Ziperski: Eli didn’t deserve this

Nov. 30, 2017, 1:00 a.m.

Two-time Super Bowl champion and MVP. Seventh on the all-time passing yards list. The greatest quarterback in Giants history.

Now, benched for Geno Smith.

Eli didn’t deserve this. The Giants’ season, though certainly disappointing, isn’t his fault — he has no line to protect him, no weapons to throw to. Eli hasn’t played great, that’s for sure. But pinning this season’s woes on him, and doing so in such embarrassing, heart-wrenching fashion, is a weak, sad move by a head coach desperate to save his own job.

It would be one thing if the Giants were letting Eli ride out the rest of this lost season so that they could see what kind of talent they had in their young backups. That’s not the case here; Geno Smith is no young, untested rookie. A five year veteran, he played two seasons worth of games for the New York Jets in the AFC East, one of the least competitive divisions in football over the last two decades. We’ve watched him struggle to make plays, and by now, it’s clear what he’s capable of: not much. He’s got a sub-60 percent completion percentage and a ghastly 28-36 career touchdown ratio. Does he deserve a place in the NFL? Sure, maybe as a backup. But the idea that Ben McAdoo is using these next five games as a tryout, that the Giants would seriously consider him as their starter moving forward, is absurd.

Perhaps McAdoo thinks Smith truly gives them the best chance to win to close out the season? If so, he’s crazy. No matter how you look at it, there’s no “football” rationale for benching Eli. What the Giants have done is reprehensible. Eli is a consummate professional. He doesn’t whine or complain. He doesn’t blame his receivers for dropping balls, or his linemen for missing blocks. Year in, year out, he’s been a class act.

Archie Manning, Eli’s father, told reporters Wednesday that Eli is heartbroken. He should be. After 13 steady years at the helm, after two world championships, Eli deserves more than a public shaming at the hands of a failing coach. I understand his pain. And I hope he gets a chance to continue his career with his head held high, whether that’s with the Giants or somewhere else that shows him the appreciation he’s entitled to.

 

Contact Andrew Ziperski at ajzip ‘at’ stanford.edu.

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