By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Something that’s never done in the Steve Kerr era in the Bay Area, losing 4 consecutive games. The Golden State Warriors probably suffered an all-time low last as they were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder by the score of 123-95. Despite him struggling shooting from the field, Thunder’s Russell Westbrook finished the game with a triple-double. Westbrook had 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. This was the second game Westbrook came back from a sprained left ankle. Also, Dennis Schroder came off the bench and scored 32 points, as well as shooting 5/6 from 3pt range, and Stephen Adams had 20 points and 11 rebounds, plus 2 blocks.

As for the Warriors, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson finished the game scoring 27 points, meanwhile, Warriors guards Stephen Curry was out for the game due to a groin injury, while Warriors forward Draymond Green was a no-show as well.

Warriors headed to the season as the two-time reigning, defending champions, along being considered the consensus favorite to win the championship again. Warriors currently have the number 5th seed in the Western Conference at 12-7. Obviously, not the way Warriors and Warriors fans want to begin the season.

Frankly, the season is beginning to what we may see a potential end with the Warriors. During the Warriors, 121-116 upsetting overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, there was a heated discussion between Green and Durant. Less than 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Green grabs a rebound from Durant and while Durant is demanding Green for the basketball, Green made an ill-advised play by running the ball in transition, and a turnover, that sent the game to overtime.

Reports have surfaced that during their confrontation, Green allegedly called Durant a “bitch.” As a result, Green was suspended for 1 game against the Atlanta Hawks due to conduct detriment.

It was inevitable that Durant didn’t want to get into the details during his press conference. When asked if he and Green had spoken, Durant said “no.” Later on, Durant was asked what exactly transpired between him and Green.

“I’m going to keep that in-house. That’s what we do here. I know you guys got a job to do, but I’m not trying to give nobody no headlines. What happened, happened, we’re trying to move on. I’m just trying to play basketball.”

Durant was also asked if his fight with Green would have any influence on his decision to enter the free agency market.

“At the end of the day, I’m just a ballplayer that’s just trying to be in a great environment to play basketball and groom my skills every day,” Durant said.

“And I want to compete on a level that once the game starts, I’m just totally comfortable with my surroundings, with just going out there and being me.”

Yet again, Durant was asked about his altercation with Green after the Warriors 107-86 loss to the Houston Rockets. Durant’s response was “Don’t ask me about that again.”

Not to mention that Durant took the time to go on Instagram and liked and afterward unliked a comment about the possibility of Green being traded.

A couple of days ago while the Warriors were on the road to face the Dallas Mavericks, Durant was fined $25K for “directing inappropriate language toward a fan.”

Most have criticized Durant for his decision to leave Oklahoma City and join Golden State in Oakland. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has called Durant’s decision “Weakest move by a superstar.” Most believe Durant is soft and left Oklahoma City because he couldn’t be the alpha dog to carry a franchise to win a championship.

“I’m viewing it as the weakest move I’ve ever seen from a superstar, plain and simple that’s just how I look at it. It’s not that he’s leaving Oklahoma City, if you’re not happy there, you wanna move on and you wanna grow as a player there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s one of the top three players in the world, he’s a quintessential superstar, he deserves all the credit in the world for the talent that he possesses but the flip side is this: they were up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. Not 1, not 2, but 3 different times he was 48 minutes away from getting to the NBA Finals by winning the Western Conference and three times he failed, particularly in game 6 and you depart for the team that beat you? When you’re on the cusp of getting to the Finals yourself and ultimately winning the championship with the franchise that you’ve been with since you come into the NBA? I think it’s incredibly weak.”

Summer of 2019 will be an interesting and complicated year for Durant. This will be the time in the off-season, Durant can enter the free agency, and perhaps go to teams in the L.A. area like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers. Supposedly, Durant can go to the New York and play in the Mecca and join the Knicks. Warriors and Durant need to get it together, otherwise, their chances to compete for a 3rd consecutive championship would be slim to none.

