Daniel Jones calls Eli Manning a flip-cup cheater on Manningcast as Colts rise to 3-0
Jones jokes about the 2019 viral flip-cup moment with Eli Manning on ESPN2’s Manningcast as the Colts start 3-0 for the first time since 2009
Daniel Jones cheekily labeled Eli Manning a ‘cheater’ during Monday’s Manningcast on ESPN2, revisiting a viral flip-cup moment from 2019. The Colts quarterback joined Peyton and Eli for part of the Lions–Ravens broadcast, and Peyton revived the Hoboken bar clip in which Eli and Jones played flip cup after a Giants win. The lighthearted moment punctuated a season start for Jones that has his team off to a 3-0 record, their best start since 2009 when Peyton Manning was the quarterback in Indianapolis.
Jones, grinning, declared, “He’s 1,000 percent cheating,” a line he delivered while reflecting on the old contest. He added that any advice he received about playing in New York apparently came from Eli, joking that “he’s cheating the whole time.” Eli countered with his trademark blend of humor and swagger: “You gotta cheat in flip cup, c’mon.” The pair then recalled the December 2019 video filmed at Green Rock Tap & Grill in Hoboken, where a then-22-year-old Jones and a 38-year-old Manning celebrated after a Giants win that included a 41-35 overtime victory at Washington. A bartender who worked at Green Rock at the time posted that “Eli, Saquon, Daniel ‘Dimes’, and Reggie were Green Rocking last night,” The Post reported at the time, underscoring how the clip became a local staple long before the national spotlight returned to Jones.
On the show, Eli kicked off the bit by noting Jones’s current success in Indianapolis, then pressed a familiar question about legacy. “DJ, your Colts are 3-0 and lead the NFL in scoring,” Eli said to open the segment. “My question is, do you agree with my take that you are already the greatest quarterback in Indianapolis Colts history?” Jones paused before answering with typical humility, saying, “I don’t know if I can go that far yet, but it’s been a good start for us.”
Jones’s response reflected a careful, team-first approach as he guided the Colts to a rapid start. The 3-0 mark stands as the franchise’s best start since 2009, a season that culminated in a deep playoff run during the Peyton Manning era. The moment also highlighted the enduring link between the Manning brothers and the Colts, while underscoring Jones’s early-career arc as he builds a potential long-term legacy in Indianapolis.
The Manningcast segment blended nostalgia with current relevance, giving fans a window into how two generations of Manning quarterbacks—Eli and Peyton—as well as Daniel Jones, intersect in a franchise-wide storyline. The banter also served as a reminder that a lighthearted clip from Hoboken remains part of the broader football conversation while Jones pursues ongoing success in a city eager to see another long-running stretch of competitive Colts football.
