The last years of Eli Manning’s prime were wasted because the Giants could not build a wall in front of him — could not find the kind of tough, smart, gritty, cohesive offensive linemen who would give life and limb to protect him.
Once his old, reliable gang (Chris Snee, David Diehl, Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, Kareem McKenzie) began growing old, Manning became a victim of too many costly personnel decisions in both the draft and free agency, and GM Dave Gettleman has only just begun the reconstruction.
Here is a look at how the Giants have sacked Manning’s chances for a third Super Bowl ring:
This was John Mara when Snee retired in June 2014: “I think Chris was everything you could ever hope for in a player: toughness, integrity and a lot of pride.