It very nearly was “All In” for the Giants during yesterday’s steamy and humid Labor Day morning practice, with Victor Cruz running routes, Jason Pierre-Paul down in a three-point stance and Henry Hynoski paving the way as a lead blocker.
There was concern, to varying degree, about all three having to miss the season opener against the Cowboys. Now it certainly looks as if Cruz will be fine, Hynoski might make it back and Pierre-Paul will at least push forward to the end of the week before any decision is made. Center David Baas, out with a sprained knee, worked on the side and it looks unlikely he will be ready to play this weekend.
Pierre-Paul and Hynoski, both coming off surgeries, last week got a taste of practice. Cruz yesterday got on the field for the first time since bruising his left heel Aug. 18 in a preseason game against the Colts.
“As of right now, if everything continues to feel good … wake up in the morning and it doesn’t swell up on me or anything crazy like that, I’ll be good to go,’’ Cruz said.
Cruz knew he had to test himself and so he made sure to put stress on his heel by simulating one of his favorite moves.
“My main concern was those hard-breaking curls and really digging my foot into the ground,’’ Cruz said. “Ran a couple of those, and it didn’t feel bad at all. And it felt good to get out of them. Made a curl catch, and got a little bit of a burst out of it. It felt good.’’
Cruz said he is “a little ahead’’ of schedule in that the medical staff figured it might be another two weeks before he could play. “But I was diligent in the treatment room and at home, icing it and getting ready and things like that,’’ Cruz said.
There doesn’t seem to be any doubt in Eli Manning’s mind about Cruz.
“I’m excited he’ll be back for this opening game,’’ Manning said.
Pierre-Paul, on the physically unable to perform list for all of training camp, “practiced pretty well,’’ according to coach Tom Coughlin, who cautioned, “We’ll see; obviously a ways to go there.’’
In a sign his conditioning is not where it needs to be, Pierre-Paul admitted he grew fatigued in his most extensive work this summer.
“I feel good but we’re not there,’’ Pierre-Paul said. “I was tired, man, I was completely tired, wasn’t what I expected to be my first day out there. The conditioning part, I got to push myself to do that and that’s what I’m going to do. If it means getting extra reps after my reps on the football field, whatever, that’s what I’m going to do.’’
As he’s been throughout this recovery, Pierre-Paul was non-committal about playing on Sunday.
“Just coming off back surgery, period, I wish that on nobody in the league,’’ Pierre-Paul said. “Just coming off back surgery period, it’s a while, it takes time. It’s something you just can’t rush into and it’s for your health.
“When I come back I’ll be fully ready to play. We have our rotations, but I’ll be ready to play. It’s all on the coaches, too, how they want to play me.’’
Coughlin said he noticed JPP’s “bursts were good’’ and liked what he saw as far as aggressiveness.
“He did what I was worried he would do,’’ Coughlin said. “There’s no pads on and he’s coming like he’s got them on, so that’s a good sign.’’
Hynoski had knee surgery in the spring and his expected return was right on the fringe of the start of the season. He was removed from the PUP list on Aug. 22.
“I practiced full, no issues, feels good,’’ Hynoski said. “It’s just a matter of every day I progress. I think maybe I have to progress a little bit more for them to give me the go-ahead.’’
He has already impressed the man in charge.
“If there’s a will there’s a way,’’ Coughlin said. “This guy is all heart. He won’t miss a beat. As soon as they gave him the opportunity to get back out there, he’s been trying to jump in on every snap.’’