Andy Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

By Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Eight wins is the magic number for the 2019 Giants.

Not only does eight assure a non-losing record and serve as the frequent baseline for entertaining playoff aspirations, eight will keep franchise icon Eli Manning from dubious history.

If Manning returns and starts all 16 games at quarterback -- as he has every year but one since 2005 -- the Giants need to reach eight wins to assure Manning doesn't tie Vinny Testaverde for the most regular-season losses (123) by a quarterback in NFL history.

It would be a strange record to set because it means Manning has been good enough to keep around for 16 seasons. It also means he wasn't good enough to turn some of those losses into wins.

When it comes time to review his Hall of Fame candidacy, the "losingest quarterback of all-time" tag will be detrimental even up against two Super Bowl MVPs. Especially when compared to the regular-season records of contemporaries like his brother, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Remember, Manning only has won a playoff game in two of his first 15 seasons. But, in both cases, he won four in a row and the championship.

"It feels like two different careers," Manning said on WFAN after the season.

Here is Manning's career win-loss record compared to the 25 modern-era quarterbacks inducted into the Hall of Fame (you will notice only two have losing records):

Don't Edit

Troy Aikman, Cowboys

1989-2000

94-71

Aikman's 90 wins in the 1990s are the most of any quarterback in any decade, according to the Hall of Fame. He also won three Super Bowls in a four-year span playing with the original "Triplets."

Don't Edit

George Blanda, Bears, Oilers Raiders

1949-75

53-50-1 (from 1950 on)

Blanda is one of only two players in history to play in four different decades and his 26 seasons played are a record. He extended his career as a kicker, throwing more than 60 passes in a season for the last time in 1966.

Don't Edit

Terry Bradshaw, Steelers

1970-83

107-51

Bradshaw was 4-0 in Super Bowls and played in 19 playoff games after leading the Steelers to eight division titles. He was a two-time Super Bowl MVP, though a generation now knows him as an analyst and comedic actor.

Don't Edit

Len Dawson, Chiefs, Browns, Chiefs, Dallas Texans

1957-75

94-57-8

The Chiefs went to their only two Super Bowls (winning one) with Dawson under center. He was a three-time AFL champion.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI | AP

John Elway, Broncos

1983-98

148-82-1

Elway retired with the most wins in NFL history for a quarterback even before counting his 14-7 record in the playoffs. He was 2-3 in Super Bowls but was best known for his fourth-quarter comebacks, finishing with a record 47.

Don't Edit

Brett Favre, Falcons, Packers, Jets and Vikings

1991-2010

186-112

Only Tom Brady has more regular-season wins that Favre, who earned 160 of those with the Packers after a trade from the Falcons. He only was 13-11 in the playoffs and 1-1 in Super Bowls. The NFL's only back-to-back-to-back MVP winner still holds records for most career pass attempts and most consecutive starts.

Don't Edit

Dan Fouts, Chargers

1973-87

86-84-1

Fouts led the NFL in passing yardage each season from 1979-82 but he was never able to break through and reach a Super Bowl. His only three seasons with 10 or more wins came during that same span of piling up yards.

Don't Edit

Otto Graham, Browns

1946-55

57-13 (from 1950 on)

Graham's winning percentage is the best in history. If you count his days in the AFL, his combined record according to ESPN was a staggering 105-17-4 for the Browns in their championship heyday.

Don't Edit

Here's why Giants should dump Eli Manning for Nick Foles

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

AP

Bob Griese, Dolphins

1967-80

92-56-3

Griese quarterbacked the Dolphins to three straight Super Bowls, winning the last two and compiling the only fully undefeated season (postseason included) in NFL history.

Don't Edit

Sonny Jurgensen, Redskins and Eagles

1957-74

69-71-7

Jurgensen only appeared in one playoff game during his career but he was known as a pure passer ahead of his time. He won a championship as Norm Van Brocklin's backup with the 1960 Eagles before he was traded.

Don't Edit

Jim Kelly, Bills

1986-96

101-59 (NFL only)

Kelly led the Bills to a feat unmatched before or since: Four straight Super Bowls. But he lost all four to teams out of the NFC East. He spent the first two seasons of his pro career playing in the USFL before joining the Bills.

Don't Edit

Bobby Layne, Lions, Steelers and Bears

1950-62

73-45-2 (from 1950 on)

Layne was one of the last pro players not to wear a facemask and is credited with creating the two-minute drill offense. He led the Lions to three championships in the pre-Super Bowl era (just missed a three-peat, too) and they have not won one since.

Don't Edit

These 25 ex-Giants made Alliance of American Football rosters

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

NICK WASS | AP

Dan Marino, Dolphins

1983-99

147-93

Marino was a prolific regular-season winner but was just 8-10 in the playoffs, making his only Super Bowl (and losing) as a second-year pro. He has he most total wins by a quarterback who never won a ring and retired with most major career passing records, since broken by Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and/or Tom Brady.

