EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Norm Van Brocklin. Warren Moon. Boomer Esiason. Dan Marino. Matthew Stafford. Tom Brady. Phil Simms. Drew Brees.
It's a who's who of some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, along with a newbie in Detroit's Stafford. It's also a list of the top eight in the exclusive 500-yard passing club.
Make it nine.
Eli Manning joined the group Sunday, passing for 510 yards and three touchdowns in a remarkable performance. Leading the Giants to a wild 41-34 win over Tampa Bay allowed the Super Bowl champions to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
How good was Manning?
Think about this. His big brother, Peyton, isn't a member of the 500-yard club and he has always played in more pass-orientated offenses. But Eli, 31, rose above all of that ... and more. After all, keep in mind he accomplished this on a day where he had to forget about three first-half interceptions.
But short-term memory is something Eli has always leaned on. He threw for 295 yards in the second half, and his 243 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter matched what Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman accomplished the entire game.
"How could you not give the guy the respect that he has so earned over the years, the last three or four years in particular," Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said Monday, three days before his Panthers (1-1) are to face Manning.
"I've seen what he did yesterday time and
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