Atlanta was way out of form on MNF this week and a competent Giants squad took advantage of the situation.
“I felt good throwing the ball,” Eli Manning said after this weeks MNF game against the Falcons. And for parts of the game (not the parts where he threw 2 interceptions and fumbled once) he looked pretty good throwing the ball as well. That’s a significant accomplishment for Manning who is often disrespected in the media for lacking that intangible “quarterback-like†presence. And it’s not like his numbers are bad – would you have guessed that he is ranked 8th in passing yardage and is 5th in the league with 11 touchdown passes? Or that both of those stats are better than his esteemed brother Peyton?
Part of that is due to Eli developing what has become a template for success as a QB in the NFL this season – finding a receiver with whom you have an almost telepathic connection (ala Romo/Owens, Brady/Moss) and throwing him completions at critical moments even when the secondary just knows he’s going to get the ball. This week Manning and wide receiver Plaxico Burress continued to build on that particular relationship, and it’s not an easy task considering that a sore ankle has kept Burress from practicing regularly with the team for more than a month. Amani Toomer has been an integral part of that equation as well and was superb this week at giving Manning a short wideout target. Toomer’s 7 receptions against Atlanta including a touchdown catch have put him at the top of the heap – he now is the leading Giants receiver all time in number of career receptions (687) and number of career touchdown catches (48). Not bad considering he had a season ending tear to his ACL just a year ago.
And Joey Harrington and the Falcons? I sorry but it’s going to take a whole other article to properly shred their disgusting performance.