NFL

In the end, Kiwanuka flourishes back on line for Giants

The plan of attack defensive coordinator Perry Fewell put together to combat the Packers simplified things for Mathias Kiwanuka, who was told he’d be playing exclusively as a defensive lineman.

“It’s different, because it’s easier to prepare for one spot,’’ Kiwanuka said yesterday.

Listed on the depth chart as a linebacker, Kiwanuka made a position change several years ago and most weeks spends time shuffling between the meeting rooms of the linebackers and defensive linemen. The Giants often went with a two-linebacker, three-safety look in their 38-10 pounding of the Packers, and Kiwanuka, on the line the entire game, feasted with two sacks of Aaron Rodgers.

Kiwanuka still considers himself a natural defensive end, but he had agreed to move to linebacker in order to stay on the field in a starting role.

“I said all along that defensive end is my natural position,’’ he said. “That’s where I feel most comfortable, but when we get all four pass-rushers out there on the field and we can go up and down the line and mix and match, that creates favorable matchups, so I have no problem with that either.’’

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With three weeks remaining in the balloting, Victor Cruz leads all NFC receivers in the fan’s vote for the Pro Bowl. The other two-thirds of the voting come from players and coaches.

“I’m humbled,’’ said Cruz, who leads the Giants with 63 receptions for 779 yards and eight touchdowns. “It’s just crazy to think, it’s crazy to even fathom the thought that just three years ago, I was a guy nobody knew, now I’m leading in votes for the Pro Bowl. Words can’t even explain how I feel about that right now.’’

It hasn’t hurt Cruz that he’s put out videos promoting himself for the Pro Bowl, including one of him catching a football dropped from an airplane.

“I think it’s definitely a catalyst in getting some more people headed in the right direction to vote for me and things like that,’’ Cruz said.

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Justin Tuck after his first live attempt at trying to catch Robert Griffin III said he was upset with the football gods for putting RG3 in the NFC East, where the Giants have to face him twice a season. Griffin called that kind of talk “an honor’’ as he prepares for Monday night’s Giants-Redskins rematch.

“It’s an honor to be able to affect other football players like that on other teams because that means they respect you,’’ Griffin, the Redskins rookie quarterback sensation, said yesterday on NFL Network’s ‘NFL AM.’ “They respect the way you play and you go about the game the right way.’’