By: Parnell Saint Preux

Things went bad to worse for the Washington Redskins as they lost their second consecutive game this week at home against the Houston Texans. More importantly, they are without their starting quarterback Alex Smith.

With 7:43 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Smith was sacked by Texans defensive back Kareem Jackson, along with All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt. Unfortunately, Smith left the game, while on a cart. Subsequently, it was revealed that Smith will be out for the rest of the season due to a broken fibula.

Ultimately, Redskins back up Colt McCoy almost led a comeback but came up short as the Texans finished victory 23-21.

Due to their loss, Washington moves their record to 6-4. Currently, they lead the NFC East division one game over the Dallas Cowboys, followed by the reigning Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles finishing third place and the New York Giants at dead last.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Washington will bring in free agent quarterbacks to their facilities and evaluate their workouts. The quarterbacks that will participate and compete are EJ Manuel, Kellen Clemens, TJ Yates, and Mark Sanchez.

Washington is in desperate need of a quarterback, considering the fact they have an upcoming Thanksgiving afternoon game against the Cowboys. Here’s a suggestion and some likelihood some may disagree, why not give Colin Kaepernick a chance.

Of course, critics will lament that Kaepernick has been away from the NFL for about 2 years. However, he is better than any of the quarterbacks Washington could land. After all, he and Smith were teammates in San Francisco, plus Kaepernick is best suited for the offense that Washington operates, plus familiar to.

Unfortunately for Redskins and Kaepernick fans, do not be surprised with Washington’s refusing to give Kaepernick a shot. According to Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk, Kaepernick will not work out for the Redskins. Likewise, Florio said on “NBC’s Football Night in America” Redskins team president Bruce Allen previously said that under his control, Washington will never include the free agent quarterback.

“Even though Washington quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell served on the last coaching staff in San Francisco that had Kaepernick on the roster, Kaepernick won’t be on the Washington roster,” Florio wrote. “barring a dramatic change of heart by Allen — or a direct order from owner Daniel Snyder that having someone who possibly could help push a 6-4 start toward a finish atop the division outweighs all non-football considerations.”

If Washington cares about winning and results, other than money or politics, they would bring in Kaepernick. It’s obvious that the polarizing quarterback is being blackballed by the NFL. No team is willing to give the free agent quarterback a tryout.

Instead of judging players based on their merit, plus putting the franchise in the best position possible to win, this is what fans of the franchise have to deal with.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

It’s been 9 weeks since the season started, and so far it has been what most football fans imagined. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been taking the league by storm and the Chiefs are the number one team in the AFC. Mahomes leads the NFL with 29 touchdown passes, as well as leading the NFL in passing yards with 2,901. Mahomes continued his awesome play in a 37-21 victory against the Cleveland Browns. Mahomes finished the game throwing for 375 yards and 3 touchdown passes.

Over the past eight games, Mahomes has had eight consecutive games of over 300 yards passing. He now ties Andrew Luck with that current streak. Currently, Kansas City has the number one scoring offense and third in passing and total yards. Mahomes is on pace to throw for over 5,000 yards and more than 50 touchdown passes. Only quarterbacks who’ve thrown for 50 touchdowns and win league MVP are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Although Mahomes is having a magnificent season, the same argument could be made for Drew Brees. Brees is completing 76.3% of his passes along with 18 touchdown passes and only 1 interception. Like Brady, Brees is planning to defeat father time at age 39. Amongst the quarterbacks of his generation, Brees was ranked behind Brady, Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. Throughout his career, Brees has broken numerous and remarkable records.

However, he’s never received the credit that most elite quarterbacks deserved. Brees has been considered an afterthought because of the quarterbacks he played against. Skeptics and critics will lament to his creative offensive genius and head coach Sean Payton, plus the fact he played in San Diego and New Orleans. Regardless of the circumstances, Brees has defied the odds that were against him.

