Nice Sanchez takedown by George Willis in the Post.

[T0mShane]

The issue is actually quite the opposite. Eli went from a player who was once an admittedly underrated QB as you suggest, to having such an excessive change in how he is portrayed that he is now an overrated one. The guy simply is not in the league of the NFL's truly "elite" QBs, and won't be as long as he continues to show an inability to consistently show up for the entirety of a game. The issue becomes the amount of praise he receives for the number of comebacks he leads, while completely ignoring all of the outside factors that lead to that, with the biggest question being "why does he so often find himself in the situation of even needing to lead a comeback?", and the answer simply being because of his own remarkably inconsistent play.

If Ben Roethlisberger is elite, Eli is elite. If you want to say that Brees, Brady and Rodgers are on one level, with Roethlisberger, Manning, and Rivers a click below, I'd probably agree with that. All five of those guys can win games by themselves.

[Sperm Edwards]

4. Road. Playoff. Wins.

5. Real. Comfortable. Jeans.

[jason423]

All good points. Every Giant that gets asked always says that the turning point in Eli's career was the second Jeremy Shockey limped off the field and onto the injured list. It's still mind-boggling to me that Tannenbaum would put Plaxico, Mason and Holmes into the same huddle with his young, sensitive quarterback. Clearly the work of a GM who has no concept of locker room dynamics.

Holmes is really the guy and I think the Jets got tricked into it. By all accounts he was a model citizen in 2010, but in hindsight that was to get a contract from the Jets or some other team. I think hes the guy that sabotaged Mark. I think the other guys sunk the offensive coordinator. Whenever the Giants players talk about Shockey they specifically talk about him in the huddle. Every play he would go back to the huddle screaming and yelling how he was open and to get him the ball. They basically said he was in Mannings ear the whole time, didnt let him breathe and the whole team would suffer. Half the time in the huddle was listening to Shockey babble. Once he was gone the huddle cleared and Eli at least had time to digest what was going on. That was Holmes. Tiki was just a locker room nuisance trying to turn players against the coach and making sure everyone knew he was the leader of the team in the locker room.

Anyway Holmes either tricked everyone or Rex just helped inflate the ego tremendously by treating him like he was Randy Moss circa 2003, letting the contraact go to his head, and then making him a "team leader" by putting a C on his jersey. The team needs to get it settled before Sanchez' forced throws to him begin turning into interceptions.

[T0mShane]

Another thing about Eli, I think I'd prefer him as my QB over Tom Brady. For all of the great numbers that Brady puts up, I've never seen a great QB who hated getting hit more than him. In that sense, Eli is the opposite--it's like he needs to get beaten on just to wake up in a game. With the way the league is now, with all the great, quick speed rushers, I want the guy who's not going to rattle.

[ZachEY]

Methinks Sanchez will have a nice game against the Dolphins, and we'll be back to the talk about how he's finally arrived and blah blah blah.

Then, we'll play the 49ers......

[T0mShane]

Holmes is really the guy and I think the Jets got tricked into it. By all accounts he was a model citizen in 2010, but in hindsight that was to get a contract from the Jets or some other team. I think hes the guy that sabotaged Mark. I think the other guys sunk the offensive coordinator. Whenever the Giants players talk about Shockey they specifically talk about him in the huddle. Every play he would go back to the huddle screaming and yelling how he was open and to get him the ball. They basically said he was in Mannings ear the whole time, didnt let him breathe and the whole team would suffer. Half the time in the huddle was listening to Shockey babble. Once he was gone the huddle cleared and Eli at least had time to digest what was going on. That was Holmes. Tiki was just a locker room nuisance trying to turn players against the coach and making sure everyone knew he was the leader of the team in the locker room.

Anyway Holmes either tricked everyone or Rex just helped inflate the ego tremendously by treating him like he was Randy Moss circa 2003, letting the contraact go to his head, and then making him a "team leader" by putting a C on his jersey. The team needs to get it settled before Sanchez' forced throws to him begin turning into interceptions.

All summer, I was hopeful it was Plaxico (another career malcontent). But, after watching Holmes last week, I think there's a serious time bomb issue there. There was an extended shot of him chirping at Sanchez as they headed onto the field, which was followed by another three and out, which was followed by an extended shot of Sanchez sitting alone on the bench, sulking. If Holmes blows up this season, they really need to think about deactivating him before he destroys Sanchez once and for all. The dude is E Coli.

[courtnj18]

I just wasted 30 seconds of my life reading this, so now I'm going to waste another and reply -

This article is a joke. It's the second article I've read like this one about Mark, and how he needs to grow a pair. He's being smart with his answers, and I'm sure he (along with Rex) is over the Tim crap. They must be running out of things to bitch about...

