Warner to Manning

Regarding the New York Giants switch from quarterback Kurt Warner to Eli Manning, Jeffri Chadiha writes

It's one thing for the New York media to clamor for Manning to replace struggling starter Kurt Warner. But for Coughlin to move to Manning now -- with the Giants sitting at 5-4 in a conference in which nine victories might secure a playoff spot -- smacks of sheer lunacy.

The Giants sit at 5-4 and are very much in the hunt for a playoff spot. Not only are the other four contenders for wild card spots sitting at the same 5-4 record, the Giants have beaten two of them (Green Bay and Minnesota), giving them an edge in tie breakers. To go with a rookie quarterback is to basically throw away the season. No rookie quarterback, even one named Manning, is likely to have a positive impact out of the gate, unless he is named Ben Roethlisberger who has a supporting cast far superior to Manning's. Look no further than the Bengals with Carson Palmer to see that. Why would you give up on the season when you are in the hunt for the post-season? Not only that, Manning will get his first two starts against Atlanta and Philadelphia, the teams with the two best records in the NFC, both with pretty effective defenses. That is not exactly the way to get a rookie some constructive experience. Chadiha finishes with

Given Warner's experience in big games and handling a roller-coaster career, there's a good chance he might have weathered this stretch of adversity. He understands the ups and downs of NFL life as well as anybody, which would certainly give him an advantage in this season of ebbs and flows. Look around the NFC. Green Bay and St. Louis are sitting in first place in their respective divisions after many miserable moments. Minnesota and Seattle have cooled off after inspiring talk that they could reach the Super Bowl. None of these teams has panicked. The Giants, however, have done just that by going with Manning. He's definitely their future. But right now, that future looks far brighter than their present.

One expects more stability from a coach with the experience of Tom Coughlin.