Eli Manning, Vince Young, and Phillip Rivers

by James on January 3rd, 2008

NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.

We are young. We are quarterbacks. We are in the playoffs.

You will believe in us. You will brag to others about us. We will carry our teams to victory.

We are also inexperienced. We are inconsistent. We are just a tad bit nervous, because even we do not know how we will perform.

Yes, your intrepid author managed to get a fake interview with Eli, Vince, and Phillip.

Why?

Because they are most likely in the hot seat more than any of the remaining quarterbacks.

Eli Manning

Take a look at Eli. Will he play like he did against the Patriots, when he looked like big brother Peyton?

The worry for the Giants is that he could have a meltdown similar to the one he had in throwing four interceptions (with three returned for touchdowns) against Minnesota on Nov. 25 or another of the weak showings that have made for a checkered career. Manning carries the additional burden of being 0-2 in the playoffs and the younger brother of one of the best quarterbacks the game has ever seen. source

My favorite game with Eli was the early game against his brother, where he let it all hang out. Eli has had some time to advance his game and the Giants bring a tough team with a tough running game. Eli does not need to do it all. He needs to play within himself and believe in his team. Then they can believe in him!

Vince Young

What about Vince? He is injured in the leg taking away one of his strengths.

Young would become the youngest quarterback to start a game for this franchise if he starts at the age of 24 years, 233 days. Gifford Nielsen was 25 years, 65 days when he replaced Dan Pastorini and beat the Chargers on Dec. 29, 1979, to reach the AFC championship game. source

So, there could be some first time jitters, so what. You think that none of the other quarterbacks will be nervous? Vince’s strength has always been to find a way to win. He won’t out pass you, but he can beat you. There are no receivers on his team anyway. The Titan defense has been pretty solid and that has really helped.

Pluses: The defensive line creates havoc, the running game is solid, and the kicker can win a game if the team keeps it close. source

Now, will the quadriceps injury allow him to play?

Phillip Rivers

The Chargers are loaded as a team, just filled with great players, but Phillip is still a young man learning his craft.

If the Chargers are to win, Rivers, the fourth overall selection in ‘04, will likely have to play with greater consistency than he has shown even in helping his club win its last six games. source

The book on Phillip Rivers is that in his good games he allows that talent to win for him, especially a certain running back by the name of LaDainian Tomlinson.

Minuses: If you contain LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers won’t beat you. This team has been spooked by playoff pressure in the past. source

Phillip completes 60 percent of his passes, but has thrown 21 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.
Rivers really does need to rely on LT. His arm is most likely not going to win the game for you.

Wild ponderings

You know what would be great though? Eli makes great decisions and avoids turnovers. Vince throws the ball all over the place with accuracy and does not run due to the injury. Phillip displays poise and keeps away from interceptions.

Yeah, it would be great to see all three young guys have breakout games!

Go Eli Manning.

Go Vince Young.

Go Phillip Rivers.

Take one more giant step for developing quarterbacks!

NFL Football Fan Question Which of the 3 will have the best game?

Be sure to check out my companion blog at NBA Obsessed.

As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.

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Tags: chargers, Eli Manning, football, giants, injury, LaDainian Tomlinson, new-york, nfl, Peyton Manning, phillip-rivers, playoffs, quarterbacks, san-diego, tennessee, titans, Vince Young

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