Narrative busting: Giants QB Eli Manning dominant early in camp

Over the last several years, all we’ve heard is how New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is well past his prime, has lost all of his arm strength and is nothing more than a detriment to the organization and a stain on the level of talent in the NFL.

Manning, who rarely reacts to criticism, has clearly heard his detractors and, sensing that this could be his final year with the Giants, has turned things up a notch beginning with his offseason strength program.

With an emphasis on arm management and improving his arm strength, Manning resumed working with a baseball trainer this spring and as a result, entered training camp by displaying a clear and noticeable increase in velocity and depth on his throws, which was showcased on Tuesday with an A-plus toss to wide receiver Bennie Fowler.

From today’s #Giants practice— Eli Manning to Bennie Fowler, who’s had some nice catches these last couple days pic.twitter.com/v7lQyVDJh3

— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) July 30, 2019

That’s just one of the wildly impressive passes Manning has uncorked this summer. He’s been nearly flawless in every practice to date and only appears to be getting better — especially on intermediate throws, which are the bread and butter of Pat Shurmur’s offense.

“I think it started in the offseason. His training was just a little bit different than it’s been (in the past), and I think he’s really throwing the ball well. When he came back for OTAs, we saw it. Some of it was physical, some of it was how he trained,” Shurmur told reporters.

Manning went 12-of-15 for two touchdowns on Tuesday, including 3-of-4 for two touchdowns during the 11-on-11 red zone period. That performance came on the heels of a first week of practice that was equally as dominant for the two-time Super Bowl MVP.

While some may be quick to dismiss success in training camp practices — especially early on — it’s important to remember it’s been commonplace in recent years to criticize Manning early in camp for his struggles, which had been a matter of routine until this year.

Manning has never gotten off to a hotter start than he has this summer. What that might mean for the season remains to be seen, but for the time being, it’s a much-needed reason for optimism.