Mac gives Eli flack
Coach has no patience for ‘sloppy quarterback play’
Ben McAdoo blamed himself, and then threw his quarterback under the bus.
The Giants are off to an 0-2 start having managed just one touchdown, and the head coach is letting his frustration out on his two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
When asked about a delay-of-game penalty in the third quarter when the Giants were set to go for a fourth-and-goal at the Lions’ 2-yard-line, McAdoo let Manning have it.
“Sloppy quarterback play,” the secondyear coach snapped after Big Blue’s 24-10 loss at MetLife Stadium Monday night. “Quarterback and the center need to be on the same page there. We need to get the ball snapped.”
When asked why he didn’t use a timeout, McAdoo said: “Because we have a veteran quarterback who has played a lot of football. I expect us to get the ball snapped.”
Manning accepted the blame, saying: “I got to call timeout or get it snapped.”
Instead of a potential touchdown, the Giants had to settle for a field goal and a 17-10 deficit. They wouldn’t get closer.
Manning was accurate, completing 22of-32 passes for 239 yards including a 17yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Evan Engram, but he was sacked five times, and threw a killer interception. The play after Jason Pierre-Paul sacked Matthew Stafford and Devon Kennard recovered the Stafford fumble, Manning threw behind Engram, and Tahir Whitehead picked it off on the deflection. Five plays later, Stafford hit Eric Ebron from 7 yards out for a touchdown giving the Lions the lead for good midway through the second quarter.
“He had some good moments, and some moments that weren’t what we were look- ing for,” McAdoo said. “I didn’t like the interception when we got the turnover. The defense took the ball away. You know, it happened fast for him. I thought he should’ve went to number two or checked the ball down.”
McAdoo has his own gaffe, taking all three of his timeouts into the locker room with him at halftime. He opted not to use any late in the first half, before Matt Prater’s 56-yard field goal. McAdoo allowed the clock go from 1:20 left to 30 seconds after the kick, rather than stopping the clock to try to get points.
After the loss, McAdoo said: “Put this game on me.”
Then he proceeded to torch his quarterback.