Eli Manning (Getty Images)
HEAD GAMES: Victor Cruz clutches the ball against his helmet as he beats the Niners’ Carlos Rogers for a catch during the Giants’ 26-3 win yesterday in San Francisco — a game which proved the mutual trust between the receivers and Eli Manning. (AP; Getty Images (inset))
SAN FRANCISCO — In Eli, the Giants trust. But in his receivers, Eli trusts.
As a two-time Super Bowl winner and MVP in both, Eli Manning has earned the respect as one of the NFL’s best and most clutch quarterbacks — and rightly so.
Manning has cornered the New York sports market in clutch genes. If A-Rod, Swisher, Cano and Granderson had a microscopic droplet of Eli’s clutch DNA the Yankees wouldn’t be in the mess they’re in right now.
But what often goes unnoticed and unspoken in the big picture is this: Manning accomplishes a lot fewer of the remarkable things he has become known for without the outstanding play of his receivers.
The Giants receivers are often overlooked because Manning has become so good and so revered for his accomplishments.
In yesterday’s 26-3 statement victory by the Giants over the 49ers at Candlestick Park, Manning’s receivers made him look great on a day when his accuracy wasn’t at its peak.
“They definitely make me look good,’’ Manning said after completing 15-of-28 for 193 yards and a touchdown. “I have great faith they’re going to get open and make plays.’’
The Giants receivers were the fire-starters for their offense that started the game stagnant, with one first down in the first two series and the running game suffocated by the 49ers’ defense.
“We like to be the pace-setters of the offense, and any guy in our receiver corps can step up and make plays at any time,’’ Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks said.
Enter Domenik Hixon, the Giants’ No. 3 receiver who’s been more known for being injury-prone than anything. He represented the first lifeline when he seemed to leap into the nearby SFO air space to haul down a Manning heave on third-and-7 early in the second quarter.
Hixon out-jumped 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver for the ball, secured it at the apex of his leap and held onto it as he crashed to the ground.
If Hixon doesn’t make that catch, it would have been a third consecutive Giants’ possession stalled in their own territory and it would have fueled a 49ers’ defense that entered the game feeling invincible, having not allowed a touchdown in the previous two games.
Instead, it was first down Giants on the 49ers’ 24-yard line, the first time they’d moved the ball into San Francisco territory all game.
Two plays later, Hixon, who had four catches for 78 yards, made a terrific catch of a Manning pass and gingerly kept both feet inbounds for another first down on third-and-8.
“It gave us a lift,’’ Tom Coughlin said. “[Hixon] comes through for us in clutch situations. Eli is very confident about where he’s going to be.’’
Manning called the first Hixon catch “a big play,’’ because “the first couple of drives we hadn’t gotten much going and that came on a third down and changed the field position.’’
On the play after Hixon’s sideline catch, Victor Cruz cherry-picked a missile of a pass from Manning over 49ers cornerback and resident Jets fan Carlos Rogers for a 6-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead.
It was the first touchdown the 49ers defense had allowed in nine quarters.
The Giants’ next offensive possession was also sparked by Manning’s receivers, beginning with a 16-yard Cruz catch and then a 16-yard catch-and-run by Nicks, who had missed the previous three games with foot- and-knee injuries.
Those plays led to a 34-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal and a 10-3 Giants lead with 2:56 remaining in the first half.
At that point, the Giants had changed the tone of the game and were in control, thanks in large part to the receivers loosening up the 49ers’ defense.
Until Cruz came along and introduced his grandmother’s salsa dance, the Giants had always been defined mostly by their defense and quarterback play, not by their receivers.
Games like yesterday’s change that perception. They bring more attention to Eli’s little helpers.
“One of the reasons we may not be as out there publicized as much as other receiving corps is we put our egos aside and don’t worry about who has the most yards, most catches, most touchdowns,’’ Hixon said. “We just feed off each other.’’