Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants still love Eli Manning, but is Robert Griffin III safe in DC? The Washington Redskins must stop the bleeding or doom their young NFL quarterback. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in part two of this week’s TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
TODD:
Trading Eli now seems idiotic. They wouldn’t even get a first-round pick for him at this point. If it’s all down hill from here for the younger Manning, New York will be forced to ride out that misery til the end. At least we have Ryan Nassib!
This is where Washington’s case for worst team in football falters a bit for some. If Robert Griffin is not running anymore and is wasting his greatest asset, they still have one of the superior backup quarterbacks in the entire league in Kirk Cousins. Washington plays the Jaguars today. We saw what Jacksonville did to Philadelphia early last week, but if Griffin can’t get his act together against the Jags, the chirping will get even louder.
From there, Washington faces Philly and then these New York Giants. Week four is the spot for RGIII. I think he will either have lost his starting job or secured it for the long haul by that Giants game. Which is good news in some way for Washington. At least it has options. What can New York do besides sink with the ship?
The fact that there is a feasible backup option at quarterback shouldn’t automatically make Washington the better football team though. It could also be interpreted as being worse by not having a franchise QB. This may be an outlandish statement, but I still haven’t seen enough proof that Eli Manning is the main culprit of the offensive woes. He was certainly bad last week, but so was the offensive line. And so were his receivers.
Are we actually sure Victor Cruz is a star at the WR position? His numbers have been declining every season in concert with Hakeem Nicks’ demise. Now that Nicks is gone, Cruz is getting the heavier coverage and can’t get open.
And if Cruz isn’t a stud, what else is there? Randle, Jernigan, Donnell, Beckham if he ever plays are all just pieces. No one changes a defensive scheme or saves his quarterback’s butt. Watching Calvin Johnson slice up the Giants defense last Sunday was demoralizing for sure, but it was also kind of breathtaking. There isn’t a single player on this New York roster who could have hauled in that second CJ touchdown catch. I just wonder how Eli would look with a healthier offensive line and a more reliable group of skill players at his disposal.
None of that is changing THIS year, which is why the Giants are still in this conversation of worst team in football.
More from Washington Commanders
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
- Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson primed for second-year jump
- NFL: Will Commanders reach expectations under new ownership in 2023?
- Washington Commanders 3 bold predictions heading into 2023 season
- Malik Willis should be on the Washington Commanders radar
DAN:
Couldn’t help but bring it right back around to your G-men could ya? The point I was making was that Eli Manning is not the problem, that he is the Giants’ best asset and most tradable commodity. If this season appears to be a rebuilding year, another season stuck between playoff appearances, then New York needs to do all it can to get better.
Trading Eli Manning and giving him a fresh start would be outstanding for his career and garner New York a big haul. He can lead at least ten other teams deep into the post season, teams who are currently short at the QB position. The same can not be said yet for Washington’s play callers.
I like Robert Griffin III, but what makes for franchise guys like Eli Manning is consistency and leadership. RGIII has the majority of the skills, his accuracy needs to come up, but there are big questions surrounding his ability to galvanize the Washington team and lead them until the end.
RGIII began by his career questioning his head coach and his decision making. By fault of his own or not, it took him down and he needs to grow up. Being a leader means knowing when to keep your mouth shut and when to fall in line for the greater good. I haven’t seen that from him yet. And it appears his current crop of coaches don’t quite trust him to be the unique player he can be. Washington isn’t strong enough at other positions to make up for this lack of leadership.
Which brings me back to worst team in football. The Washington team doesn’t quite fall into this category… YET. Week two might decide things because losing to Jacksonville will explode the internet. And based on what I saw in week one, I think the Jaguars are the better football team right now. Washington is in a similar position as New York, currently having a highly valuable quarterback on a seemingly weak team.
Eli’s stock can survive the season, but Griffin’s can not. If he fails to at least lead his team to eight victories, his rookie season will get written off. His stock disappears and Washington is stuck with no franchise guy. Yes, they have a solid backup, but Cousins is not a number one. He is a great number two. You need that. But you don’t want number two leading permanently.