NEW YORK GIANTS head coach Ben McAdoo insisted he has no regrets about how the benching of quarterback Eli Manning was handled and he is “on the same page” as team co-owner John Mara.
McAdoo controversially ended Manning’s streak of 210 consecutive regular-season starts but naming the 36-year-old on the bench for Sunday’s NFL showdown with the Oakland Raiders.
The decision sparked outrage but McAdoo told reporters on Friday: “I don’t have any regrets there.”
McAdoo said on Tuesday the plan was to start Manning in the matchup with the Raiders and replace him with Geno Smith for the second half.
On Wednesday, Mara said that the plan was to start Manning and keep him in the game “if he’s playing well in the first half, we’re winning the game, it looks like we’ve got a chance, the offense is clicking.”
Manning was not interested in the plan McAdoo put forward and suggested Smith should just start the game.
“I’m confident and comfortable with our lines of communication,” McAdoo said of Mara.
While McAdoo is taking serious heat for benching Manning, he said the decision was made with the best interests of the 2-9 Giants in mind.
“You have to take the emotions out of it,” he said. “You have to take any accomplishments out of it and evaluate the roster. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for anybody.”
