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Everyone is talking about Eli Manning proving himself as an "elite" quarterback this year; I say he's still tier 2 (and an ass clown). Why am I right?

(Huge sigh) You're not.

Excuse me while I go puke in my shoes.

He's really good, and even better late in games. It nauseates me to say but he's extremely clutch and he's doing it on a team that isn't overly talented. His wide receivers don't scare you much more than the average, if at all. The defense has taken huge steps back from their previous dominance. Their coach's face is grotesquely deformed due to exposure to frigid temperatures. He's the Giants' best player and they're going to win their division...

Excuse me once again while I puke into my shoes.

Now, to your point that he's second tier I would agree with that in the strictest sense depending on how you define your tiers. There are three QB's that, this season, have set themselves apart from the rest statistically: Rodgers, Brady, and Brees (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH no Peyton....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA). All three have a chance to break Marino's single season record for passing yards and combined they have six total losses. They are the top tier using those measures.

Unfortunately I think looking at it that way is flawed because what by so doing you're saying is that the top tier consists of the best quarterbacks on the best offensive teams which isn't exactly fair. It's almost like the Heisman conversation from yesterday, to judge a player based solely on the success of his team is not a true measure of his value. Manning is having a tremendous season because his team isn't very good and he might be one of a small handful of reasons that they're winning. Roethlisberger is another example. His team is doing well and he is having probably the best season of his career but he wouldn't be ranked among the league's best by the previous measures.

All that being said if I'm starting a team I'm not taking Manning with my first pick or even my first five picks. But if I need to win a game in the fourth quarter right now I'd probably take him over everyone but Brady (maybe Tebow-time...hehehehe) and even that might be because I'm a homer. Rodgers is better but less proven in the clutch and Brees just is not as good in those crunch time situations.

So like I said... (huge sigh) ... You're not right.