From what I’ve found, the reviewers have been kind to Eli Manning.

Writes Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly:

The brunt of the monologue was Manning’s self-proclaimed expertise about New York City, which included recommendations to get tickets to Cats and eat New York cuisine at Olive Garden.

Thus began the theme of the night: Manning as dimwitted doofus. Whether this reflects something about Manning’s public persona or if it’s simply an easy approach to writing for a gawky jock, I don’t know — but Manning was up for it, and in any case, he delivered on what he was given (although his cue card reading skills could use some polishing).

Writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News:

He held one older brother’s head in a toilet, gave another a wedgie, and shot  another with an arrow.

“We know that big brothers can be real d—heads,” Eli said.

That’s not a side the usually calm, polite and sometimes awkward Manning has  ever shown publicly, but he was clearly willing to step way out of character  during his star turn on SNL.

Writes Tim Keeney of Bleacher Report:

It was Eli’s decision—whether it was his or not—to Tebow on national television that will have everyone talking about him and falling in love with him.

When in doubt about whether or not you’re going to actually be funny on a show that is built to be funny, just Tebow.

Seriously, it works everytime.