Brees is more of the sentimental pick for MVP because of his underdog story. Brees is listed 6 feet tall and 209 lbs. In terms of size, Brees is not considered “prototypical.” Despite his size limitations, Brees has thrown for over 4,000 yards in the past 12 consecutive seasons. In addition, Brees has also thrown for over 5,000 yards 5 times in his career.

Brees validated his MVP argument last Sunday in 45-35 victory against the Los Angeles Rams. Coming into the game, Rams has one of the top 2 offenses in the NFL, as well being undefeated. brees threw for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns, including the 72-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas that sealed the Saints victory.

Of course, how can anyone forget last season’s runner-up for league MVP and reigning offensive player of the year Todd Gurley? Gurley is the leading rusher in the NFL with 868 yards while leading the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns. Moreover, Gurley has 4 receiving touchdowns, proving he’s one of the versatile running backs in the league. Gurley is on track to dethrone Hall-of-Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2006 record for most total touchdowns in a single season.

Even though Gurley is putting astronomical numbers, critics will point out that the NFL is a league predicated for the quarterback position. Presently, quarterbacks have more luxury than ever to complete 65-70% of their passes, also throwing more than 4,000 yards and 30 plus touchdowns. In 2007, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss eclipsed Jerry Rice’s record for most receiving touchdowns in a season. However, that was the year when Brady threw for 50 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

Therefore, in order for Gurley to win league MVP in a quarterback era, he has to either break Tomlinson’s record in 2006 or replicating Adrian Peterson’s record in 2012 by rushing for more than 2,000 yards.

Not only Gurley is in the conversation, but there’s also Jared Goff. Last year, Goff had an impressive season with head coach Sean McVay. Right now, Goff has 20 touchdowns passes and 6 interceptions. This season, his best game was the Rams 38-31 victory against the Minnesota Vikings. Goff threw for a career-high 465 yards, along with 5 touchdown passes, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

Maybe it’s time to give Goff more credit than he deserves. After his rookie season, most went as far as labeling Goff a bust. Suddenly, things changed for L.A. when previous head coach Jeff Fisher was fired, then adding McVay. Since McVay took over for the Rams, Goff has been perceived as a system’s quarterback. Obviously, Goff is surrounded with great talents like Gurley, Brandon Cooks, Cooper Cuff, and a defense led by All-Pro Aaron Donald. At some point, when is it time he will receive the gratitude and praise. After all, the Rams drafted Goff first overall in 2016. Rams believed that Goff was going to be their franchise quarterback. Up to this point, he’s fulfilling the obligations of a franchise quarterback.

Finally, there’s the G.O.A.T. Seeing that the Patriots started the season at 1-2, they have won 6 successive games. The most impressive game they had this season was 43-40 victory against Kansas City. Brady and Patriots handed the flaming Chiefs their first loss. Likewise, Brady is the reigning MVP and to most the face of the NFL. More importantly, it’s how he constantly playing at a high level, especially at his age.

Brady is completing 67% of his passes with 17 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. Not too bad for a 41-year-old putting up those types of numbers. However, there will be some Brady jealousy/envy from people in the media and public. In spite of that, Brady is playing at a level he’s accustom to playing, and playing well.

If the season ended today, Mahomes would be the favorite to win the prestigious award. Yes, Brees is the sentimental pick, while Brady is the reigning MVP, who beat Mahomes and Gurley and Goff are teammates, and one plays the running back position. Nevertheless, Mahomes has better numbers and the better narrative. At age 23, Mahomes is now in the same category with Goff, Carson Wentz, and Deshaun Watson as the best young quarterbacks. Once again, he’s on pace to throw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Keep in mind, Manning and Brady threw for 50 touchdowns in their 30’s. Some will nitpick and mention the stellar coaching from Reid and the extraordinary talents Mahomes possesses, including Travis Kelce, Tyreke Hill, Kareem Hunt, and Sammy Watkins. Ironically, this is the same offense that former quarterback Alex Smith operate. Presently, Mahomes has 3 more touchdown passes than Smith had last season. As well as accumulating wins and stats, Mahomes is with a terrible defense. The fact of the manner is Mahomes will be one of if not the face of the NFL for years to come. And currently, his time is now.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Constantly, most football fans have this conversation, who is the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL? Previously, the greatest quarterback was San Francisco 49ers quarterback and 4x Super Bowl champion, Joe Montana. Now that Montana is retired, most argue that the G.O.A.T. is 5x Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady. At age 41, Brady continues to defeat father time by his play and commitment to football.

