Simms would gladly take Eli's early career

Bob Glauber

February 3, 2008

PHOENIX

Phil Simms is amused by all the criticism Eli Manning has absorbed through most of his career with the Giants.

"Are you kidding me?" the former Giants quarterback said. "Man, you give me the first four years of his career and I'd be doing cartwheels."

This from the greatest quarterback in Giants history, the one who led them to their first Super Bowl championship 21 years ago and got them in position for their championship run four years later.

So don't count Simms among those now indulging in a bit of revisionist history about Manning. Simms has seen the growth all along and can't understand why Manning has absorbed so much grief early in his career.

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"A lot of it is just New York and all the scrutiny," he said. "It's ridiculous. It's over the top. They've been judging him too hard. He's a young quarterback and he's growing. I'd take the start of his career anytime."

And why not? In Simms' first four seasons, he had 6,325 yards, 39 touchdown passes and 43 interceptions. Before the start of his fourth season, he was benched for Scott Brunner.

Four years into Manning's career, he has 11,385 yards, 77 touchdown passes and 64 interceptions. And his first Super Bowl appearance. It wasn't until Simms' eighth season before he won his Super Bowl.

"I know it goes with the territory, but this is the way it is in the NFL," Simms said. "When you're a quarterback, it's a life of going up and down. That's just the way it is. But the criticism is unbelievable. I hate it."

Simms has no idea how it will go for Manning and the Giants against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and he's not about to predict a score. Simms rarely, if ever, makes predictions, which probably helps him in the long run as one of the most highly respected NFL broadcasters in the business. But he does think Manning is capable of having the kind of game he had against the Patriots in the regular-season finale, when he threw four touchdown passes.

"I've looked at the coaches' tape of that game, and there were so many plays that were this close to being made, and I'm talking about both sides of the ball," he said. "Eli had a great game and he showed a lot of confidence. It's a little different now on this stage, but if he can relax and get into a rhythm, he's already shown that he can pass against this defense."

Simms is particularly impressed with how the Giants have coached Manning. Coach Tom Coughlin, who is deeply involved with the offensive game-planning, and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride have done wonders in recent weeks with Manning, the only quarterback in the playoffs who hasn't thrown an interception.

"I see a team that is managed very well by the coaches, and the players are sold on it," he said. "It's all coming together, and I credit the coaching staff. I'm a pretty good judge , and when I judge them, I look at it a little differently. You don't just look at his numbers and how many wins he has. You have to look at everything, who he's playing with, what they're doing with him, that sort of thing.

"It's the same with Tom Brady. I don't look at it like he's all of a sudden playing at a much higher level. Look at what's around him now [with new receivers Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte' Stallworth]. Look at the opportunities. He takes advantage of his opportunities. He might get 500 opportunities and he's completing about 350 of them. You think if a guy in San Francisco gets 500 opportunities, he's going to be completing that many?"

A Manning-Brady shootout? Perhaps. But if the Patriots' 38-35 win over the Giants in the regular-season finale was any indication, not to mention the way the Giants have streaked into the Super Bowl with three straight road wins, Simms sees a terrific game in the offing.

"Oh, it can absolutely be a great game," he said. "The Giants have it all going and the Patriots are 18-0. If the Giants can get some pressure on Brady, that's going to help them. And if the Patriots can get their offense going, watch out. Either way, I think this is going to be a really, really good game."

Simms would know. He was in what might have been the greatest game in Giants history 21 years ago. And he doesn't put it past Manning to have a special day all to himself.