Stafford and Manning are Redefining the word tough.
Today, the 9-4 New York Giants host the 9-4 Detroit Lions in a game with huge Playoff ramifications. It is also a meeting of two former 1st-overall picks, in quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning. While quarterbacks drafted that high rarely live up to expectations, Manning and Stafford represent two of the better ones in recent memory. Manning has two Super Bowls, while Stafford has been a bright spot on one of the most poorly run franchises in NFL history.
They aren’t two of the top quarterbacks in terms of media coverage. Eli rarely gets credit unless he’s beating Tom Brady in a Super Bowl. And this might be the first year that Matthew Stafford has been mentioned with some of the greats like Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger. What makes these two stand out the most, however, is the toughness they bring to each and every game they play in.
Manning is the NFL’s iron man, having not missed a start since 2004. Today will be his 197th consecutive start. He’s plays through injury, he plays behind poor offensive lines, he just flat out plays no matter what the circumstance. Stafford started his career with a couple of brutal injuries. Who could forget this comeback with a separated shoulder his rookie year?
But after that remarkable game-winning TD throw, Stafford ended up missing the end of 2009. He got hurt in the first half of the first game of the 2010 season, with another shoulder injury. Stafford ended up missing all but two games that year, prompting some to give him the nickname “Matt Glassford” as if he were made of glass.
It’s funny how time changes perspective. Stafford’s 2011 season was one of the most statistically prolific in NFL history. Stafford threw 41 touchdowns 5,000+ yards and the Lions made the Playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
Since then, Stafford has started every game for six straight years. He routinely stands in the pocket, behind what have been awful offensive lines for the majority of his career. He takes big shots game after game and has never had any kind of a run game to take the pressure off of him. Last week, he dislocated and tore ligaments in his finger and still ran for the game-winning touchdown against the Bears.
Now, other guys like Big Ben, for example, get lots of credit for being tough. But when Roethlisberger routinely misses games (almost every year) it confuses me when people say that. So, in other words, one player’s toughness, is another player’s injury-prone.
Roethlisberger is no doubt one hell of a QB. But Eli Manning – drafted the same year — hasn’t missed a game since ’04. It’s Manning who plays behind a bad offensive line, without a running game, yet is on his way to 200 consecutive starts. That’s Brett Favre territory!
On this day, when the Lions and Giants are playing the biggest regular season game either has played in years, let’s take a second to appreciate two of the toughest, quarterbacks playing today.
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