Meanwhile, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is recognized by most as the greatest passer the NFL has ever encountered. Since he took over for the Packers in 2008, Rodgers has captured 2 NFL MVPs, a Super Bowl championship, and a Super Bowl MVP. Unlike Brady, Rodgers has the highest passer rating of all time, plus a 4 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio. Also, Rodgers is the fastest quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 touchdown passes and less than 100 interceptions.

If there is one thing that Brady and Rodgers have in common, great narratives. Most people never anticipated that they would marvelous careers. Brady was drafted with the 199th pick in the 6th round back in 2000. Coming into the draft, Brady was known for his lack of arm strength and mobility. At the combine, Brady ran the 40-yard dash at 5.28, which is slow for quarterback standards.

In the following year, Brady was inserted as the starting quarterback after the previous quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered an impactful hit from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. During that year, Brady would cap off with an invitation to the Pro-Bowl, along with a Super Bowl title and Super Bowl MVP. Later on, Brady followed by winning 4 more Super Bowls, 3 Super Bowl MVP’s and 3 league MVPs.

According to most, Brady is considered the G.O.A.T. due to his accomplishments and stunning comebacks. In his playoff career, Brady is 27-10. He joins 4 other quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowls and Super Bowl MVPs. In that category, Brady is with Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, and Eli Manning. Likewise, Brady became the 3rd quarterback in the NFL history to reach 500 touchdown passes.

Most believe Brady cemented his G.O.A.T. status with a remarkable 28-3 comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51. Brady finished the game throwing for a previous Super Bowl record 466 yards and receiving his 4th Super Bowl MVP.

Even Rodgers himself gave his assessment about the G.O.A.T. debate.

“[Brady’s] got five championships, so that ends most discussions, I think,” Rodgers said Tuesday, according to ESPN.

During the 2005 draft, Rodgers was projected to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the first overall pick.  Fans would imagine the hometown hero from the University of Cal would land in the Bay-Area. However, the 49ers went with an alternative and selected Utah quarterback Alex Smith. Continuously, teams passed on Rodgers. Eventually, after 23 draft picks later, Rodgers was selected by the Packers.

During Rodgers first 3 seasons, he sat behind the immortal Brett Favre. After Favre spent his last 3 years in Green Bay, Packers decided to move on from the 38-year-old at the time, and subsequently place Rodgers as the starter.

Packer Nation was shocked and in total disbelief of Favre’s departure. Some if not most were not sold Rodgers being the successor to Favre. Ultimately, it took Rodgers 3 years for Packer Nation to change their perception of him by delivering the franchise their 4th Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011. Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP.

Rodgers has surpassed the legacy of Favre and continuing to build on his own legacy. Last season, Rodgers became the first person in history to throw for 300 touchdown passes and less than 100 interceptions. Additionally, Rodgers has captured 2 league MVP’s, 6 pro-bowl experiences and numerous records.

Noticeable people, particularly, Hall-of-Famer and co-host Fox Sports 1 “Skip and Shannon’s Undisputed” Shannon Sharpe had this to say about Rodgers skill-set and why he believes Rodgers is better than Brady.

“Who’s the better of the two? It’s Rodgers. Who’s the more accomplished of the two? Clearly, it’s Tom Brady,” “But here’s the thing… We have never, ever, in the history of football seen a guy that possesses what Aaron Rodgers possesses. Nobody, no quarterback in history, has the touch, the accuracy, the ability to throw the ball moving left or right, throw the ball from the pocket, throw the ball from different plains. No one has ever been able to do it with the accuracy that Aaron Rodgers has been able to do it.”

