What's the deal with Eli Manning???

Seriously?  What's the deal?  I think most people would agree that Eli has the potential of being a top 10 QB.  Sometimes he plays like it, others he plays like a bottom 10 QB.   Last year he had 31 TDs, which is one of the best but also 25 INTs which was good for dead last in the NFL.  It got me thinking...why is that?  Is it the receivers or is it him?  Well, let's do something unprecedented on DFFPMO and let's look at the game tape.  Every multi-INT game Eli had as well as a couple other plays will be dissected here.

Panthers @ Giants Week 1

@ 0:11 Eli Manning is going deep for Hakeem Nicks.  With Nicks wide open, Eli airs the ball out and misses high.  Yes, technically the ball did hit Nicks in the hands, but to call that ball catchable is a stretch.

Giants @ Indy Week 2

@1:04 Eli has Smith deep.  The ball is a hair underthrown and it was picked off.  Bad throw by Eli.

Titans @ Giants Week 3

@ 0:04 This is an example of Eli having bad luck.  He makes a great read, hits Nicks in the chest and Nicks can't be blamed for it.  100% on Nicks.
@ 0:15 Now if Eli just had the above INT, nobody would be able to fault him.  That's not the case.  If there was ever an audition for taking over for Brett Favre, this would win it.  No room in football for that kind of improvisation unless you truly have the talent to do it.

Giants vs Texans Week 5

Here are both of Eli's interceptions vs the Texans.  Both of them, Eli has pressure in his face and the DBs jump the routes.

Giants @ Dallas Week 7

@ 0:08 Here is example number 2 of tipped balls resulting in an INT.  This ball was a bit high, but I think in this situation the receiver is to blame for the drop/INT.
@ 0:38 Eli again sails a ball high.  This one seems less catchable than the first one.  Still I'd say this one is more 50/50 down the middle.


Giants vs Dallas Week 10

@ 0:33 In the redzone, against a Cowboy's defense without Terrance Newman OR Mike Jenkins, Eli decides to go inside on an inside curl.  McCann intercepts Eli and it turns into a quick TD.  Terrible read.
@ 4:30 Eli throws late and behind over the middle.  The receiver had to come back for the ball, and the Cowboys DB was able to make a break on the ball.  Easy INT.

Eagles vs Giants week 11

@ 0:24-Eli Manning looking for Nicks on the right side of the field.  He telegraphs where the ball is going to be and Samuel easily intercepts the ball.
@ 3:30-Eli makes the right read here, but a horrible throw.  Eli is going deep for Hagan but grossly underthrows him.  Hagan has to go back and leave his feet for the ball and it is deflected into the hands of Samuel.

Redskins @ Giants Week 13

@2:06 Eli has pressure in his face and heaves a ball into the endzone.  London Fletcher drops back into coverage and makes a nice play on the ball.  Eli should not have blindly thrown that ball.

Giants @ Vikings Week 14

@ 0:10 Eli is looking for the deep post and underthrows his man.  The DB has inside coverage and easily broke on the route to pick the ball off.

@ 0:47 Bad ball by Eli again, throws it right to Asher Allen.

Giants @ Packers Week 16

@ :33 maybe Nicks did continue his route when Manning thought he would stop, very possible.
@ 3:58 you can't make any excuses that's on Eli
@ 4:49 he floated that ball up...totally on Eli

 Giants @ Redskins Week 17

@ 0:40 Eli gets picked on a horrible play by the WR.  The pass was there for the WR, but he couldn't hang on.  Definitely NOT on Eli.

So there are 19 of Eli's 25 interceptions.  Of those 19, 2 were 100% not Eli's fault.  If you want to use excuses like "he wasn't working with his normal WRs", all but one of them was intended for either Boss, Nicks, Manningham, or Smith.  So really the question is why was Eli off so badly this season?  That's a good question.  He was sacked just 16 times this year, down from 30 in 2009.  He also was with the same WRs as last year.  Yes some of them missed large amounts of time, but Nicks was over 1,000 yards this year.  Something happened to Eli.  What do you think happened?