New York Giants: Benching Eli Manning is the right move

The right move for the New York Giants at this time is benching Eli Manning.

What a day for the New York Giants, huh? Did anyone expect that announcement? In case you have been out of touch, coach Ben McAdoo announced that Eli Manning would be headed to the bench in favor of Geno Smith. McAdoo stated that rookie Davis Webb would get an opportunity to play as well. That brings Manning’s consecutive start streak to an end at 210.

Manning was offered the chance to start the game and give way to Smith and/or Webb and he turned it down, via the New York Times:

"“Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play,” Manning told reporters. “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.”"

Two comments need to be made here. First is that Manning deserves a lot of credit for turning the offer down. Starting the game for the sake of a streak is selfish and makes very little sense. The idea of the streak has been the ability to stay healthy and take every snap over 210 straight games. Kudos to Eli on this.

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But, the other comment won’t make many Giants fans happy but here it comes. Ben McAdoo is making the right choice. It’s time for Eli Manning to take a seat.

Before you throw things at your device, let me lay out the argument. However you look at it the decision makes sense. The team is 2-9. If you believe that the team has a run in it next year, when everyone is healthy, saving Manning for next year makes sense. What if he endures a serious injury in a meaningless game when the Giants are 2-11?

Eli Manning is 36 and will be 37 in a couple of months. Overworking him in meaningless games doesn’t make any sense at all. You want him for another run? Keep those passes in his arm until 2018.

Take it the other way. Do the Giants now believe that Eli is finished? Would be hard to understand while he is completing 62% of his passes, but you never know. If that is what they believe, now is the PERFECT time to see what you have. You signed Geno Smith, maybe he will improve in his new surroundings. Does Davis Webb have any potential? There is no better way to figure that out than game situations. The team is 2-9. What is playing Eli Manning going to do for them? Bring them to 6-10 potentially? BIG DEAL.

Next: Eli benched in favor of Geno Smith

Put it into perspective. Imagine a football team sitting at 2-9 with a 36-year-old quarterback running the show. They bench their quarterback to see what they have behind him. They are out of playoff contention so it seems to be the right time. Would anybody be surprised? Not likely. That shouldn’t change simply because of the incumbent quarterback’s name.

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