According to ESPN’s Ian O’Connor, Brady allegedly acknowledged that Rodgers is so much better than him.

“He’d throw for 7,000 yards every year,” Brady reportedly said. “He’s so much more talented than me.”

Sunday’s night game between the Packers and Patriots has fans, public, and media excited, especially the greatest basketball player to ever live Michael Jordan.

Here is the answer to the question that everyone wants to know. Who would you have at quarterback and call the G.O.A.T.?

From an accomplishment standpoint, obviously, the answer goes to Brady. No one with common sense can argue Brady’s body of resume. There are some skeptics who would say, if it were not for Bill Belichick, Brady wouldn’t have 5 rings. Believe it or not, some people think it’s legitimate. For the majority of Brady’s career, outside of Randy Moss and Rob Gronkowski, Brady has worked with nameless talent.

However, from a talent standpoint, without question, the argument goes to Rodgers. Rodgers combination of arm strength, mobility, and accuracy is unparallel. More importantly, Rodgers had to deal with the circumstances surpassing a pantheon quarterback.

Truthfully, here is how the debate between Rodgers and Brady can finally be over, seeing them face each other in the Super Bowl. If one of them plays great and win, the debate is over. Hopefully, fans and everyone else will get a chance to see.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

Alabama Crimson Tide sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is having a sensational start in the College Football season. The Crimson Tide are 8-0 and ranked number 1 the nation. Tagovailoa is completing 70.4% percent of his passes with 25 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.

Not only he’s a threat to the passing game, but he’s also a threat to the running game. Tagovailoa is complicated for defensive players to evaluate. Some of Tagavailoa’s components are his awareness and elusiveness.

Most people believe it’s Tagovailoa’s Heisman’s to lose. Considering how Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray loss to rival Texas 48-45 and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins disappointing 29 point loss to Purdue, it’s clear that Tagovailoa is the frontrunner.

During the summer, several questions were asked as to who will be named the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Coach Nick Saban kept the dialogue going by naming Tagovailoa and junior quarterback Jalen Hurts as co-starters.

In the national championship against the Georgia Bulldogs, Saban infamously benched Hurts and subsequently inserted Tagovailoa.  Afterward, the Crimson Tide was compensated by Tagovailoa’s 13 point comeback against Georgia, including the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.

Of all the quarterbacks Saban has had in his illustrious career in Alabama and LSU, he’s never had a quarterback of Tagovailoa’s combination of accuracy, arm strength, anticipation, and athleticism. Not only Tagovailoa has a great chance to win the Heisman and another national championship, but he could also be a conceivable number 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who coached Tagovailoa in the “Elite 11” tournament, had enormous praise of the Crimson Tide quarterback.

“I think Tua’s a generational talent. I mean, I’ve said this over and over and over,” Dilfer said. “I said it a year and a half ago before he got to Alabama. I think that he’s a kid that can go through his college career and never lose a game, considering where he’s at. … I mean, he’s that kind of good. The best I’ve ever seen.”

Dilfer provided more information on his bold statement “The best I’ve ever seen.”

“Of the 32 NFL starters right now, I want to say 20 of them — my numbers may be off — have gone through our Elite 11,” Dilfer said. “I know the other ones well. He’s the greatest high school talent I’ve ever seen, and it’s not close. But it’s not just how he throws the ball and his movement skills. It’s his maturity; it’s his focus; it’s his football IQ; it’s his leadership. It’s everything. He’s the complete package.

“And you’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg. He can do things with a football that I’ve only seen a couple other people be able to do. And he can think quickly, and nothing bothers him, and he’s a great leader. Like I said, he just checks every box.”

