The Giants’ passing game Sunday may have received it best break on Friday.
That was when Green Bay’s standout corner, Sam Shields, suffered a hamstring injury and was listed as probable. But before the game, he was ruled out and the Packers inserted rookie safety Micah Hyde.
Commence the licking of chops, Giants receivers.
“We just saw some things that we liked, saw some opportunities we were able to take advantage of and we did,” wide receiver Victor Cruz said diplomatically after he collected eight receptions for 110 yards, with a long of 30 in the Giants’ 27-13 victory at MetLife Stadium.
“And they gave us the coverages we were looking for on specific downs and distances and we were able to take advantage of them. And that’s what we need. This offense is built on taking advantage of the big play as well as the balance with the running game, but we definitely need a couple big plays to get ourselves going again.”
And the biggest play in the passing game opened the day’s scoring at 5:34 of the first quarter. It came on a 26-yard Eli Manning to Rueben Randle hookup. Randle started and ended the drive. First, he gave the Giants enviable field position when he returned a punt 32 yards — a career long — to the Green Bay 42. Then five plays and 2:57 later, Randle had his sixth touchdown reception of the season.
On a second-and-9, Manning stepped up out of the shotgun, avoided pressure from the outside and found Randle streaking across the middle behind Hyde.
“The safety [dropped back] so the middle of the field was wide open and Eli did a great job of leading me across the field,” said Randle, who grabbed the ball at the 7 and went in untouched. “I made a play on the ball and went in for the touchdown.”
Sometimes this game is so darn simple, you know? Certainly seems that way for the Giants, who endured such horrific struggles early in the season with their passing game.
“I believe we’re [headed] in the right direction, we’re doing some good things,” Cruz said. “We still haven’t had quite that breakout game where everyone is clicking and everyone is doing the right thing, but we’re back on track. This is what we want, this is how we want to play and this is what we want to do, so we’re excited about that.”
Manning threw to seven different receivers on Sunday with Cruz and Hakeem Nicks (four receptions — nope, none was a touchdown) catching the most.
“I feel like we got in our rhythm a little bit,” Nicks said. “We’re just trying to take advantage of what they were giving us.”
Like a rookie in the starting defensive backfield.
“Everything worked hand in hand,” Nicks said. “Everything was just clicking.”
By doing what came naturally — or via the big play.
“We just wanted to take what they gave us and make the big play when it came to us,” Cruz said. “That was the biggest part, we weren’t making the play when it came to us. But today we were making those plays.”