LISTEN: Eli Manning Says He Wants Class Of '04 QBs To Be Remembered Fondly
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger are forever linked.
The quarterbacks were both high first-round draft picks in 2004, and both have gone on to each win two Super Bowls. In fact, former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has said that if he hadn't been able to trade for Manning on draft day, he would have taken Roethlisberger instead.
In his weekly appearance Monday on Mike Francesa's WFAN show, Manning admitted he keeps tabs on both Roethlisberger and another 2004 first-round pick, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, whom Manning was traded for.
"I think you always kind of keep up with your draft class," the Giants' quarterback said. "I think you always kind of want your draft class to be remembered in a good way. So I'm kind of proud of Ben and proud of Philip and proud of the fact that people hopefully one day will talk about the '04 quarterbacks."
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After beating the Browns on Sunday and extending their winning streak to six games, the Giants (8-3) will turn their attention to a Steelers team (6-5) that, with Roethlisberger under center, has one of the league's more explosive offenses.
"You never know what to expect in this league, especially when you get into December playing in the Northeast, northern area. You never know what the weather is," Manning said. "You never know what the circumstances are going to be, but honestly, they're a team -- it can easily get into a shootout. Both defenses are playing good. So we've got to see what kind of game is going to play out and have a game plan based on what they're showing and also have a little plan based on how teams have been playing us and be prepared for anything."
The Giants found themselves clinging to a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter against the winless Browns. Manning tried to downplay that fact, noting that the Browns had played in a number of close games this season.
"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Manning said. "We're going to have to earn everything. But we made some plays when we needed to."
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio player above.