Giants bench QB Manning after 210 straight starts

NEW YORK -- Eli Manning's run of 210 straight regular-season starts for the New York Giants will end Sunday when the struggling NFL team starts Geno Smith at quarterback against the Oakland Raiders.

"Geno will start this week," Giants coach Ben McAdoo said Tuesday, adding that over the final five games of the season the team would also give rookie quarterback Davis Webb a try.

"It's hard, hard day to handle this," the 36-year-old Manning admitted in comments to reporters.

  
His 210 straight starts date back to 2004, when he was traded to the Giants after his selection as the top overall pick by the San Diego Chargers.

Manning said he never considered an abbreviated start just to keep the streak going.

"Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play," said the two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. "My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them," Manning said.

"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. Like I always have, I will be ready to play if and when I am needed. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can."

The Giants started the season with a five-game losing streak and head into December at 2-9.

"This is not a statement about anything other than we are 2-9, and we have to do what is best for the organization moving forward, and that means evaluating every position," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said.

"I told Eli (Tuesday) morning that an organization could not ask for any more in a franchise quarterback. He has been that and more. Nobody knows what the future holds, but right now, this is what we think is best for the franchise."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hesiman Trophy candidate Geno Smith throws for 656 yards and eight touchdowns in No. 9 West Virginia’s 70-63 win over No. 25 Baylor

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Geno Smith threw for 656 yards and tied a Big 12 record with eight touchdown passes to lead No. 9 West Virginia to a 70-63 win over No. 25 Baylor on Saturday.

Smith outdueled Baylor’s Nick Florence, who had a standout game of his own with 581 yards and five TDs.

Baylor’s Terrance Williams set a Big 12 record with 314 yards receiving. The old mark was set minutes earlier by West Virginia’s Stedman Bailey, who had 303 yards and a school-record five TDs.

Williams’ 8-yard scoring catch brought Baylor (3-1) within 70-63 with 3:08 left.

But Dustin Garrison ran for 17 yards on third down and the Mountaineers (4-0) ran out the clock to snap Baylor’s nine-game winning streak, the second-longest in the nation.

The teams combined for 1,507 yards of offense and 37 first downs. Six receivers had at least 100 yards receiving.

In West Virginia’s Big 12 debut, the record books were rewritten for the schools, the conference and the FBS.

It also marked the most points scored in a game involving a team ranked in The Associated Press poll. The previous record of 124 was set in No. 12 Oklahoma’s 82-42 win over Colorado in 1980.

The combined 19 touchdowns tied an FBS mark, last reached when Navy beat North Texas 74-62 in 2007. That matchup set the FBS record for most points in a regulation game at 136.

Baylor also tied an FBS mark for the most points scored by a losing team.

Among the other records, Smith set school marks for completions, yards and touchdown passes. He still doesn’t have an interception this season.

Bailey and Tavon Austin became the first FBS teammates with 200 yards receiving since 2007.

West Virginia went ahead for good early in the third quarter, but Baylor almost always had an answer.

Austin made long touchdown grabs three minutes apart while Baylor punted and missed a long field goal. Smith stayed in a groove, throwing three passes of 45 yards or more in the third quarter alone. His 47-yarder to Bailey set up Andrew Buie’s second short TD run for a 56-35 lead.

The way this game was going, no cushion seemed safe.

Williams caught a 37-yard scoring pass from Florence and, after Baylor’s defense forced a rare punt, Florence’s sneak brought the Bears within 56-49, and there was still 14:14 left.

But Bailey scored on TD grabs of 87 and 39 yards after that.

source: nydailynews.com