Don't Edit

Joe Montana, 49ers and Chiefs

1979-94

117-47

Montana is 70 games over .500 and was 4-0 in Super Bowls with three MVP awards. The numbers might be more ridiculous but he missed games in his prime as injuries mounted and actually most of the 1991-92 seasons, prompting his trade to the Chiefs after Steve Young took over.

Don't Edit

Warren Moon, Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks and Chiefs

1984-2000

102-101 (NFL only)

Moon never even made it to a conference championship game despite piling up huge numbers year after year. He won five straight Grey Cups (1978-82) in the Canadian Football League before starting his NFL career. In total, he played 23 professional seasons.

Don't Edit

Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media

Joe Namath, Jets and Rams

1965-77

62-63-4

Namath has a losing record, but he delivered the biggest guaranteed win in sports history: Correctly predicting the Jets would upset the heavily favored Colts in Super Bowl III. The last time he was over .500 was 1972, and he only made four appearances for the Rams in his final season.

Don't Edit

7-round Giants-only mock draft

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Ken Stabler, Saints, Oilers, Raiders

1970-84

96-49-1

Stabler was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016, waiting a long time considering he was named a quarterback for the 1970s All-Decade Team with Bradshaw and Staubach and won both a Super Bowl and a MVP award. Stabler was 7-5 in the playoffs and became the fastest quarterback in NFL history (at the time) to reach 100 total wins.

Don't Edit

Bart Starr, Packers

1956-71

94-57-6

Starr won five total NFL championships, including his last two, which are better known as Super Bowls I and II. He was even better in the postseason than the regular season, going 9-1.

Don't Edit

Roger Staubach, Cowboys

1969-79

85-29

Staubach's winning percentage (.745) is the best among the Hall of Famers even though he was only 2-2 as a starter in Super Bowls. He began his career as a 27-year-old rookie because of Navy service. He is said to have suffered 20 concussions during his career and retired to protect his health rather than accept another two-year contract.

Don't Edit

AP

Fran Tarkenton, Vikings and Giants

1961-78

124-109-6

Tarkenton held most of the major passing records at the time of his retirement. He was 0-3 in Super Bowls for the Vikings, who he played with for 13 non-consecutive seasons both before and after his time with the Giants. He is one of eight quarterbacks with 100 career losses.

Don't Edit

Q & A with Giants great Justin Tuck: Drafting pass-rushers, replacing Eli Manning?

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Y.A. Tittle, Colts, 49ers and Giants

1950-64

78-50-5 (NFL only)

The 49ers traded Tittle to the Giants in 1960 when he was considered finished, and Tittle led the Giants to three straight NFL championship games. They lost all three, but he has his number retired by the Giants.

Don't Edit

Johnny Unitas, Colts and Chargers

1956-73

118-63-4

Still considered one of the best players of all-time regardless of era, he held the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass for more than 50 years. Originally released by the Steelers, Unitas won three championships, including Super Bowl V.

Don't Edit

Norm Van Brocklin, Rams and Eagles

1950-60

61-36-4 (NFL only)

Van Brocklin began his career splitting time with Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield. He briefly retired in 1958 only to return following a trade to the Eagles, where he became the only quarterback to defeat coach Vince Lombardi's Packers in a playoff game.

Don't Edit

DOUG MILLS | AP

Kurt Warner, Rams, Giants and Cardinals

1998-2009

67-49-0

Warner's win total is only a fraction of most of his contemporaries but he came out of nowhere to be the first quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl in his first season as a starter. He is the only player in both the Pro Football and Arena League Hall of Fame. He started in the Super Bowl for both the Rams (1-1) and the Cardinals (0-1).

Don't Edit

Steve Young, 49ers and Buccaneers

1984-99

94-49

The poor Buccaneers had no idea what they were giving up when they traded Young, who eventually supplanted Montana and came out of his shadow by winning a Super Bowl. He led the NFL in passer rating six times, earning him a reputation as one of the most accurate throwers of all-time in addition to one of the best dual-threats.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Eli Manning, Giants

2004-present

116-114

Manning is one of five former No. 1 overall draft picks to start a Super Bowl by his fourth season (Jared Goff, Drew Bledsoe, Troy Aikman and John Elway). He played maybe the two best games of his career in NFC Championships and made huge throws in two Super Bowl wins to capture MVP honors both times. He is 19 games under .500 in his last seven seasons combiend.

Don't Edit

NFL Waiver Wire: Where do Giants, Jets rank in priority?

Don't Edit

Ryan Dunleavy can be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy.