Subscribe
Follow Us
Peyton and Eli Manning had NBC color commentator Cris Collinsworth on the ManningCast for the Monday Night Football matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys. Eli pulled up old footage from when he and the New York Giants were playing the Cowboys, which included Collinsworth taking a bit of a shot at his athleticism.
“The defenders for the Cowboys are so frustrated at their inability to get to Eli Manning,” Cris Collinsworth said. “Over the years, he has escaped and made more plays for a guy who really is not that athletic.”
Obviously, this was in jest. Eli Manning was not known for being a mobile quarterback. He was a pocket passer who was able to move around enough to avoid rushers when he needed, as shown in the video. Collinsworth responded by praising Manning's throw to Mario Manningham in Super Bowl 46.
“You know and since the whole Mario Manningham throw in the cover two hole there to win the Super Bowl championship, then I have completely reversed my position on your athleticism,” Collinsworth said. “I have never seen a throw simply that was better than that. And while I'm at it, I'm gonna go ahead and award you the Emmy for this coming year, because when you came up with a line when you asked John what it was like to see Tom Brady win a Super Bowl, you had never seen it, I was like, ‘that's it, it's case closed. That's the winner, give the man the trophy, that's all we need to see.' That was a classic, that was so good.”
Interestingly, the throw to Manningham took place in February 2012, while the game in question took place on Sept. 8, 2013, and the Giants lost 36-31 to the Cowboys. So Collinsworth's answer does not line up, but it is clear that the segment was in good fun.
Giants legend Eli Manning gunning for Hall of Fame election
The Giants' 100th season has not gone to plan one bit, but a consolation would be for Manning to go into the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. He is a controversial candidate due to regular season statistics, but his candidacy is greatly bolstered by his performance in the playoffs helping the Giants win Super Bowls 42 and 46. Many believe he will get in one day, whether it is this year or in the future.
Manning was announced as one of the 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in November. The next step is to cut the list to 15 finalists. We will find out if Manning will be a member of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class on Feb. 6, 2025 at the NFL Honors show.