[Smashmouth]

All summer, I was hopeful it was Plaxico (another career malcontent). But, after watching Holmes last week, I think there's a serious time bomb issue there. There was an extended shot of him chirping at Sanchez as they headed onto the field, which was followed by another three and out, which was followed by an extended shot of Sanchez sitting alone on the bench, sulking. If Holmes blows up this season, they really need to think about deactivating him before he destroys Sanchez once and for all. The dude is E Coli.

Do you think the Coaching Staff of this footall team has the balls to sit a 50 million dollar cluster**** ? You seem to have a good grasp o f all our offensive problems but you bash Sanchez most of the time as well. Not sure why you dont see how lack of talent around him and Santonio bitching are whats causing the issues.

IMO Sanchez should go to Rex Woody and Tanny and say get this MFer out of my ****ing huddle . Remember what Gruden did with Keyshawn ? Obviously the Giants with Shockey and few teams with Moss and TO. Time for this QB and this organization to step up and get this bitch the hell out of here.

[T0mShane]

Do you think the Coaching Staff of this footall team has the balls to sit a 50 million dollar cluster**** ? You seem to have a good grasp o f all our offensive problems but you bash Sanchez most of the time as well. Not sure why you dont see how lack of talent around him and Santonio bitching are whats causing the issues.

IMO Sanchez should go to Rex Woody and Tanny and say get this MFer out of my ****ing huddle . Remember what Gruden did with Keyshawn ? Obviously the Giants with Shockey and few teams with Moss and TO. Time for this QB and this organization to step up and get this bitch the hell out of here.

Because the condom broke doesn't make your chick any less pregnant.

[shawn306]

All summer, I was hopeful it was Plaxico (another career malcontent). But, after watching Holmes last week, I think there's a serious time bomb issue there. There was an extended shot of him chirping at Sanchez as they headed onto the field, which was followed by another three and out, which was followed by an extended shot of Sanchez sitting alone on the bench, sulking. If Holmes blows up this season, they really need to think about deactivating him before he destroys Sanchez once and for all. The dude is E Coli.

And if he does will the Jets have the guts to either suspend him or just flat out get rid of him. Sort of like the Eagles did in 2005 with T.O..

Holmes is like the T.O's and Chad Johnson's of this era.

[GimmeShelter]

The issue is actually quite the opposite. Eli went from a player who was once an admittedly underrated QB as you suggest, to having such an excessive change in how he is portrayed that he is now an overrated one. The guy simply is not in the league of the NFL's truly "elite" QBs, and won't be as long as he continues to show an inability to consistently show up for the entirety of a game. The issue becomes the amount of praise he receives for the number of comebacks he leads, while completely ignoring all of the outside factors that lead to that, with the biggest question being "why does he so often find himself in the situation of even needing to lead a comeback?", and the answer simply being because of his own remarkably inconsistent play.

You are out of your mind.

There is no QB in the league that I would want in a big spot over Eli right now and it has been that way for a while. Last night was another great game on his part. Take away two of his weapons, he makes two unknowns look like stars. He is elite.

[Bleedin Green]

You are out of your mind.

There is no QB in the league that I would want in a big spot over Eli right now and it has been that way for a while. Last night was another great game on his part. Take away two of his weapons, he makes two unknowns look like stars. He is elite.

Yeah, he was unquestionably great last night, won't argue that for a moment. Quite frankly, I was actually waiting for this post ever since then, and will give you the exact response I knew would be applicable to it: one game does not equal consistency. It's not that he doesn't have the ability, but he is one of the single most inconsistent players amongst the league's good QBs, and frankly, I think it's ridiculous to lower the levels of what is considered "elite" to include multiple, clearly distinct levels of performance. I think TS put it well in the way he outlined it and Eli is certainly comparable to a guy like Big Ben, who I also don't think deserves to be considered elite, but not amongst the likes of Rodgers, Brees, Brady or Eli's big brother (at least through 2010).

The truth is his quantity of comeback victories is directly related to his quantity of no-shows early in games that play a part in the Giants so often falling behind early and needing a comeback to begin with. Don't get me wrong, he certainly deserves credit for when he pulls it off in the end, but then he also deserves the blame for his part in getting them there in the first place and needing to dig them out, which also leads to a number of situations in which he tries and fails to do so as well (thus the 9-7 record they had last year, which the Giants have to thank nothing but pure luck for it being enough for a division win, especially after being swept by their divisions worst team). Again, I'm not saying that he's not a very good QB, I'm just saying I think classifying him as elite is going too far.