If Tagovailoa continues his excellent play, his draft stock in 2020 will skyrocket. There are plenty of comparisons between him and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Most draft experts love the comparison given their personalities and incredible play/leadership. It’s too early to tell about Tagovailoa’s future, however, the future looks bright for the 20-year-old.

Even though Tagovaolia has been remarkable, others would point out the lack of competition he’s faced this season. Some are not sold on Tagovailoa winning the Heisman, due to the sub-par competition he’s faced, particularly Louisville, Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. In the end,  it still does not diminish his on the field contributions.

The Crimson have a huge test next week as they head on the road to face 4th ranked LSU, a potential matchup in the College Football Playoffs. This will be a big test for Tagovailoa to destroy the narrative that he can’t succeed against a top-ranked team. If Tagovailoa wins, unquestionably, he will remain as the leading candidate for the Heisman. However, if he loses, a legitimate case could be made for Haskins and Murray.

By: Parnell Saint Preux

Last Saturday night was supposed to be an incredible night for Lakers fans and the entire NBA community as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Houston Rockets. It was the first home debut for LeBron James as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Many anticipated this was going to be a great game in the first week of the regular season.

Late in the 4th quarter with 4:13 remaining, Rockets guard and reigning MVP, James Harden was fouled by Lakers forward Brandon Ingram. After the foul, Ingram shoved Harden in the back. Afterward, Ingram got in the face of the official because Ingram disagreed with the official’s decision on the foul of Harden.

While players like James, Carmelo Anthony, and Lance Stephenson did their best to de-escalate the situation, ultimately, led to punches thrown between Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo.

A clip from ESPN showing the fight.

Paul and his teammates accused Rondo of spitting at Paul’s face. From several videos, it appeared that Paul felt a hit of spit from Rondo. Then, Paul fiercely pointed his finger at Rondo’s face and pushed him. Sooner or later, Paul and Rondo were throwing punches and were separated by teammates. Out of nowhere, Ingram tries to land a punch at Paul, however, failed. Eventually, Paul, Ingram, and Rondo were ejected from the game. Rockets finished the game with the victory, 124-115.

Things went bad to worst for Rondo and Paul. According to Sam Amick of “The Athletic”, a furious Paul informed teammates and staff members that Rondo’s girlfriend instigated a verbal conflict with Paul’s wife, according to sources.

Jonathan Feigen from the Houston Chronicle and Lauren A. Jones from the Los Angeles Sentinel reported and also included details of the argument between Rondo and Paul’s family.

Finally, the NBA decided to suspend the three players. Due to their actions, Paul was suspended for 2 games, Rondo 3 games, and Ingram with 4.

NBA released a following statement of the suspensions.

“Ingram has been suspended for aggressively returning to and escalating the altercation and throwing a punch in the direction of Paul, confronting a game official in a hostile manner, and instigating the overall incident by shoving Rockets guard James Harden. Rondo has been suspended for instigating a physical altercation with, and spitting and throwing multiple punches at, Paul. Paul has been suspended for poking at and making contact with the face of Rondo, and throwing multiple punches at him.”

Additionally, according to ESPN”s Bobby Marks, Ingram will be fined $158,817, followed by Rondo being fined for $186,207 and Paul with a $491,781 fine.

Some if not most have an issue with the NBA handing Rondo a 3 game suspension, as well as Ingram with a 4 game suspension. Given what transpired, some would argue that the suspension should be 10 games, if not more.

Certainly, this is not the way to start the NBA season. At the end of the day, optics matter. Regardless of the fact basketball is a competitive sport, and there may be animosity between opponents, such as Rondo and Paul, nonetheless, there is no excuse for irrational behavior. Rather than focusing on the great narrative of James first home game as a Laker, sadly, we’ve come to this conclusion.

By: Parnell Saint-Preux

New York Giants fans are not pleased with the performance from their franchise quarterback, Eli Manning. Neither from his teammates, primarily wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. In an interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Beckham discusses Manning’s recent play.

