Manning out: Giants to start QB Smith vs. Raiders

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning probably would have preferred to be answering questions about last week or better yet, the upcoming week’s game.

Instead, the veteran quarterback who has started 210 straight games for the Giants was standing before a crowd of reporters, at times fighting to hold back tears as he talked about the stunning decision by head coach Ben McAdoo to name Geno Smith the starting quarterback for this weekend’s game.

“I don’t have to make sense of it,” Manning said, revealing that the subject first came up with McAdoo on Monday before being finalized Tuesday. “This is what it is and you got to deal with it.”

Manning, who was offered the chance to play the first half Sunday only to yield to Smith, declined.

“I’ll be a good teammate. I don’t like it, but it’s part of football, you handle it. I didn’t do my job. I just didn’t think that you start knowing that you’re going to come out of a game to keep a streak alive maybe,” he said.

“That’s not what it’s about. It’s not a preseason game where you’re going to play the start to the half, what’s the next week? A quarter, a series, that’s not fair. That’s not fair to me, that’s not fair to Geno, that’s not how you play. You play to win. You’re named the starting quarterback, you think it’s your job to go win the football game. When you know you’re just going to play a little bit, I didn’t feel like that was the right way to play.”

Instead of being selfish, Manning, who said that this has been his hardest day as a member of the Giants, plans to be there to support Smith as he prepares to make his first start for the team.

“I told Geno I’d be here for him and I sat down with him today and going over the script and going over plays and just make sure he’s comfortable with everything and knows how to go out there and give him a chance to be successful,” Manning said.

“I’ll be a good teammate. I don’t like it, but it’s part of football.”

Manning, who has two years left on his contract, was asked about the future. Composing himself, he said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. One week at a time.”

McAdoo, who in the past has not been afraid to openly critique Manning’s play, made sure to heap as much praise as possible on his veteran quarterback.

However, when he was asked about having tarnished Manning’s legacy, the stoic McAdoo said, “I think a lot of Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have done a lot for a lot of teams haven’t been able to choose the way that they get to move on.

“I’m not saying that we’re moving on, but at some point in time, you have to make hard, tough decisions for the best of the franchise. And, that’s what I have to do here.”

McAdoo also said rookie quarterback Davis Webb will play at some point during the final five games of the season, but he didn’t commit to it being this week. He also did not reveal who will be the No. 2 quarterback behind Smith in the game against the Raiders.