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Eli's secure while Brett has much to prove

Shaun Powell

September 18, 2008

As hard as he's trying to sell us almost everything on the tube these days, from cookies to cable TV to whatever, Eli Manning should give up trying to sell himself as an actor to his teammates.

The reviews are in, and it's unanimous: thumbs down, way down.

Shaun O'Hara, the Giants' center: "Not a day goes by when we don't bust his butt."

Plaxico Burress, receiver: "He's light years away from being good. One-hit wonder."

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Amani Toomer, receiver: "No."

That's just a sampling. You get the idea. The poker face that served Manning well during his bumpy transition in the NFL went unchanged in many of those commercial spots now getting good runs on Sunday afternoons.

But Manning is doing a fine job selling himself as a secure quarterback, not only to his teammates, who never really doubted him, but also to everyone else. Here in the first quarter of the new season, Manning is still breathing fumes from his glorious postseason stretch, has the Giants purring along perfectly at 2-0 and has shed his inconsistent past.

This is news only to those who were too preoccupied with the other quarterback in town to notice.

While Brett Favre arrived here in a blizzard of back-page headlines and was handed the unenviable job of rescuing the Jets, Manning has managed to avoid stumbling off his Super Bowl perch, ever so quietly. He's still refusing to make the big mistake that causes the Giants to lose, and they haven't in six games, since the 2007 regular-season finale against the Patriots.

Winning does a great job of sedating a city that can be harsh, and in that sense, serenity and silence are welcome bedfellows for Manning. It means he has arrived and is being taken for granted. It means the bad old days of growing pains are well behind him. It means he's doing the expected and the Giants, cruising at the moment, are doing likewise.

It means all the nuttiness and hoopla have hitched themselves to the Favre wagon, waiting to see if a wheel comes off.

Yes, Manning is enjoying the kind of peace of mind that Favre eventually hopes to earn here himself. Right now, though, the comfort level of our two quarterbacks is different, and the chances of that squaring up in the near future aren't promising.

Manning is preparing to play the Bengals. Favre is getting ready for the dangerous and talented Chargers, who feel ripped off by their 0-2 start. Manning is in tune with his coach and offensive coordinator. Favre is still trying to get to know his people better. Manning is on a team coming off a championship; Favre on a team coming off 4-12.

Manning bought himself tenure in this town with the Super Bowl win; Favre is just passing through on his way to Canton.

There's little for Manning to prove this season, no more learning curve or orientation or working under a coach whose job is on the line. Favre not only is being asked to save a team he hardly knows, but if the play-calling doesn't improve and the Jets go south, he also might be charged with saving the coach.

As the two quarterbacks jostle for position on the slippery New York turf, there's just no way Manning can tumble. Not this year, anyway. He's locked into being the quarterback he is, someone who's very good and blessed with a solid cast around him. You could accuse Manning and the Giants of not being tested yet, not with wins against the Redskins and Rams, not with a soft schedule (Bengals, Seahawks, Browns, 49ers) approaching. But it doesn't matter, because Manning already has won over New York and is capable of doing it again, if necessary.

"His preparation for the game has never changed," O'Hara said. "He has worked hard from the day he showed up and still works like he never won a Super Bowl. He knows that in the NFL, everything is week to week, and he makes sure he's ready. That's why he'll have a long career."

Favre doesn't have the same built-in luxuries. The Jets are still figuring out how to maximize his skills. The team is better than last year but could waste a good portion of this season finding a groove. And with no guarantee Favre will be around next year, this could be an all-or-nothing season for him and the Jets.

There's only one quarterback in town, therefore, who looks totally comfortable. At least until the commercial break.