Phil Simms, Eli Manning and the Meaning of Elite Here we go again. Phil Simms has said Eli Manning, who is mired in a slump, is not "elite." It's an impossible debate. The word "elite" is subject to interpretation. Does it mean a top-five player at a position? A Hall of Famer? Last summer, Simms said Manning deserved to go to the Hall of Fame, so maybe "elite" is even more of a select category. Ralph Vacchiano, The Daily News: The Giants legend reopened that debate on Monday night when he questioned Manning's elite status during an appearance on CBS Sports Network's "NFL Monday QB" show. And he didn't just blame Manning's current slump or his poor performance in the Giants' 31-13 loss in Cincinnati on Sunday either. "No, he is not one of the elites," Simms said. Because when I hear the word elite, I'm thinking about guys that can make unbelievable plays on the field by themselves. There are very few quarterbacks in that category. So yes, Eli has been a tremendous team player. He has been MVP of the Super Bowl twice. I know that. But the way I look at it, the answer is no. More links for your consideration: Mike Tanier, Sports on Earth, on why the longing among fans to land Oregon Coach Chip Kelly is misguided: If you were trying to create an exceptional college coach who is completely unsuited to the NFL, all you would need is Kelly's DNA and resume. Greg Hanlon, CapitalNewYork.com, on why the Jets are sticking with Sanchez, as painful as it may be to watch: At 3-6, the Jets are firmly in evaluation mode, when the members of this team are playing for their long-term futures as much as the hope of making a run in 2012. The Jets have a lot of pieces to evaluate on offense, and it's better to do that with Sanchez, who at least resembles an actual quarterback, than a novelty act like Tebow. The players union is asking for independent doctors to check for concussions on sidelines. Michael David Smith, making sense at ProFootballTalk.com: By the letter of the rules, the Bears' medical staff may have handled the concussion correctly, but the NFLPA's point is that an independent doctor might have insisted on checking Cutler immediately after seeing him take that hit, and removed him from the game immediately. Given the NFL's increasing emphasis on player safety and concussion prevention, that seems like a hard case for the NFL to argue against. Gregg Easterbrook, ESPN's Tuesday Morning Quarterback, on the same subject: "Real progress won't happen until players who lead with the helmet are suspended." Maybe Hope Solo can do better than this? Stevens, 33, has a lengthy history of run-ins with the law, dating to high school. Last summer, the Fifth Down noted the "noxious fumes of the endless summer of Tim Tebow," particularly on ESPN. John Koblin of Deadspin traced the saturation coverage to a competition for ratings between ESPN shows. But he also tried to make a wider point. The story of how ESPN fell in love with Tim Tebow is really the story of a breakup, between ESPN and the business of reporting the news. Extra point The back page of The Daily News this morning is a picture of Tebow with the words, "He's Terrible," an anonymous quotation from a Jets teammate. Guard Matt Slauson spoke for the record to Manish Mehta about how Mark Sanchez was the Jets' best quarterback: "It's not even close," Slauson said. All the other quarterbacks know it. I have all the confidence in Mark. We don't really have a choice. General Mike Tannenbaum did not need to find an elite quarterback as a backup this off-season, but would it have killed him to get a credible one?