ARMS RACE A ROUT
Washington can only wish it had Eli at QB
Round and rou nd Jay Gruden went as he discussed the mess of a quarterback situation he inherited in Washington. On the one hand, he has a franchise quarterback that once cost the team three first-round draft picks in a trade. On the other hand, he has a quarterback that’s outplayed the rest of the franchise when he’s gotten a chance.
And on the other hand … Well, it didn’t take long for Gruden to run out of hands.
“Robert Griffin III, unfortunately, he got injured the second week of the season, which opened the door for Kirk Cousins to really get some meaningful reps,” the Washington coach began. “He did some really good things. We were a top-five offense with Kirk Cousins in the game. Unfortunately, K irk Cousins turned the ball over a few times and opened the door for Colt McCoy. Colt McCoy came in here, beat Dallas on the road, played a great second half against Tennessee. But when Robert Griffin III came back, I thought it was fair (for him) to get the starting job back because he was healthy.
“He came in and struggled a little bit, and since he struggled, we knew how Colt McCoy did so we decided to give Colt McCoy another crack at it. And Colt McCoy got injured, which might open a door back for Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins. It is quite the merry-go-round here.”
It really is, and that’s a problem, because the next words out of Gruden’s mouth were ones every NFL coach would agree with: “You want to have stability at the position. You really do.” A franchise can’t be run on a quarterback carousel. And while there are rare exceptions — usually for teams with all-time great defenses — teams simply can’t compete for championships without a true and stable franchise quarterback at the helm.
That’s why the Giants have no intention to let Eli Manning go, as long as he’s healthy enough to lead his team down the field. They remember the era of Dave Brown, Danny Kanell, Kent Graham and Tommy Maddox. They remember how long it took them to find a quarterback after they released Phil Simms.
It was no way to run a franchise, with uncertainty at the most impor tant position in sports.
Tom Coughlin understands that, too, even though he’s been blessed with uncanny stability at the position on both of his teams. Mark Brunell was the starter for almost Coughlin’s entire run in Jacksonville, and the coach has had 11 uninterrupted seasons of Manning here.
“We’ve been able for a number of years to have a starter that’s been in this position no matter what, game in and game out,” Coughlin said. “No question that’s a solid, solid plus to be able to do that.”
It’s more than a “solid, solid plus.” It’s the reason the Giants have been so competitive in the Coughlin era — and for the most part, they have been competitive no matter how disappointing the endings to five of the last six seasons have been. As great as the 2007 and 2011 defenses played, it’s impossible to imagine the Giants winning those two championships without Manning throwing the football.
Sure, there are other quarterbacks who could have done what he did — his brother, for example, or Tom Brady. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger, too. But those quarterbacks aren’t available. Franchise quarterbacks rarely are. And finding them can be next to impossible.
That is why any suggestion that the Giants should dump the 33-year-old Manning in the offseason or not re-sign him after 2015 is certifiably insane.
Gruden, for sure, would love to have a guy like Manning, because he has no idea if any of his three candidates can become the same kind of star.
“I would love for one of them to take over and get us something to be excited about moving forward,” Gruden said. “Unfortunately, they have all had flashes of being pretty good players. They all show signs that they can be starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Unfortunately, they’ve all had their struggles. We are just looking for a consistent person at that position.”
Meanwhile, as the carousel spins in Washington with absolutely no clear-cut choice beginning to emerge, Manning will take the field on Sunday against them for his 175th consecutive start, including playoffs. Yes, his durability is amazing. So has been the Giants’ ability to withstand the ups and downs of what at times has been a roller-coaster career.
They do that, and they will continue to do that, because they understand that for whatever flaws Manning has, wherever he ranks among the best quarterbacks of today, the alternative is exponentially worse. Just ask Gruden. A team without a franchise quarterback will be consumed by its search for one.
The Giants have one and they are smart to delay the search for the next one as long as possible. The best news about the Giants’ future is that Manning is here to stay.