MANNING UP: Eli Manning, with the assistance of Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, torched the Cowboys twice late last season en route to the Giants’ miracle run at the Super Bowl. Manning will look to continue that trend tomorrow night in the season opener. (
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Rookies about to make their NFL debut are rarely able to offer advice to veterans with years of experience and tons of success. Rueben Randle is the exception to this, as he has information that could prove invaluable to Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Domenik Hixon.
All the Giants receivers understand facing the Cowboys this time around means a completely different set of challenges, especially dealing with Morris Claiborne, the talented rookie from LSU who was frequently considered the top defensive player in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Cowboys traded up eight spots to get Claiborne and he will make his first start in prime-time against the defending Super Bowl champs.
“Every day, every single day,’’ Randle said when asked how often he went up against Claiborne, his former LSU teammate, in practice back in Baton Rouge.
That’s experience none of the older Giants receivers can match.
“We asked him a few questions on what’s his technique, if he likes to bail, if he likes to jump-jam, stuff like that,’’ said Nicks, who says he will play despite missing practice again with a sore foot. “It shouldn’t be too hard.’’
In two games against the Cowboys last season, Eli Manning threw for 746 yards and five touchdowns. The first time around, Nicks torched the Cowboys for 163 yards and in the rematch it was Cruz putting the hammer down with 178 yards. The Giants were wholly confident they could exploit cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins and they did, repeatedly and quite decisively.
Lo and behold, the Cowboys enter MetLife Stadium tomorrow night with two new starting cornerbacks. They opened the vault (five years, $50 million) for former Chiefs corner Brandon Carr and then made Claiborne their top priority in the draft.
“We played well last year, but I hope because we had a good game against them they didn’t go out and get two new corners,’’ Cruz said. “We didn’t think about it like that, we thought more so it was they wanted to add depth there and wanted to revive their secondary a little bit, we didn’t think it was just for us specifically. They did a good job of getting better back there.’’
Better, yes, but Cruz always likes his chances with Manning calling the shots.
“We watched them on film,’’ Cruz said, “and we see our areas where we can exploit them and we’re anxious to get started.’’
Randle, who should get time at receiver in his first NFL game, said Claiborne is the best cornerback he has ever gone against.
“We got after each other each and every day, I think that’s why we’re at the level of play we’re at right now,’’ Randle said of his freshman roommate. “I knew each and every day I was going to get my best work in practice.’’
Here’s Randle’s scouting report on Claiborne: “I told ’em he likes to quick-jab a lot so just be prepared for that, you got to get his hands off you, because once he gets his hands on you he’s able to control you. You got to get him to open up his hips because if he’s comfortable he’s going to be able to break on any route you are pretty much running.’’
As for Carr, after signing he said Cruz wasn’t going to be doing any dancing on the Cowboys this season.
“All that salsa dancing, that’s fine, but you’ve got to come through me,’’ Carr said back in April.
Cruz, who knew all about that comment, at first said: “Did he say that? I could care less’’ before offering up a statement of his own: “If I score, I dance.”
“I guess that comes with the Victor Cruz territory right now,’’ said Cruz, who decided there would be no preseason salsa moves. “I guess I have no choice not to do that, so the ban has been lifted.’’