Eli OK with criticism
Some were shocked when Ben McAdoo, moments after trying to digest a 24-10 loss to the Lions, criticized Eli Manning for taking a delay-of-game penalty in the third quarter on fourth-and-2 on the Detroit 2-yard line. McAdoo was set to go for the touchdown, but the 5yard penalty forced him to take the field goal.
Afterward, McAdoo said, “Sloppy quarterback play. We have a veteran quarterback who has played a lot of football. I expect us to get the ball snapped.’’
Too harsh? If Manning thought he was needlessly singled out, he kept that feeling well-hidden.
“Hey, you lose a game, you only score 10 points you deserve some criticism,’’ Manning said Tuesday on WFAN. “I know Coach McAdoo knows I can handle it. That’s part of playing quarterback. You can’t be sensitive in this field. You’re a quarterback in the NFL, there’s gonna be tough days and there’s gonna be tough times and you got to be able to handle the fire on game day and afterwards. That’s just part of the deal.’’
Manning took responsibility for the penalty, explaining he was trying to figure out if the Lions were going to blitz and if he needed to change the play. “I just got to call time out or get the ball snapped,’’ he said.
McAdoo sounded incredulous that anyone viewed this as ripping into Manning.
“Did I single him out? We needed to get the ball snapped there,’’ McAdoo said. “So, I thought the quarterback and center need to find a way to get the ball snapped before the clock hit zero. I’m not sure what you mean by calling him out.’’
Odell Beckham Jr. played 34 of the 56 offensive snaps in his first game this season, dealing with the aftereffects of a high ankle sprain. “He’s still working hard to get back to his full self,’’ McAdoo said. … LB B.J. Goodson (shin) and CB Janoris Jenkins (ankle/hand) both received treatment on Tuesday. It is too early to determine their availability for Sunday’s game in Philadelphia.
Rookie TE Evan Engram celebrated his first NFL touchdown with a dance that was flagged for a 15-yard penalty. Engram touched himself where he is not supposed to, though he said it was inadvertent.
“We can’t have that,’’ McAdoo said. “I’m not sure it was something he intended to do but we can’t have that. That was a poor judgment on his part. He’s a high-character young man and I don’t anticipate that will happen again.’’