Eli's Phase I seems done

BY NEIL BEST | STAFF WRITER

December 24, 2004

The latest in an occasional series.

Dec. 12, 2004: Third-and-4 at the Giants' 16-yard line.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, the Scariest Man in the NFL, lines up to Eli Manning's left.

The rookie dutifully points to his right at the man he believes to be the middle linebacker, Terrell Suggs, which sets the protection scheme.

But wait: Even as Manning is pointing, Lewis is drifting down the line, stopping to Manning's right. So as he sets up in the shotgun, the quarterback now points at Lewis.

Not so fast. By the time the ball is snapped, Lewis is back on the left. Before Manning or his linemen can react, the ball is in his hands, Marques Douglas is pressuring him up the middle and Suggs is charging hard from the right.

Long story short: Manning barely escapes a safety and is called for intentional grounding, putting the ball at the 1.

Dec. 18, 2004: Third-and-8 at midfield.

Steelers defensive backs Deshea Townsend and Russell Stuvaints are attempting mind games as sinister as Lewis'. Townsend sets up near the line to Manning's left, and Manning points at him.

Then Townsend drops off, apparently into coverage, and Stuvaints suddenly is at the line. So Manning points at him. Then Stuvaints backs off.

As Manning gets ready for the snap in the shotgun, both defenders rush back to the line and come at him from his left. Tiki Barber takes out Townsend, leaving Stuvaints a free shot.

Just before Stuvaints wallops him, Manning fires an accurate pass to Amani Toomer, who catches it for 17 yards. Two plays later, he beats another blitz for another 17 to Toomer. Two plays later, the Giants score to take a late lead on arguably the best team in the NFL.

Night and day

Two games, two ferocious defenses, two radically different results. Does it mean Manning at last is ready to become the player the Giants want and need him to be?

Not necessarily. But it marked the end of a key stage in his development.

Through five weeks and five losses, Manning has faced five of the best defenses in the NFL, teams that among them featured seven of the 10 Pro Bowl linebackers and four of the six Pro Bowl safeties. The fact that he ended that stretch with his best game against the best of those defenses was a potential milestone.

Asked about the two blitz pickups against Pittsburgh, he said: "It just comes from practice, from seeing things and watching film to where you know exactly what is coming. When you are in rhythm, your body and mind are speaking together and you know exactly where to put it ... You've done it before and now you are not thinking about it; it just comes automatically."

That was why Manning always believed he could learn more by playing than watching Kurt Warner for nine weeks. But compared with the man he might face Sunday, fellow No. 1 overall draft pick Carson Palmer of the Bengals, he has moved along at a brisk pace.

Palmer, who did not practice yesterday and remains questionable with a knee injury, did not play at all as a rookie. He is 6-7 now but has played well during the past month. Might he have been better more quickly if he had had some experience last season?

Palmer insists that sitting and watching helped him but "it was extremely difficult not getting that opportunity to play." He said Manning's situation, watching for half the season and playing for half, might be ideal.