Giants fire McAdoo in wake of Manning uproar

The New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo on Monday, less than a week after he triggered uproar by benching long-serving quarterback Eli Manning.

The Giants general manager Jerry Reese has also been dismissed after an 11-year reign which yielded two Super Bowls.Giants co-owner John Mara confirmed the dismissals in a press conference, saying there had been a need for "wholesale changes."

McAdoo's position has been under scrutiny all season after a series of dismal performances that have left the Giants with a 2-10 record, tied for second worst in the league.

"We've had an embarrassing season and most people that know me know how painful that is to me, how committed I am to try and put a winning team back on the field," Mara told reporters.

"I know our fans are suffering, but I’m suffering more, I'll guarantee you that right now. We've gotten to the point where we felt we had to make wholesale changes and that's what we've done."

The Giants were beaten 24-17 by the Oakland Raiders on Sunday after McAdoo's decision to drop Manning in favour of Geno Smith.

McAdoo had angered fans last week after announcing Manning, who led the Giants to Super Bowl wins in 2007 and 2011, was no longer the starting quarterback.

The handling of the decision -- which saw Manning choking back tears before reporters in the locker room -- reportedly angered Mara.

Players across the league also criticised how Manning, one of the most respected figures in the NFL, had been treated. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said the situation was "pathetic."

McAdoo however remained defiant and said on Sunday he planned to continue in his job as "long as my key card works".

"You know, we've got a great group of players, the coaches, we've got a great staff to work with. We're going to show up ready to go tomorrow and get this thing cleaned up and move on to the next one," McAdoo said after the loss to the Raiders.

Meanwhile, ESPN reported that Manning would return as starting quarterback for this Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.