New York Giants: Jerry Reese is failing Eli Manning

New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese is failing quarterback Eli Manning during the quarterback’s final years with the team.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning isn’t perfect. He’s never been the best player at the position. He isn’t his older brother, Peyton Manning, who is arguably the greatest regular-season quarterback in history. He isn’t as successful as Tom Brady. He doesn’t possess the athletic gifts had by Aaron Rodgers. Eli is Eli, and the Giants and fans have to take the good with the bad from the signal-caller who has started for New York since the fall of 2004.

Manning’s worst moment during Monday’s 24-10 home loss to the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium occurred in the second quarter when he threw a costly interception after the New York defense forced at turnover. Manning threw the ball well behind tight end Evan Engram, and the rookie had no shot at saving his quarterback at that moment. It was a classic “Bad Eli” pick that gives critics of the two-time Super Bowl MVP fuel to fire up their hot takes.

Blaming Manning alone for the team’s 0-2 start is sort of like blaming a hungry baby for crying. You can do it, sure, but you’re not going to eliminate the problem until you address why it exists in the first place. General manager Jerry Reese has gotten plenty right during his tenure with the franchise, but it’s clear after eight quarters of football that Reese will be to blame if the Giants fail to win another championship before Manning rides off into the sunset.

Reese and his staff failing to properly address New York’s offensive line earlier this year looks like the worst decision made by any NFL front office in recent memory. Left tackle Ereck Flowers, who looks like a lost cause and could soon be benched by head coach Ben McAdoo, receives the bulk of criticism from fans, but Flowers is only part of the problem. The offensive line, as a unit, has routinely betrayed Manning and left the 36-year-old scrambling for his safety during games.

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Some may point out offensive lines around the NFL performed less than admirably during the first two weeks of the season. That’s fair, but New York’s front being a weakness isn’t a surprise to anybody who follows the team. Flowers’ lack of development was apparent during the preseason, and he and his counterparts are to blame for Manning’s woes and for the offense’s inability to move the ball via anything resembling a rushing attack.

Speaking of the run game, the Giants clearly don’t have a back truly trusted by McAdoo. Paul Perkins hasn’t emerged as a top-tier back, and Orleans Darkwa is lucky to receive more than a handful of carries per contest. Expect to see rumors linking the Giants with a trade for Adrian Peterson, a back the club could’ve signed earlier this year, if New York manages to win a game or two before the deadline.

Reese giving veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall a contract when other options were available looks like a massive misstep after a couple of games. Marshall has caught two of the nine passes thrown his way, he has struggled to get open, and his drop in the fourth quarter of the game versus Detroit resulted in a seven-point swing when Jamal Agnew took a punt to the house a couple of plays after that blown opportunity. In short, Marshall has performed like an old player rather than the player of old.

Father Time will eventually catch Manning. We may be witnessing it play out this season. Even if that is the case, Manning showed during a successful drive versus the Lions he can consistently produce positive results if he receives the help he deserves from those tasked with protecting him and weapons in his arsenal. Reese and McAdoo must find solutions before the team’s window to win a title with Manning leading the offense closes.

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Altering parts of the depth chart could help, but the Giants need more than a shake-up. Reese has to work to see if he can salvage the season by bolstering New York’s offensive line via at least one trade. He’s failed his quarterback far too often over the years. Doing so once more could lead to Reese’s exit from the Giants as soon as next January.