Arch Manning Gets Battle Tested vs. No. 5 Georgia

It’s been said before that Georgia is about as close as it gets to playing an NFL team for any NFL prospect.

With that said, how did Texas quarterback Arch Manning look in this game?

Well, his team lost 35-10.

But that’s not what this is about.

This is about how Manning looked from an NFL perspective.

WATCH TEXAS VS. GEORGIA HERE

Manning came out in the game’s opening quarter, and he looked crisper than usual.

That caught my attention.

But then it was all short passes and running plays (again), and all Manning’s efforts amounted to a field goal.

Second quarter

There was a little bit of everything:

• More one-to-two read short passes
• Two passing attempts into the intermediate route level (10-19 yards)
• An interception
• One sack
• One deep passing attempt (+20 yards)

That deep shot was so close. Just off the receiver’s fingertips.

How bad was the interception? Not as bad as it first looked. On the television replay, it appeared that a receiver near the passing lane got “held up a little” by a Georgia defender, but no call.

How did Manning look throwing two passes into the intermediate route level?

The completion was a one-read zinger thrown accurately with average anticipation. Coming in hot.

Second half

Georgia 14

Texas 3

That was the score as the third quarter began.

Why’s that important?

Because we got to see what Manning looked like while working from behind on the road.

Would it force him to get out of his conservative shell that’s become his hiding place this season?

He was backed into a 3rd and 13 right off the bat.

What happened?

Manning started cracking out of his shell, hanging in the pocket and gunning another second-read pass into the intermediate route level between two defenders for a completion.

Impressive.

Manning came back on the very next play and pump-faked short right and threw another intermediate completion by the sideline.

There we go.

On a 3rd and 6, he threw another nice one-read, tight window intermediate throw with average anticipation.

That’s more like it.

He also zipped a short fast-ball over the middle on a third-read while maintaining his composure for a touchdown! It was suddenly 14-10 Bulldogs heading into the fourth quarter, but in the blink of an eye, the Bulldogs went up 28-10.

But Manning kept at it.

He attempted a couple of desperation deep passes to no avail. However, he did complete several nice-looking short-to-intermediate throws in the game’s final minutes, including a clutch dot on 4th and 10.

NFL scouting perspective

How does what Manning did against Georgia translate to the NFL?

B+

That’s the highest single-game grade I’ve given Manning this season.

It was clear Manning didn’t have what it takes to catch up to Georgia in the 4th quarter once they fell behind by 18 points. However, he very much looked the part of being a solid “game manager” from an NFL perspective, and he kept the game close for three quarters. I feel like he leveled up in terms of his development. He looked more “in control” from start to finish, and he took more shots 10+ air yards than I can recall in any other game this season.

What was his time to throw vs. Georgia?

• Per Pro Football Focus: 2.65 seconds

What are some other things I liked?

• Poise
• Toughness
• Played most of the game from the pocket
• Nice pocket movement
• Kept his eyes downfield under pressure
• The number of second read throws
• Good natural arm strength
• Passing from different arm slots
• Throwing instincts
• Conversions on critical downs
• Never gave up

Biggest concerns?

In addition to the interception, Manning had two passes that were broken up (PBUs).

Manning also continues throwing with too much arm. When he does set his feet, he has more of a “slingshot” throwing motion. He overuses his upper body when throwing and doesn’t rely on an equally distributed upper and lower body follow-through. This was a contributing factor in his deep accuracy not being there on the overthrows against the Bulldogs.

Conclusion:

As “iron sharpens iron,” Georgia sharpened Manning.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.