NFL Fantastic 5: Green Bay Packers, others head offense-heavy Week 4
By Shaun Church
Peyton Eli Manning crushes Washington Redskins’ top defense
Stat: Four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown
Coming into Week 4, the Washington Redskins had one of the better defenses in the league, allowing 65 points in three games (ranked No. 12) and just 4.99 yards per play (No. 8). So what happened during the 45-14 blowout loss to the greatest quarterback in NFL history’s younger brother?
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is the first Giants quarterback ever to throw four touchdowns and run for another in a single game.
He completed 28 of 39 (71.79 percent) for 300 yards, four touchdowns and a pick for a 117.5 rating against the Redskins, his second straight game with at least 70 percent completion-rate and two touchdowns. Like Luck, he has played really well over that span in leading his team from 0-2 to 2-2.
Since Week 3, only Smith (140.5 rating), Luck (132.4), Rivers (130.5) Romo (128.6) and Rodgers (125.1) have higher passer ratings than does Eli (119.9).
Before the season began, Giants quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf challenged Manning to complete at least 70 percent of his passes for the season, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com:
“It hasn’t been done very often, so that’s the ultimate goal,” Langsdorf said. “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.”
Coming into 2014, Manning had completed 58.5 percent of his passes. His high was in 2010, when he topped out at 62.9 percent. Through Week 4, he sits at 66.9 percent and appears to be getting more comfortable with the West Coast offense the Giants installed in the offseason.
He proved that in demolishing the Redskins on Thursday Night Football.