New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning shrugged off criticisms from head coach Ben Mcadoo, who publicly slammed him for the delay of game penalty that cost them a chance to go for a touchdown while trailing 10 points to the Detroit Lions in the second half.
"He knows I can take it. If you've played 14 years in New York, you've been criticized. You can take pretty much whatever they throw at you," Manning said, per NFL.com. Manning said he and McAdoo are on the same page, adding that anything the coach says will all for the betterment of the team.
After their loss to the Lions Monday, McAdoo called out Manning, blaming him for the delay of game penalty, which forced the Giants to settle for a field goal rather than go for a touchdown.
"Sloppy quarterback play," McAdoo said of Manning’s blunder. "Quarterback and the center need to be on the same page there. We need to get the ball snapped.”
However, Manning took his coach’s statement in stride, saying you can’t be sensitive in the NFL. He also clarified that he has a good relationship with McAdoo despite the latter’s pronouncement.
Giants dropped to 0-2 after loss to Lions
With their latest loss, the Giants dropped to 0-2. According to ESPN, the Giants lost back-to-back games by 14 points or more for the first time in franchise history.
In their opening game, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 19-3, and to the Lions, 24-10. In addition, the Giants have failed to score 20 points in eight straight weeks dating back to last season.
The latest loss came despite the return of star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who caught four passes for a measly 36 yards. In his first two starts, Manning completed 51 of 70 passes for 459 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, for a passer rating of 83.0.
McAdoo plans to give up play-calling duties
Meanwhile, McAdoo told the New York Daily News that he plans to make some changes, including giving up play-calling duties. He has performed the play-calling duties for the Giants since he became offensive coordinator in 2014 until he was promoted to head coach in 2016. According to McAdoo, he is looking into the possibility of turning over play-calling responsibilities to offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan.
So far, the Giants have put just 13 points on the board in their first two games with McAdoo doing the play calling. McAdoo said he’s contemplating making changes in the personnel but the Giants’ backups are no better than their current starters.
