-behind victory as the Giants defense improved, pitching a shutout in the second half and stopping the Washington Redskins on a fourth and goal situation, winning the game 24–17.[110] The Giants defense then shut down the Philadelphia Eagles with an NFL record-tying 12 sacks,[111] holding the Eagles offense to one field goal. The Giants won with a score of 16–3.[112] The following week, Manning overcame a dismal first half to throw for two second-half scores[113] in a 35–24 win over their in-city rivals, the New York Jets.[114]
Following two straight home victories, Manning and the Giants obtained their fourth consecutive victory with a 31–10 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome on Monday Night Football.[115] Manning performed well, completing 27 of 39 passes for 303 yards along with a pair of touchdowns while giving away two interceptions.[116] Behind a dominant defensive effort, the Giants improved to 5–2 the next week with a 33–15 win over the San Francisco 49ers.[117] Manning played well again, throwing for two touchdowns in the effort. In week 8, the Giants played a road game against the Miami Dolphins on October 28, 2007, in London's Wembley Stadium.[118] Manning only threw for 59 yards in the rain and mud, but he scored the Giants' only touchdown on a 10-yard run.[119] This touchdown was the first in an NFL regular season game that was played outside of North America. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10, bringing the Giants to a 6–2 record at the mid-way point of the 2007 season.[119] After losing to their division rivals the Dallas Cowboys in week 9,[120] New York Giants co-owner John Mara publicly questioned Manning's ability to lead the New York Giants in 2007 but more importantly in the future:[121]
The only thing we evaluate is 'Can we win with this guy?' That's the one thing. When we talk about any player at the end of the season, the No.1 question is 'Will he help us win?' And to take it one step further, 'Can we win a championship with this guy?'
— John Mara
After a week of criticism in the New York media and being outplayed by Tony Romo, Manning had a bounce-back victory versus their conference wildcard competitors the Detroit Lions.[122] Manning managed to throw for 283 yards and one touchdown but most importantly, no interceptions in a critical road game.[123][124]
The following week in a 41–17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Manning threw four interceptions and had three of them returned for touchdowns.[125] He continued to struggle until the last game of the season, against the 15–0 New England Patriots. With a playoff spot secured, the Giants could have rested their starters for the playoffs, but they instead chose to keep in the regulars and attempt to stop New England's quest for an undefeated regular season.[126] The Giants lost 38–35, with Manning completing 22 of 32 passes for 252 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception.[127]
2007 playoffs
See also: 2007–08 NFL playoffs
The Giants entered the playoffs as the #5-seed.[128] On January 6, 2008, in the Wild Card Round, Manning went 20-of-27 for 185 yards playing on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The underdog Giants won 24–14, and Manning had two touchdown passes.[129]
On January 13, 2008, in the Divisional Round Manning led the Giants to an upset victory over the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys, the number one seed in the NFC.[130] For the third straight game, Manning played well, completing 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.[130] The Giants were the first team to beat an NFC number one seed in the Divisional Round since the start of the 12-team format in 1990.[131] This victory secured an NFC Championship berth against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 20, 2008. In the NFC Championship, the Giants beat the Packers in overtime, with a score of 23–20.[132] The dramatic victory secured Manning and the Giants a trip to Super Bowl XLII.[133] This was the first Super Bowl appearance for the New York Giants since Super Bowl XXXV in 2001,[134] and their first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XXV.
Super Bowl XLII
Main article: Super Bowl XLII
In front of a record-setting American television audience[135] and on the strength of a late fourth-quarter drive led by Manning, the Giants beat the 12.5 point-favored, undefeated New England Patriots 17–14.
Manning takes the snap, back to throw, under pressure, avoids the rush and he's gonna...fight out of it, still fights out of it, now throws it deep down field, wide open Tyree who... MAKES THE CATCH! AT THE 24-YARD LINE! What a play by Manning!
