Giants QB Eli Manning fired back at Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey in the most Eli Manning-way possible on Wednesday.
When told of Ramsey's criticism, where Ramsey said "I won't say Eli's good," Manning first said "no" about responding before quipping, "who?"
In an interview with GQ Magazine, Ramsey began talking about quarterbacks that he believed were great around the league, with Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, and Derek Carr among them. However, he quickly took a shot in the middle of the question at Manning, saying he isn't up to par with the rest.
"Eli [Manning]... It's not really Eli," Ramsey said. "I think it's Odell [Beckham Jr.]. I won't say Eli's good, I'll say Odell's good. And their connection is good."
So, Ramsey implies that Manning's top target in Beckham is the reason the 37-year-old is still slinging it for the Giants. Though their connection on the field is undeniable, Ramsey should take into account what happened last season when evaluating Manning's play.
Manning only got to throw to Beckham for four games -- two of which were starts. Then, after Beckham's season-ending injury in Week 5, Manning had to maneuver to other options.
Sterling Shepard and rookie TE Evan Engram became his favorite. But even Shepard battled injury throughout the season, leaving Manning with backups to throw to on the outside like Roger Lewis and Tavarres King.
Through such a dismal season, Manning still managed to amass 3,468 yards with a 61.6 completion percentage and 19 touchdowns. That yardage was close to Ramsey's quarterback, Blake Bortles, who had 3,687 yards with a 60.2 completion percentage.
Manning could get the last laugh on Opening Day when the Jaguars visit the Giants to kick off the regular season. It will be there that Ramsey tests the connection between Manning and Beckham.