At last, Eli's coming into his own
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Here's the good news for the New York Giants: Eli Manning is better than Tom Brady.
Before you spit out your morning latte, digest the explanation.
The Giants quarterback who will take the field Sunday in Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium is better than the New England Patriots quarterback who started Super Bowl XXXVI and led his team to an upset of the heavily favored St. Louis Rams.
Manning, in his fourth season, has far more experience than Brady did back then, and he has played better in his three postseason games than Brady played in his two playoff games leading up to that stunning upset of the Rams.
With Plaxico Burress and a rejuvenated Amani Toomer at wide receiver, as well as an outstanding running game and a defense that was the best in the NFL at sacking the quarterback, Manning goes into his first NFL title game with far more weapons than Brady had as a virtual rookie in his first quest for a Super Bowl title.
What if Brady quarterbacked the Giants instead of the Pats?
Consider this: The Patriots team that beat "The Greatest Show on Turf" team from St. Louis was ranked only 19th in offense (12th in rushing yards and 22d in passing yards).
Manning's Giants, by comparison, finished this season 16th in offense (fourth in rushing and 21st passing). The Patriots' first title team had the 24th-ranked defense. The Giants had the league's seventh-best defense this season.
That's the end of the good news for the Giants.
The bad news?
Giants quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer explains it best by describing what Brady has become since winning the first of three Super Bowl titles against the Rams in 2002.
"He sees things that a lot of guys don't see and he always goes to the right place," Palmer said Wednesday before the Giants held their first practice in preparation for their meeting with Brady's unbeaten Patriots. "I think great players, whether it's a hockey player, a basketball player or a quarterback, you have great, great vision. They just see things that you and I don't see."
Palmer went on to compare Brady's uncanny vision to that of Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan. He also predicted that Brady would someday hold the same status in his sport that Gretzky and Jordan hold, at least in some eyes, in theirs.
That, of course, means the Brady that has arrived here in the desert doesn't in the least bit resemble the inexperienced guy who still played well enough to win his first Super Bowl with an overmatched football team in New Orleans six years ago.
If Brady changed uniforms and played football near the same city where he delivers flowers to his supermodel girlfriend, it wouldn't be surprising at all if the Las Vegas oddsmakers made the Giants slight favorites Sunday instead of double-digit underdogs.
"We know how smart he is and how talented he is," said Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
"If you took the same guy and just surrounded him with another team, he'd make them a playoff contender."
