Eli Manning knows from a first-hand experience how difficult it is to beat a Bill Belichick led team.
The New York Giants great defeated the Bill Belichick led New England Patriots twice in the Super Bowl, leading game-winning drives at the end to out-duel Belichick and Tom Brady in some of the best games in Super Bowl history. The most notable one was obviously during Super Bowl XLII when Manning handed the Patriots their first loss of the season, ending their undefeated bid.
Entering Super Bowl LX, the biggest topic was none other than Belichick being snubbed out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first bid. The snub garnered controversy considering that Belichick is considered by many to be the greatest head coach of all time, with six Super Bowl wins and nine Super bowl appearances, the most of any head coach in NFL history.
Manning said it's “shocking” that Belichick is not in the Hall of Fame.
“Bill Belichick not making the Hall of Fame is pretty shocking,” said Manning in a one-on-one interview. “You have one of – if not maybe the greatest coach of all time — and what he built there in New England, and the amount of Super Bowls they went to, and AFC championships, let alone just the amount that they won, it was incredible. I can't imagine a more deserving coach to make it in the Hall of Fame than him.”
Considering the backlash over voters holding Belichick out, it's hard to envision the 73-year-old coach missing it when he's up for induction again next year.
While the Patriots didn't succeed in their goal of defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, they still have a bright future ahead of them. New England had one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history, going from a 4-13 squad into a Super Bowl team in just a year.
Drake Maye was a large reason for that success, finishing as a runner-up for the MVP award while posting a sensational season. The 23-year-old quarterback posted 31 touchdowns against eight interceptions for a league-leading 72% completion rate and 113.5 passer rating.
When asked who Maye reminds him of, Manning came up with Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger, who was a part of the same 2004 draft class as Manning.
Manning talks glowingly about Maye's ability to scramble as a dual-threat quarterback. It's worth noting that Maye ran for 450 yards and four touchdowns this season, the fourth-most of any quarterback this season.
“That's tough,” said Manning of comparing Maye to another quarterback. “I think he's still young, but I think you see that he has the ability to push the ball down the field. He likes to throw down the field, he does it very accurately. But he also has the ability to run and scramble and make plays, so he makes good decisions, and his level of play rises in those critical moments of a game.
“I think it's always hard to compare to exactly what quarterback that is, almost like a Ben Roethlisberger. His ability to throw the ball down the field, but also scramble around and kind of create plays with his legs.”
Considering Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls and is one of the best quarterbacks in recent memory, that's not a bad comparison at all. It's also worth noting that both Roethlisberger and Maye led their respective teams to Super Bowl appearances in their second seasons.
If Maye has a career anywhere close to Roethlisberger's, the Patriots should be one of the NFL's top contenders over the next decade.
