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Redskins Reality Checks Week 8: Giants provide different kind of check

By Tim Payne

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants fumbles the ball as he is sacked by linebacker Junior Galette #58 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedExField on November 23, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants fumbles the ball as he is sacked by linebacker Junior Galette #58 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter at FedExField on November 23, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants puts on his helmet during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 23-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants puts on his helmet during the first half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 23-0. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1.     Reality Is, neither Eli Manning nor Alex Smith is as bad as people are saying.

If you listen to the majority of the noise on social and traditional media outlets this season, you’d think Alex Smith and Eli Manning are both washed up, incompetent quarterbacks. Redskins fans and Giants fans have been brutal in their assessments of their respective quarterbacks and think they’re justified in thinking their opponent this week may not be capable of completing a forward pass.

While both Smith and Manning have plenty of room to improve, they are far from bottom-of-the-league caliber. Smith ranks 22nd and Manning ranks 17th in passer rating. In addition, Smith is among league leaders in TD/turnover ratio with seven TDs and three turnovers.

Manning has turned the ball over more but has also thrown the ball a lot more (292 passes to Smith’s 209). Notable quarterbacks with worse ratios than Smith this year? Brady, Roethlisberger, Cousins, Trubisky, Luck, and Fitzpatrick.

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I’ll be watching to see which passing offense can make some strides this week. I’ll be watching to see if Gruden will get him more quick game going, and if Smith can he be more patient in the pocket and more decisive when he scrambles. I’ll be watching to see if he is more accurate on the move.

And, of course, I’ll be watching to see if Eli will have enough time, patience, and accuracy to exploit the young and shaky Redskin’ secondary. Cousins (under Gruden) had some of his worst games against the Giants. I’ll be watching to see how Smith fares.

Prediction: Both veteran quarterbacks will have marginally better games than they have managed to this point in the year. Manning will have 270 yards on 23-for-37 passing, two touchdowns, one pick, and one fumble. Smith will have 240 yards on 18-for-26 passing, two scores, and no turnovers.

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