New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has only one reception for five yards through the third quarter of play. It has not been a banner night for Eli Manning, the receivers and the running backs. Manning had just 12 completions on 26 attempts for 113 yards through three quarters. The running backs had just 27 yards.He leads the Giants with 672 receiving yards, is tied with 40 catches and has Eli Manning’s full confidence. He has a burgeoning reputation for making plays both good and bad, and a signature TD dance that his mother won’t let him change.
And for all that, Victor Cruz owes today’s opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, one big thank you. Why? Because the last time he faced them, he was an unsure second-year player. But after a breakout performance that surprised everyone - including Cruz himself - he has evolved into one of the NFL’s top slot receivers.
“Once I started making some plays and doing some stuff, I just got comfortable, and I felt like I belonged,” Cruz says.
It's almost hard to remember now, but when the Giants faced the Eagles back in Week 3, Cruz was the team’s most prominent question mark, an unproven slot receiver with two catches in his first two regular season games. He had struggled through the preseason and made few plays in the first two games, prompting the Giants to sign aging Brandon Stokley as an insurance policy.
“That kind of had been our biggest question mark going into the season, once we found out Steve (Smith) was leaving,” Cruz says of the slot issues. “Can we replace him? Do we have the personnel to replace him? Starting with that Philly week and moving forward, I think all those questions got answered.”
Cruz’s play provided those answers. With Mario Manningham out with a concussion, Cruz was forced into a starting role. He remembers doing his best to stay calm as the Giants prepared to step onto the Lincoln Financial Field turf, recalling his plays, pondering the fact that he was about to make his first career start, remembering all those lessons he had learned from the savvy Smith as a rookie a year earlier.
And then, late in the first quarter, he caught a 14-yard pass, slipped a tackle from Eagles safety Kurt Coleman, and dashed upfield, making Coleman and Eagles superstar Nnamdi Asomugha tackle each other at the 50. Fifty yards later, Cruz did his first career salsa TD dance. Cruz would add another TD catch in the fourth quarter.
The performance proved that Cruz belonged, that he could play in the league. Before that game, the pressure had gotten to him. Afterwards, he was a different receiver.
“They had all the hoopla going into the game for them,” he says. “We understood that. I surprised myself. But I’ve been seeming to surprise myself every week now.
“My confidence has been high since (that) week,” he added. “It’s been great ever since.”
And for all that, Victor Cruz owes today’s opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, one big thank you. Why? Because the last time he faced them, he was an unsure second-year player. But after a breakout performance that surprised everyone - including Cruz himself - he has evolved into one of the NFL’s top slot receivers.
“Once I started making some plays and doing some stuff, I just got comfortable, and I felt like I belonged,” Cruz says.
It's almost hard to remember now, but when the Giants faced the Eagles back in Week 3, Cruz was the team’s most prominent question mark, an unproven slot receiver with two catches in his first two regular season games. He had struggled through the preseason and made few plays in the first two games, prompting the Giants to sign aging Brandon Stokley as an insurance policy.
“That kind of had been our biggest question mark going into the season, once we found out Steve (Smith) was leaving,” Cruz says of the slot issues. “Can we replace him? Do we have the personnel to replace him? Starting with that Philly week and moving forward, I think all those questions got answered.”
Cruz’s play provided those answers. With Mario Manningham out with a concussion, Cruz was forced into a starting role. He remembers doing his best to stay calm as the Giants prepared to step onto the Lincoln Financial Field turf, recalling his plays, pondering the fact that he was about to make his first career start, remembering all those lessons he had learned from the savvy Smith as a rookie a year earlier.
And then, late in the first quarter, he caught a 14-yard pass, slipped a tackle from Eagles safety Kurt Coleman, and dashed upfield, making Coleman and Eagles superstar Nnamdi Asomugha tackle each other at the 50. Fifty yards later, Cruz did his first career salsa TD dance. Cruz would add another TD catch in the fourth quarter.
The performance proved that Cruz belonged, that he could play in the league. Before that game, the pressure had gotten to him. Afterwards, he was a different receiver.
“They had all the hoopla going into the game for them,” he says. “We understood that. I surprised myself. But I’ve been seeming to surprise myself every week now.
“My confidence has been high since (that) week,” he added. “It’s been great ever since.”
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