Ben McAdoo Doesn't Have 'Any Regrets' About Benching Eli Manning

New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo told reporters Friday he doesn't have "any regrets" regarding the discussions that led to Eli Manning's benching in advance of Week 13."I was upfront and honest with Eli," McAdoo said, according to ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan. "I don't have any regrets there."McAdoo added that while he understands why current and former playersreacted negatively to the decision, he believes the move was made for the benefit of the franchise."Listen, it's an emotional decision. I understand it. I get it. It's a part of it. Again, you have to separate the emotions and your feelings and make a decision which you feel is right for the organization moving forward."On Tuesday, McAdooannouncedManning was being benched in favor of Geno Smith and, eventually, rookie Davis Webb."Geno will start this week," McAdoo said. "Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and we will also give Davis an opportunity."The Giants added that while Manning ultimately won't play Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, he "was given the option" to open the game under center to keep his streak of 210 straight starts alive."Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play," Manning said. "My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them. Starting just to keep the streak going and knowing you won't finish the game and have a chance to win it is pointless to me, and it tarnishes the streak."Instead, Smith will try to propel the Giants to a win Sunday when he starts his first game since Oct. 23, 2016.In 34 career appearances, the 2013 second-round pick has completed 57.7 percent of his passes for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.According toPro-Football-Reference.com, Smith is the only qualified passer with fewer than 30 touchdown passes and more than 30 interceptions since 2013.
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