Around the NFL: NFL Offseason

[mooby]

Originally Posted by The Skinsinator

In the 1st SB bowl run, he goes into 13-3 Dallas and wins in the playoffs. Next up in the playoffs, he goes into 13-3 Green Bay and wins. 16-0 and greatest team in NFL history Patriots with the greatest qb in NFL history. Eli takes them out too. The Tyree catch was incredible but Eli eluding pressure and not getting sacked prior was legendary also. Either way, he slayed the dragon.

In the 2nd run, he goes into the #1 seed Packers and takes them out. Next up, he goes into #2 SF and takes them out. He's still not done of course. Nope time to beat the greatest qb in NFL history again. Eli takes out 13-3 New England AGAIN for his 2nd Lombardi. But, I know these unbelievable runs aren't enough for you so below is why he should get in in addition to these runs.

1) 4x Pro Bowler
2) 57,000 passing yards
3) He started 210 consecutive games in from 2004 never missing a game from injury.
4) 2 Super Bowl Rings

When he retired in 2020 he held the following records:

6th in NFL history in attempts.
7th in NFL history in completions.
7th in NFL history in passing yards.
7th in NFL history in TD passes.

These are the exemplary numbers you have been looking for.

You honestly thinking winning 2 Super Bowls (1 beating the greatest team in NFL history with the greatest qb) and the 2nd just beating the greatest qb along with being in the top 7 of vital stats in NFL history in the most important position in football isn't worthy go entrance into the HOF?

Again case closed. Absolutely no doubt he's in.

I'll concede his SB runs are up there with the best in history, that's the #1 argument. But in today's wide-open passing game his numbers don't stack up against the other consensus HOFers - your Favre, P. Manning's, Brady, Brees, Rodgers

Every average-to-above-average qb to come along in the last 20 years is going to have numbers that look comparable or-better to the HOFers of the 50-00's.

For me it's the .500 record for his career. It's the 0-7 in division titles following his last SB win. Great qb's - your Peyton's, Brees, Rodgers - win division titles despite the lack of a quality team around them. What season did he elevate the rest of the roster around him despite the lack of quality talent? Elite qb's do that every year.

It's his 366-244 TD-INT ratio. It's his 373-345 combined TD-TO ratio (passing/rushing TD's vs. INT's and fumbles lost). For his career - he's not even in the hall of very good. He's slightly above-average. His two biggest arguments are being an iron man and two stud postseason runs. That is not good enough. Not in a league where a guy who retired as the all-time receptions leader wasn't let in for 20 years.

Eli might make it in someday on the Seniors Committee - just for nostalgia. But his stats do not compare. They don't even compare to on-the-cusp HOFers like Phillip Rivers or Matt Ryan. Yards is an empty stat - Rivers has 63k. Rivers also has a 2-1 career TD/interception ratio - 421 to 209. But he doesn't have any postseason success. If you are a qb from the last 20-30 years of the modern passing game - you either need an all-time great regular season career with 1-2 titles (P. Manning, Brees, Rodgers, Wilson) or GOAT argument (Brady). You can't be slightly above-average with 2 titles - Eli. This isn't the Hall of Good. It's the Hall of Fame.

I still concede he'll probably get in because the 2 titles, his iron-man run, and his last name. But he ain't getting in because he was part of the wave of elite qb's to come along in the last 20 years.