New York Giants: Is Eli Manning entering decline phase?

We all saw it last year with Eli Manning.

The New York Giants’ veteran quarterback experienced perhaps the worst season of his accomplished eleven-year career — a brutal campaign marred by turnovers, misfires, and a handful of blowout losses.

Former coordinator Kevin Gilbride ultimately took the fall for the offense’s lackluster production, resigning shortly after the season. Big Blue tabbed Ben McAdoo, previously the Green Bay Packers’ quarterbacks coach, as Gilbride’s successor.

McAdoo’s main priority was recalibrating Manning, who seemingly was exonerated for his dreadful play in 2013. The team installed a quick-hitting attack predicated on timing, a virtual clone of the scheme employed by Aaron Rodgers. If anything, it would help prevent Manning from tossing another career-high 27 interceptions, like he did last year.

Eli immediately bought into McAdoo’s system, becoming a “willing student” and feeling “re-energized” in the offense. In July, when league-wide optimism is usually at its peak, Manning was sunshine and unicorns.

And then came the preseason in August, when we got the first peak of the “new” Manning in action. As it turns out, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In five — count ’em, five — exhibition contests, Manning totaled an abysmal stat line: 20-of-41 passing for 188 yards, one touchdown, three fumbles (one lost), and five sacks taken. You read that correctly — he completed just 48.8 percent of his passes at 4.59 yards per attempt.

Let’s take a closer peek (feel free to hide your eyes, Giants fans). In the team’s third preseason game, Manning connected on just one of seven pass attempts for six yards. In the preseason finale, he went 1-for-4 for zero yards. Manning’s best preseason outing came in the regular-season dress rehearsal against the Jets, when he completed 12-of-21 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. However, he also tossed two would-be picks and looked indecisive in the pocket.

One more thing worth reiterating: 48.8 percent completion rate. A few weeks prior, Giants quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf said he wants Manning to connect on 70 percent of his passes this season, a feat accomplished only seven times in NFL history.

“It hasn’t been done very often, so that’s the ultimate goal,” Langsdorf said, via ESPN.com. “I think it’s been done eight or nine times, maybe? That’s an impressive statistic in the history of the league. So that’s what we’re gunning for, that 70 percent.”

You can gun for it all you want; Eli won’t be the eighth. Why? Because it’s become increasingly obvious that he’s slowing down. Going on 34-years-old, with plenty of wear on his tires, he’s hitting the decline phase of his career, an inevitability at his stage.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out this tidbit, reported in April by ESPN’s Dan Graziano:

"“There are those who wonder whether Manning is a player in decline at age 33. This is a question that has not gone unasked within the ranks of the Giants’ front office. It is part of the reason the Giants decided not to try this offseason to extend Manning’s contract, which runs through 2015, even though doing so would have offered them significant salary cap relief. They would like to see him pull out of his downward trend before they commit to his late 30s. Their hope is that he has a big year and that extending him next offseason makes sense.”"

Since Graziano’s report was published, the Giants have conducted no contract talks with Manning, who’s signed through 2015 at high base salaries ($15.15 million and $17 million, respectively). They may be opting to play the waiting game, hoping Eli bounces back with a season that’d justify his $106 million pact.

Based on what we’ve seen this preseason, they shouldn’t hold their breath. Not only has Manning looked luster in McAdoo’s offense, his offensive line is crumbling around him. New York will go into the regular season starting relative unknowns along a rebuilt and injury-decimated unit.

Even Giants coach Tom Coughlin, potentially on the hot seat, couldn’t hide his concern for the offense.

“I don’t know that there’s any way to put it but that,” Coughlin said.

Manning insists we haven’t seen his best yet.

“It’s a work in progress. It’s not the final product right now. There’s definitely room for improvement. And that’ll be a season-long situation — which is, I think, normal. That’s not a bad thing,” he said, via the New York Daily News.

It’s not bad, but it’s not good, Eli. And any additional time you take to not look plainly mediocre only lends credence to the arguments of your many detractors.

If we look back, say a few years from now, and collectively agree that Manning did indeed decline, we can’t say we didn’t see it coming.