Is Eli Manning Elite?

Eli Manning did it again: another Giants victory over the Patriots, and another late 4th quarter comeback to seal the deal. Yes, the younger Manning has the Giants sitting atop the NFC East and is putting together one of his finest seasons yet. So, is it finally time that we dub lil' Manning as 'Sir Elite?'

It's funny what a 4th quarter comeback can do for a guy. After Sunday's victory over the Patriots, everyone everywhere is ready to give Eli the title that he believes he deserves. But, is it logical to say that Manning is an 'elite' quarterback based off of one game-winning drive? Or, was that drive the one that pushed him over the hump? Was it the drive that finally earned him the recognition as one of the best to ever play the position? Because, after all, that's what 'elite' means. The very best.

One thing that makes Manning so interesting is the fact that he plays without making a ton of noise. When I say quietly, I mean that he doesn't really steal the spotlight on a weekly basis. You won't see him getting bashed for his awful performance, because he doesn't have very many awful performances. He also doesn't get attention for lighting up the scoreboard with gaudy numbers. At least not with guys like Brees, Rodgers, and Brady racking up crazy stats week-in and week-out. Eli's game isn't for the highlight reel. His game is playing well enough to not lose games for the Giants. He throws for his 300 yards and his two scores, and most of the time that's enough to get the job done.

However, when Eli has a game like he did on Sunday, everyone rushes to elevate him to a status that's a little too high for him. It's almost like they forgot about him, and once they watched his late-game performance, they decided that this must be the only Eli Manning that exists: the 4th-quarter-Patriot-Killing quarterback. The fact that Manning was nearly non-existent against the worst secondary in the league through the first three quarters of the game gets overlooked, because he led a comeback drive against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Had Manning been 'elite' in the first half, though, the Giants would've won the game easily.

When we think of 'elite' quarterbacks, we think of guys named Elway, and Marino. We think of record-breakers like Favre, Young, and the Manning that plays in Indianapolis. And, we take our hats off to the guys sporting the multitude of rings; guys like Montana, Bradshaw, Brady, and Aikman. Yes, the company of the elite is rare. They accept only those with a long resume of success... but Eli's resume is not long.

Sure, the resume boasts of a Super Bowl victory. And, yes, he was named the best player of that game. But after that, what else is there to look at? Manning only has one pro-bowl appearance. He's never won a regular season MVP award. (In fact, he's never even come close.) He's probably not even a top five quarterback in the NFL right now. And, of the three highly-touted signal callers taken in the 2004 NFL draft, Eli has thrown the ball far less effectively than the two that were selected after him. (Roethlisberger and Rivers.)

When you truly look at the stats, you begin to see the kind of company that Eli actually does reside in. His career 81.6 passer rating puts him on par with guys like Brad Johnson, Boomer Esiason, Elvis Grbac, and Steve Beuerlein. That's not very 'elite' company. It's more like serviceable company.

Eli probably deserves more than "serviceable quarterback", but the question is: how much more?

He's a solid passer, and he has a knack for winning the close games. However, Eli lacks the accolades and the numbers of the 'elite' and he doesn't captivate the NFL fan base like all the greats do. He's merely a good quarterback lobbying for something he hasn't earned yet.