Gerrit Cole won the Cy Young, Brian Cashman is bashing a player, and Chris McMonigle was upset about…well, local quarterbacks, it seems, after reading a Tweet he got from someone saying that Zach Wilson's numbers are better than Eli Manning?
"I know you don't study much there, buddy, but your boy Eli had worse numbers than Zach first for the first 30 games," C-Mac said. "Just saying, you're probably gonna come up with excuses for that or, or even better not mention it, but it's cool. You wanna tell me that he's better than Eli Manning and it's just a matter of time? There's no way he Eli scored less touchdown passes."
Producer Mike Fliegelman jumped in at that point, revealing Eli threw six touchdowns and nine picks in nine games as a rookie, but Zach Wilson's 20 TD passes right now are the lowest total for any QB ever with at least 900 attempts – and Eli topped that total in each of his next two SEASONS.
"Eli in those years, 17 picks and 18 picks, but still more touchdowns than interceptions," Fleegs said. "And he had 3,700 yards in 2005, 3,200 in 2006."
"And that second year he led the team to the playoffs, so I don't know what numbers you think are better," C-Mac replied, as Fleegs threw out maybe completion percentage. "Eli's second year he threw 24 touchdown passes, won 10 games, and made the playoffs…and Wilson his second year was BENCHED FOR MIKE WHITE!"
"Who was worlds better," Fleegs chimed back.
"Stop, please stop. I don't understand – he's not even gonna be your quarterback moving forward, so why do some of you have to defend him so much?" Chris asked. "I'm sure it's a minor portion of the fan base, and I don't think that most, even if they think I'm being a little harsh when I say Zach Wilson sucks, won't come back with, 'he's better than Eli Manning.'"
"You know what Eli Manning did regardless of the numbers, and even if he had a bad year, that final drive when Zach Wilson stared down Spillane and threw a pick? That's when Eli delivered," Fleegs replied.
The entire conversation, C-Mac and Fleegs forgot about the caller on the line, but that's when Nick chimed in:
"The thing with Eli, he would play the first three quarters like garbage, but a switch flipped in the fourth quarter and he was Mr. Fourth Quarter," the caller said. "He was a completely different guy and I think that's where we as Giants fans were like, 'alright, Eli is gonna show up in the fourth.' How many fourth quarter or overtime comebacks did Eli have? Zach is not in that category."
"It's not even worth mentioning Eli Manning and him in the same category," was C-Mac's reply. "I don't know why you feel people feel the need."
Oh, and if you want more about Wilson, or even the current QB1 on the other side in Daniel Jones? Don't make excuses for them being young or in new systems, because other rookies (or virtual rookies) are making those arguments look weak, as he explained with another caller.
"You know Sam Howell leads the NFL in passing yards? I know he throws the ball every play, but he leads the NFL in passing yards – and he would not have been in my first two or three guesses," C-Mac said. "You know who's right behind him? C.J. Stroud. Unbelievable."
Stroud and Howell, showing the world just how bad off the Giants and Jets really are?
"How about that, two back-to-back things that apply to this town currently: a rookie who steps right in and transforms his team – and you can't tell me that they're good everywhere, that he's in a better position than the Jets were roster wise – and is second in the league in passing yards and is winning big games," C-Mac said, "and then Sam Howell, who leads the NFL in passing yards when his offensive line is atrocious!"
It's that latter point, actually, that applies to Jones and the Giants.
"How does he do it with a poor offensive line? Make it make sense, because I was told with a poor offensive line, you can't function!" C-Mac ranted. "How does Daniel Jones actually do it? How could you possibly get on Daniel Jones, Chris? The offensive line's terrible, no quarterback could function with that offensive line! And yet you saw the Washington offensive line when the Giants played them – the line is terrible, and yet he leads the league in passing yards! Not that that's the be-all, end-all stat that determines good quarterback play, but still, when's the last time Daniel Jones came close to leading anything, and where's his great wide receiver?"
