The New York Giants put up a miserable performance in a 38-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card playoffs on Sunday. It was also not one of Eli Manning’s best performances.
Now that the Giants are headed back to their homes for the winter, the comments and critiques are obviously bubbling over. Here’s a pretty interesting one from New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese.
Jerry Reese on 36-year old Eli Manning: "He's probably on the back nine but I don't think it's ancient for a quarterback.''
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) January 9, 2017
Overall on the year, Manning’s performances decreased in a few areas. His interceptions were up from last season and his touchdowns were down. Sunday’s Wild Card game was a fine example of this trend. Manning and his top receivers struggled tremendously to get on the same page.
After a big loss that ended the Giants’ season, naturally talk of Manning’s age should creep into the conversation. Over the course of his 13-year career, Manning has been a pillar of health, having not missed a game since his rookie season back in 2004.
But as Manning turns 37 in January, Reese’s point seems valid. Eventually, the Giants will turn to another signal caller. This might come sooner rather than later should Manning’s performance continue to dip.
Just check in with Eli’s brother Peyton, who retired under similar circumstances shortly after he turned 40.