“I don’t know,” Beckham said when he was asked if there was an issue at quarterback. “Like I said, I feel like he’s not going to get out the pocket. He’s not — we know Eli’s not running it. But is it a matter of time issue? Can he still throw it, yeah, but it’s been pretty safe and it’s been, you know … cool catching shallow [routes] and trying to take it to the house. But I’m, you know, I want to go over the top of somebody.”

In the Giants 34-13 loss against the reigning Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles, Manning completed 24/43 for 281 yards and one INT. Manning reached an all-time low in the QBR category with a 3.2.

After the game, Manning acknowledged he needs to improve his game and that his confidence hasn’t changed.

“Confidence is always the same,” Manning said. “I know I can play better. I didn’t play well [Thursday] night. I have to make better decisions and just get back to doing my job, not trying to force things, find completions, move the ball and try to score more points.”

Giants Head Coach was asked about whether or not Manning would still be the starting quarterback for the Giants.

“No. We believe in Eli,” Shurmur said last Friday.

Shurmur was also asked about the Giants made a mistake by drafting Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick than Sam Darnold.

“The idea that Saquon Barkley was a mistake? I don’t see the logic in that, and I just told you that I believe in Eli,” Shurmur said.

The fact of the matter is Manning is not himself. Since Manning helped the Giants win the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots in February 2012, the Giants have been to the playoffs once in the last six years.

Manning, 37, has shown a huge decline in his play. Obviously, Manning is not known for mobility or athleticism, however, he was known for pulling off remarkable 4th quarter comebacks. Nowadays, he looks terrified in the pocket, refusing to throw the football down the field, and relying on his skilled players to make spectacular plays after the catch.

Moving forward, Giants need to consider drafting a quarterback. Potentially, if they have a top three pick in the draft, they should consider drafting Oregon QB, Justin Herbert.

According to most draft experts, Herbert is considered the best quarterback prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. Although Herbert is not the best overall prospect in the draft, nonetheless, it is a huge necessity for the Giants to draft a quarterback.

Herbert has great size, listed at 6’6 235 lbs with athleticism and a excellent arm talent. Some of the comparisons Herbert has received are Andrew Luck and Carson Wentz.

Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer has heard great reports from NFL executives about Herbert’s talent.

“He has all the tools, all the traits,” says one AFC exec. “He’s a bigger [Marcus] Mariota to me. He could use another year in school, another year of maturing. But I could definitely see him going high, just based on talent and traits, if he came out.”

“He’s got size, arm strength, better touch than people think, he’s athletic for a big man, he can really throw on the run,” says an NFC exec. “And he’s a great kid, has off-the-charts intangibles, wants to be a doctor, he has it all squared away. He wasn’t raised to be a quarterback, but he’s from a football family. … He’s only 21, so he could use an extra year. But if he’s a Top 5 pick, he has to consider going.”

Hands down, Manning is no longer the best quarterback in the NFC East division.  Truth be told, he’s not ranked 2nd or even 3rd. In actuality, Manning is dead last in the division. Let’s face reality, Manning has been terrible.

To Manning’s defense, has he had enough support and protection from his offensive line, recently? Absolutely not.  In the past six games of the season, Manning has been sacked 20 times. If you look at the picture below, this would perfectly explain Manning’s mindset behind the Giants offensive line.

However, when you are perceived as the beloved franchise quarterback, there are obligations that you must fulfill. Indisputably, that is not the case for Manning.

We all know once Manning retires, he will start his new chapter in life. After he decides to hang up his cleats for good, the unvarnished question is will Manning enroll to Canton and become a member of the Pro Football in Hall of Fame?

Some will make the argument that Manning had great moments and captured 2 Super Bowls and Super Bowl MVP’s by defeating the New England Patriots. Others will argue throughout his career Manning has missed the playoffs as well as leading the lead in interceptions multiple times.

That remains to be answered. All Giants fans know that it’s time for a new quarterback to step in and contribute. Sure, they’ll respect and admire the things that Manning has done. In the end, Manning and the Giants know it’s business.