New York Giants coach Ben McAdoo says Geno Smith brings “creativity” to offense
ALAMEDA, Calif. — On Tuesday, the New York Giants announced that Geno Smith would be the starting quarterback for Week 13. Smith takes over a starting quarterback position that Eli Manning held for 210 straight games dating back to 2004.
The Giants’ choice to bench their franchise quarterback came with major backlash. Fans, former players and ex-coaches criticized Giants for sidelining a quarterback that won two Super Bowls.
“It was a hard decision,” Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said Wednesday in a conference call. “It was a tough decision, especially for me, personally, being in the same room with him for four years now. My responsibility to this organization is first and foremost.
“The decision is bigger than me. It’s for the organization and the future of the organization, making sure we have a clear evaluation of the other two quarterbacks on the roster, starting with Geno this week.”
Smith’s evaluation process begins Sunday as the Giants visit the Raiders. Smith hasn’t started a regular-season game since October 2016, when he played for the New York Jets.
McAdoo still has seen development during Smith’s tenure with the Giants. A lot of that can be compared to the quarterback they just benched.
“He’s a pocket passer, just like Eli is,” said McAdoo. “He can do a little bit more with creativity. Being disciplined with the reads is definitely a strength of Eli’s and that’s something we’re asking Geno to do a tremendous job this week.
“He knows where he wants to go with the ball. He gets football. He’s been around it a long time and has played a lot of games in this league. We’re excited to see him in this system, playing a Sunday National League Football game.”
Contact reporter Chris Booker at cbooker@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bookerc94 on Twitter.
