Although Eli Manning said he was "a little bit out of [his] element" as first-time host of Saturday Night Live, the famous footballer proved he can also score when it comes to comedy.
"It's great to be here hosting Saturday Night Live," the New York Giants quarterback said in his opening monologue. "After two Super Bowls this is definitely the third most exciting night of my life."
And after giving some "authentic" recommendations for Italian restaurants in New York like the Olive Garden, it was on with the show.
While Manning dressed in drag to portray Miss Chicken Fried Steak and played the third unknown member of Cheech and Chong, among many other roles, three of his standout performances were in the hilarious skits, "Motion Capture," "Text Message Evidence" and "Little Brothers."
In "Motion Capture," Taran Killam brought back his impersonation of Tim Tebow, and Manning played himself for the skit centered on a motion capture shoot for a video game. Manning, who didn't quite understand the art of motion capture, pretended to brush his hair, ate an imaginary sandwich and even Tebowed when the director (Jason Sudeikis) told Manning he wanted him to show off a signature move for the game.
Then, in "Text Message Evidence," Manning took the stand to explain suggestive text and picture messages he sent to various women to prove he didn't commit murder (a picture of Manning holding a banana with the text, "want some?," for example). And as if that wasn't enough, he was next asked to explain his internet search history, which included the search terms "elderly butts" and "very elderly butts."
In "Little Brothers," Manning played a volunteer member of the Little Brothers program, who punished big brothers who made fun of their little brothers. Those paybacks included giving the kids' big brothers wedgies, firing a bow-and-arrow at them and locking them in the trunks of cars (in the case of Andy Samberg).
While Rihanna didn't get in on the comedic action in any of the skits, the 24-year-old singer was on hand to perform "Birthday Cake" sans Chris Brown and "Talk That Talk" in black knee-high boots and high-waisted, super-short shorts.
Rihanna also went on to perform "Where Have You Been" on probably one of the most elaborate sets a performer has had this season. Complete with drummers and about 10 dancers, the pop star writhed her way around the Arabian themed set-up and showed off some dance moves while she was at it.
So, tell us, what did you think of Eli Manning's first stint hosting SNL? Was it a touchdown or a fumble?
Sound off in the comments.
(E! and NBC's Saturday Night Live are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)