Eli Manning: Three Reasons Why He Will Be A MVP Candidate In 2016

Eli Manning is probably one of the most disliked players in the NFL. From analysts and fans alike, Manning has received criticism. He isn’t considered one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Manning ranks behind Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and probably even Philip Rivers. However, 2016 is going to be Manning’s year. The New York Giants’ offense now has enough firepower to elevate Manning’s game to a new level. Here are three reasons why Eli Manning will be one of the candidates up for the NFL MVP award in 2016.

The New York Giants’ Receiving Corps

Manning now has Odell Beckham, Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris, and Larry Donnell to spread the ball around to. Shane Vereen also has the potential to catch the ball out of the backfield often. That is a pretty scary tandem of receivers Manning has to work with.

In 2015, Manning threw for 4,432 and had a completion percentage of 62.6 percent. His touchdown and interception ratio wasn’t too shabby, either. Manning passed for 35 touchdowns and only threw 14 interceptions in the process. He tied a record for the second most touchdowns in the league alongside Carson Palmer, Cam Newton, and Blake Bortles. Manning managed to accomplish this with Beckham and Rueben Randle as his top receivers.

With the return of Victor Cruz and the addition of Shepard, it’s safe to say Eli Manning probably has one of the best receiving corps in the league to work with. His numbers can only go up in this case. It’s hard to believe his statistics won’t improve with a more talented offense. Of course, this is assuming Victor Cruz is back at full speed by the start of the season.

The Giants’ Offensive Line Will Be Healthy

The Giants’ offensive line hasn’t really done anything but hurt Eli Manning over the past few years. Constant injuries have been plaguing the unit. 2016 is a new year, and the Giants’ offensive line may finally have a healthy season. Due to an injury to left tackle Will Beatty, Ereck Flowers had to come in and play the most important position on an offensive line in 2015.

Beatty’s injury probably raised a lot of concern because a rookie had to cover Eli Manning’s blind side. Flowers didn’t have a completely awful season, but it certainly wasn’t anything to be too proud of. The Giants’ offense may have had a better campaign if Beatty never got hurt. Now that Flowers has a year under his belt as a starter, he will play with more confidence.

Justin Pugh has been the most consistent player on the Giants’ offensive line. He has proven to be indispensable to their survival as a unit. Pugh has started at multiple positions on the offensive line. If it wasn’t for his versatility, the Giants may have dug themselves a much deeper hole on 2015. Weston Richburg also filled the role of center nicely and will definitely continue to play at a higher level this upcoming season.

The right side of the offensive line is what probably keeps Ben McAdoo and Eli Manning up at night. John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse, two free agency acquisitions over the years, have a cloud of uncertainty around them. Both have played very inconsistently with the exception of Jerry, who is decent at times.

Ben McAdoo Now Has Full Control Of The Team

Tom Coughlin was not hurting Eli Manning in any way, but it isn’t hard to ignore that Manning’s career got back on track when McAdoo came on board as offensive coordinator. Now that McAdoo has full control of the team, Manning should have an even better season statically. When Coughlin was head coach, McAdoo likely had to run any major decision by him. It isn’t hard to believe that they had a disagreement or two on more than one issue with the team.

There were many questionable calls Coughlin made this season that may have given the Giants a few more wins. It may have been the perfect time for John Mara to cut the cord and welcome in a more modernized coach. Eli Manning has clearly benefited from the transition, so far, and the trend looks like it is going to continue.

[Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images]