Eli Manning Reaches Elite Status; Tom Brady Falls out of Favor

It’s official:  After  passing for 296 yards and a touchdown and winning his second Super Bowl, Eli Manning is an elite NFL quarterback.  The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI.  It was the second championship in four years for the Giants, and both Super Bowl victories were over the Patriots.

Manning famously put himself in that category when he was asked  in the preseason if he was elite.  After leading the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, and winning Super Bowl MVP awards both times, he has earned elite status.

Manning deflected the question of his status after the Super Bowl, saying only that it was for the media to debate and not him.  Teammate Brandon Jacobs was willing to publicly state that Manning is the best quarterback in the league.  Manning credited his teammates for the team’s success and said it wasn’t about one player. “The story is the New York Giants are champions.  That’s what I’m proud of”.

While Manning’s star continues to rise, elite quarterback Tom Brady of New England is falling out of favor.  In a classic case of “what have you done for me lately”, Boston Globe columnist Eric Wilbur blamed Brady for the loss, calling his performance “hideous”.  “You blew this Super Bowl” Wilbur sputtered, adding “you let down your teammates” and “there’s nobody to blame but Tom Brady [for the loss]”.

Ouch.