|
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Victor Cruz began the week by saying he needs to be more involved in the Giants' offense, and have more balls thrown his way. He ended the week talking positively about the offense, saying he saw signs of progress this week. "I did. I saw kind of a higher energy out there on the practice field, a lot of guys paying attention to detail," Cruz said Friday. "We were excited to be out there, and you could really see the difference." But it won't be easy to rack up passing yardage Sunday, against a very talented Arizona Cardinals secondary. All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed a $70 million contract extension this summer, may be the best in the league. And fellow corner Antonio Cromartie, who was with the New York Jets the past four seasons, made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2013. Cruz, who mostly plays in the slot, isn't sure who he'll be lining up against on Sunday -- but he likes his team's chances. "We definitely think we're gonna see a lot of man-to-man coverage, which is something that we feel like we can take advantage of," he said. The bottom line: The Giants' offensive line struggled in Week 1 -- in fact, all five starting O-linemen received negative grades, according to Pro Football Focus. To beat the Cardinals, the Giants need them to create more holes for the running backs, and give Eli Manning more time in the pocket. It is a brand-new unit, with three new starters on the interior, in between left tackle Will Beatty and right tackle Justin Pugh. "Play with more continuity, together," coach Tom Coughlin said, when asked what he is looking for. "Hopefully the young guy (rookie Weston Richburg) has got a game under his belt, he’ll play better. The whole team has to play more physical against a very good, physical team." The Cardinals played very well up front on defense in an 18-17 win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 1, giving up just 52 rushing yards on 24 carries -- the second-fewest rushing yards in the league. Only the Jets gave up fewer (25), against the Oakland Raiders. Family reunion: Giants tight end Daniel Fells will be playing against his younger brother, Darren, on Sunday. Darren, 28, is two years younger than Daniel, but is just starting his NFL career. He passed up football to play college basketball at UC-Irvine and then played professionally overseas before deciding to take up football again. He spent time on the Cardinals' practice squad last season, and made the final 53-man roster this year, although he was inactive last week. He, like his brother, plays tight end. "I think they fly in this evening, so hopefully I'll get to see him with a little bit of downtime tomorrow," Daniel said Friday. The big 9-0: This is the Giants' 90th season in the NFL, and the team will celebrate that before and during Sunday's home opener. For instance, the players and coaches will run through a group of 90 season ticket holders when taking the field, and some season ticket holders will also be involved in unfurling a field-size American flag for the national anthem. Former Giant and Hall of Famer Frank Gifford will serve as the team's honorary captain for the coin toss.
|