— Bob Papa calling Manning's completion to David Tyree[136]
Trailing 14-10 with 2:42 remaining, Manning led the Giants 83 yards on a game-winning touchdown drive. On a crucial third-and-5 at the Giants' 44-yard line, Manning connected with David Tyree on a play in which he avoided several near-sacks and Tyree caught the ball off his helmet for a large gain. Four plays later, Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard touchdown pass with just 35 seconds remaining for the winning margin.[137] Manning became only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw two go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdowns in a Super Bowl (Joe Montana being the first).[138] Manning also became the first quarterback to throw a last-minute, championship-winning touchdown in the NFL title game (including the pre-Super Bowl era) when a field goal would not at least tie the game.[139] Following the Giants' monumental victory, Manning and the coaching staff spoke briefly with President George W. Bush.[140]
Manning was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLII.[141] He and his brother Peyton are the only brother combination to play at quarterback in the Super Bowl and the only set of brothers to win Super Bowl MVP, doing so in successive years.[142]
For winning Super Bowl MVP, he was given his choice of any 2008 model Cadillac, and Manning chose an Escalade Hybrid.[143] The Wednesday following the Super Bowl he appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.[143]
2008 season: NFC East champions
Manning and the Giants opened the 2008 season with a win over their division rivals, the Washington Redskins, 16–7.[145] "It was a great opening to the season", said Manning, who completed 19 passes of 35 for 216 yards, and had one rushing touchdown and one interception. "There was a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement. You could feel it in the crowd."[145] In the Giants' next game, against the St. Louis Rams, they won again, 41–13, behind a stellar Manning performance.[146] Manning finished the game with 20 completions, 260 yards passing and threw three touchdowns to three different receivers.[146] The victory also marked the team's fourth straight victory over the Rams. The following week, Manning rallied the Giants to more fourth quarter magic, overcoming a late deficit to throw the go-ahead touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss, and then in overtime, throwing a clutch 31-yard pass to Amani Toomer in the Giants' 26–23 win over Cincinnati Bengals.[146] The fourth week of the season saw the Giants score on each of their first six possessions and dominate the Seattle Seahawks, 44–6. Manning threw for two touchdowns, completing 19 of 25 passes for 267 yards as the Giants totaled 523 yards on offense, their most since 2002.[147]
Following a poor team performance in a 35–14 loss on the road against the Cleveland Browns,[148] Manning and the Giants responded with a 29–17 win over the 49ers and battled to a hard earned 21–14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field.[149][150] Manning completed 19 of 32 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown in the crucial win, which pushed the Giants to a 6–1 record.[150] The following week, the Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys at home 35–14 to get to 7–1 at the midway point of the regular season. Manning threw three touchdowns in the game.[151] New York improved to 8–1 with a 36–31 win on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Manning threw two touchdowns in the victory, but the crucial play occurred in the third quarter. With the Giants trailing by four, Manning appeared to make an illegal forward pass to tight end Boss. After review, it was determined that the pass was legal. The Giants scored a touchdown two plays later.[152] Week nine pitted the Giants in a battle with the visiting Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens had come into the game with the league's third-ranked defense; nevertheless, Manning led the Giants to a decisive 30–10 victory, improving to 9–1, which included a 200-yard rushing effort by running backs Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.[153] Two weeks later, the Giants faced the Redskins at Washington in their second encounter in the season. Manning threw his first 300-yard game of the season going 21-of-34 with an interception and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Toomer. The Giants beat the Redskins 23–7.[154] In November, Manning was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month. For the month, Manning threw for 1,036 yards and ten touchdowns, and compiled a 94.9 passer rating while leading the Giants to a perfect 5–0 record.[155]
Manning was named to his first Pro Bowl on December 16, making him the first Giants quarterback to earn the honor since Phil Simms in 1993.[156][157] In week 15, Manning and the Giants visited Texas Stadium, where Tony Romo battled through a lower back contusion and connected with nine different receivers, finishing 20-of-30 for 244 yards and two touchdowns leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 20–8 victory. In week 16 against the Carolina Panthers with NFC homefield advantage on the line, Manning had a passing day of 17 of 27 for 181 yards and no interceptions. Manning led the Giants back from deficits of 21–10 and 28–20 to tie the game with just over three minutes left, including a bullet pass to Domenik Hixon for a key two-point conversion to tie the game at 28. The game was played in freezing conditions.[158]
After becoming the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 12–4 record, the Giants had a first playoff round bye week and home field advantage through the rest of the playoffs.[159] In the Divisional Round, they faced their archrival Philadelphia Eagles at Giants Stadium with its signature windy conditions. Philadelphia went on to win the game 23–11. Manning completed 15 out of 29 passes for 169 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.[160]
