Eli or Peyton, The Point is to Have a Manning
This past weekend proved that growing up in the Manning household meant something different than growing up elsewhere in America. While their respective fathers taught many young boys the game of football, few were taught the intricacies of game management. Most kids learned how to throw the ball, how to catch it, or how to knock it down. Archie however, was apparently teaching Eli and Peyton how to pick a part a defense and manage the clock.
As witnessed by America on two consecutive nights, the Manning boys not only have a penchant for picking apart a defense, they likely could write dissertations on the matter. Time and again, Eli and Peyton make the right calls at the right times resulting in one more game winning drive. In Eli’s case, you had a game that was predominately in the favor of the Cowboys throughout the night. Aside from Romo’s mistakes, Dallas controlled the game on Sunday night. However, left with just enough time and not too large of a deficit, we saw Eli engineer the perfect drive with untested wide receivers and put New York in a position to walk out with the first win at Jerry World. Then came his brother on Monday night. How do you win a game in which you only possess the ball for 14 minutes and 53 seconds? Easy, you just follow the Peyton Manning blueprint. That means assess the defense you are presented, adjust your calls, and make precise passes to your wide receivers which allow them to get the ball in the end zone to the tune of a one play drive and a three play drive.
Though we love to watch the gun slinging quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Philip Rivers, it is the meticulous game managers that often come out on top. Just ask Dan Marino. Eli, Peyton, Brady, Montana; these guys are all considered great quarterbacks and even better managers of the game. When you come down to the 4th quarter in a game that is winnable, you almost always see these guys pull it out. Think about what you see as you watch football every Sunday. Often the quarterbacks are calling and sticking to the plays that are sent in by their coaching staff. That is rarely the case with Eli and Peyton though. They are so involved in checks and adjustments at the line of scrimmage, that quite often the play that is run looks nothing like the play that was initially called.
Whatever ability they have to read a defense and manage a game, very few others possess it. Many quarterbacks rely upon their skill to get the job done, which is why few quarterbacks are successful long term in the NFL. To win on Sundays, it takes more than just the ability to sling the football down the field. To win on Sundays, it takes a combination of abilities and a high football IQ. Apparently, growing up with Archie Manning as your father gives you both.