2009 season
On August 5, 2009, he signed a six-year US$97.5 million contract extension.[59] Manning and the Giants opened the 2009 season with a win over their division rival, the Washington Redskins, 23–16.[161] Manning played well completing 20 of 29 passing attempts for 256, one touchdown and one interception. Manning and the Giants traveled to Dallas to play the Dallas Cowboys in the opening of their new Cowboys Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Manning played outstanding completing 25 of 38 passing attempts for 330 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions which resulted in a 33–31 win for the Giants on a last second field goal.[162] In Week 3, Manning and the Giants played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he completed 14 of 24 passes for 161 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions and as the Giants had a big lead he was taken from the game at the start of the second quarter, the Giants ended up winning 24–0.[163]
In Week 4, the Giants played the Kansas City Chiefs. Manning was playing well up until the start of the fourth quarter when on a play action fake Manning injured his heel while passing downfield to Steve Smith. He stayed in for the next play completing a 54-yard touchdown to Hakeem Nicks. It was discovered that Manning had plantar fasciitis (inflammation of connective tissue within the soles of the feet) and there was speculation he would not play against the Oakland Raiders in Week 5. However, in Week 5, Manning played well, completing eight of ten passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns with the Giants winning 44–7. This was the first time in his career that Manning had a posted a perfect passer rating.[164][165][166]
After this five-game winning streak, the Giants fell to a four-game losing streak, losing to the New Orleans Saints, the Arizona Cardinals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Diego Chargers before winning again after a bye week on Week 11 when they played the Atlanta Falcons, winning 34–31 in overtime. Against the Falcons, Manning posted a career-high 384 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception.[167]
On Thanksgiving, the Giants traveled to Denver to play the Denver Broncos where they lost 26–6. Manning completed 24 of 40 passes for 230 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception.[168] In Week 14 they played their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and lost 45–38, where it was a close game from the start. Manning passed for a career-high 391 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions but was not able to win the game.[169] Next week, on Monday Night Football, Manning and the Giants dominated the Redskins, winning the game 45–12.[170]
The next week, in the final game in Giants Stadium, Manning and the Giants embarrassed themselves, losing 41–9 against the Carolina Panthers and repeated that feat the next week on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in the final regular season game, losing 44–7 while down 38 points in the 4th quarter.[171][172] After the games, Manning apologized to the fans for the team's performance.[173] The Giants finished the 2009 season with an 8–8 record and missed the playoffs.[174]
Manning ended the 2009 season with career highs including 4,021 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, a 62.3 completion percentage rating, and a passer rating of 93.1.[175][176]
2010 season
n August 16 during a preseason game against the New York Jets, Manning was hit by Brandon Jacobs, then by Calvin Pace, which knocked off his helmet, then went face first into Jim Leonhard's face mask. As a result, Manning had a large gash that needed 12 stitches. Manning left the game.[177]
The Giants ended the 2010 NFL season with a 10–6 record with losses coming against the Indianapolis Colts, the Tennessee Titans, the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.[178] Manning led the Giants to a 17–14 win in the last game of the season against the Washington Redskins, however, because of Green Bay Packers 10–3 win over the Chicago Bears, the Giants did not make the playoffs.[179] He ended the season with 4,002 yards, a career-high 31 touchdowns, but also a career-high 25 interceptions, which marked the most by a quarterback in the 2010 season, and a 62.5 completion percentage.[180][181]
2011 season: Second Super Bowl championship
In August 2011, Manning generated mild controversy in the sports media during a radio interview on The Michael Kay Show. When asked by host Michael Kay whether he was an elite "Top 10, Top 5" quarterback in the same class as Tom Brady, he responded:
I consider myself in that class. Tom Brady is a great quarterback... I think now he's grown up and gotten better every year and that's what I'm trying to do. I kind of hope these next seven years of my quarterback days are my best.[182]
Manning received criticism for the quote for trying to inflate his own status and skills, with critics pointing out his past inconsistent stats, including his 25 interceptions in the previous season, as evidence contradicting his claims.[183][184] However, Manning also received support for his comments from Giants coach Tom Coughlin and teammates such as wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.[185] Later in the season, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan commented on the quote, agreeing with Manning that he was an elite quarterback "for sure."[186]
Regular season
The Giants opened the 2011 season with a slow start, losing to the rival Washington Redskins 14–28 in an emotional game for both fanbases on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.[187] Manning completed 18 of 32 passes for 268 yards but threw a costly interception in the third quarter to linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who returned it for a touchdown and swung the momentum of the game.[188] However, the Giants would recover and win their next three games, including over the arch-rival Philadelphia Eagles, where he had 254 passing yards and four touchdowns in the 29–16 victory to earn NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[189][190] During this streak, Manning improved, throwing for eight touchdowns and one interception.[191]
After a 6–2 start, including a 24–20 last-minute comeback by Manning over the New England Patriots that evoked comparisons to Super Bowl XLII,[192] the Giants entered a tough stretch of their schedule, facing off against the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Green Bay Packers, the respective eventual NFC West, South, and North champions. The Giants would lose all three games as well as falling to the Philadelphia Eagles at home, leading them into a 4-game skid and once again putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy. However, unlike the previous three seasons, the Giants would finish strong, winning three of their last four games. This included a key win over their crosstown rival New York Jets as well as a sweep of their fellow division rival Dallas Cowboys. In the final regular season game against the Cowboys, Manning threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Giants the win, the NFC East title, and a playoff berth for the first time in three years.[191] He earned a Pro Bowl nomination for his performance in the 2011 season.[193]
2011 playoffs
The Giants entered the 2011 postseason as underdogs, with the lowest winning record of any NFC team.[194] However, Manning and his team would once again demonstrate their endurance and durability late in the year. The Giants first easily routed the Atlanta Falcons 24–2 in the Wild Card Round and then stunned the defending Super Bowl champions and top-seeded Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round to advance to the NFC Championship Game.[195] In the win, Manning completed 21 out of 33 attempts and threw three touchdowns and one interception.[196] The following week, the Giants avenged their regular season loss to the San Francisco 49ers with a dramatic 20–17 overtime win in the NFC Championship Game.[197] In the game, Manning set franchise playoff records with 32 completions on 52 attempts, good enough for 316 yards and two touchdowns despite being sacked a franchise-record-tying six times.[198] This victory secured Manning and the Giants a second trip in five years to the Super Bowl, setting up a highly anticipated Super Bowl XLII rematch against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Giants also made history as the first Super Bowl team ever team outscored in the regular season (394 points scored, 400 points allowed).[199]
Super Bowl XLVI
Main article: Super Bowl XLVI
In the most-watched program in the history of United States television,[200] Manning once again led the Giants to an upset victory over the 2½ point favored Patriots 21–17, his second Super Bowl win and the fourth overall for the franchise.[201]
I was yelling to [Bradshaw], "Don't score, don't score", Manning said. "He tried to stop, but he fell into the end zone."
— Eli Manning recalling the game-winning touchdown by Ahmad Bradshaw
While trailing the Patriots 15–17 in the final minutes, Manning led the Giants 88 yards down the field to a touchdown that many observers described as "accidental".[203][204] With just over a minute of time left in the game, the Giants called a running play and Manning handed off the ball to Ahmad Bradshaw with the hopes of stopping short of the goal line and forcing the Patriots to use their final time out, thus allowing the Giants to run out the clock. The Patriots, in turn, did not attempt to tackle Bradshaw in his run, and he then fell over the goal line despite making an attempt to stop. However, the remaining time was not enough for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to lead a comeback and the Giants held onto the lead to win. Manning was again named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVI, becoming the third quarterback in a row to win the award.[205] The Giants also became the first team ever with fewer than ten wins in a 16-game regular season to win the Super Bowl.[206] Manning also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,900+ yards and win a Super Bowl in the same season. The Giants were the first team with a running game ranked last (32nd) and a defense ranked as low as 27th to win a Super Bowl.
For winning the Super Bowl, Manning and the Giants received a victory parade in Manhattan and were honored with symbolic keys to the city by mayor Michael Bloomberg.[207] He was ranked 31st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.[208]
2012 season
The Giants endured a disappointing season following up their Super Bowl run in 2011.[209] Manning led the Giants to a 6–2 record to begin their season, including a career-best 510 yards in a Week 2 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second only to Phil Simms' 513 in 1985 for the franchise record[210]), overcoming three interceptions and a fumble.[211][212] However, Manning averaged an anemic 204 yards per game and 74.3 passer rating over games 8–15, including his lowest rating in five years (38.9) in a 0–34 loss to the Atlanta Falconsin Game 14.[213] He ended the 2012 season on a high note, throwing a career-high five touchdown passes while completing 13 of 21 pass attempts and passing for 208 yards with no interceptions, in a 42–7 Giants win over the Philadelphia Eagles.[214] He finished the season with 26 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions, and 3,948 passing yards.[215] As was typical for this phase of his career (2012–16), Manning was exceptionally well-protected by his offensive line; he was sacked just 19 times for a league-lowest 3.4% of passing plays.[215] Although the Giants did not qualify for the playoffs with a 9–7 season, Manning was selected to his third Pro Bowl as a second alternate.[216][217]
2013 season
