GET OFFENSIVE: Victor Cruz (inset, right), Rueben Randle (inset, left), Brandon Myers (No. 83) and Andre Brown are all part of a unit Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said could be the highest-scoring Big Blue squad ever assembled. (
)
If they all stay healthy, the 2013 Giants will have a chance to shatter the franchise record for points scored set by the 1963 Y.A. Tittle Giants (448).
If you can’t dream in the summer, when can you dream?
In offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride’s dream, Eli Manning is an ascending quarterback. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and an emerging Rueben Randle are the Three Amigos. David Wilson is a gamebreaker. Brandon Myers is a receiving upgrade over Martellus Bennett. The offensive line is smarter, tougher and deeper.
“We’ve been pretty good for a long time. … I would be disappointed if we’re not one of the better offenses in the league, one that’s capable of controlling games, one’s that capable of winning games at the end when you got to drive the ball down to score a touchdown at the end,” Gilbride told The Post. “We finished first in the league in two-minute production again last year. … I never like to make a prediction — I know that’s contrary to some people in this league — where we’re going to wind up.
“But I’d be disappointed if we’re not a good football team and have a really strong offensive unit. … But you never know, injuries are such a big part of it, and we got some guys that are going to have to show that they can play — the tight end position’s one, the tailback position, we got new guys there, so there’s a lot of ifs.
“Do I think they’re going to come through? Yeah I do, ’cause I believe in our guys and I know they’re working hard at it. But until you actually go out and do it on Sunday on a consistent basis, it’s hard for me to make any bold predictions.”
If they all stay healthy, no one will dare call him Kevin Killbride.
“When we had it going in 2007, 2008, you had Plaxico [Burress], you had Amani [Toomer], you had Steve Smith inside — that’s as good a group as you’re going to have,” Gilbride said. “Now, this group, can they be that good or better? We’ll wait and see. I think they can, but they’ve got to prove that.
“The running back, certainly David’s got more speed than anybody we’ve had. Speed is certainly an important part. Is it the only part? No, not by a long shot. It’s making good decisions, it’s ability to show some shake and bake, make people miss, can you do the other aspects of the game? Can you protect? Can you get open when we drop the ball off to you? If he can do those things and we can get him out in open space, I think he’ll be very dynamic. But there’s a lot of question marks. Do I think that those guys are going to come through? Yeah, I do. But they have to come through for us.”
Nicks is The Straw That Stirs Manning’s Drink. The Giants need him to play 16 games at a high level.
“If we have to, we can move Rueben over to that spot, and I think he’ll do a great job,” Gilbride said. “But if you have Hakeem as well, now you got three guys that really are difficult matchups and it’s hard to play man if you got three guys. Some people can load up and double two — nobody’s loading up and doubling three. … So, I would say just because in big games he’s always risen in the past when he was healthy. The bigger the stage, the better he’s played. He’s always going to have great hands. He’s always going to have a competitiveness and a composure that when the game’s on the line, he’s going to make some big plays for you, when he’s physically able to. That’s why losing Mario [Manningham] last year was a huge loss.”
When Gilbride was asked about Wilson’s hands, he said: “That’s not the greatest strength he has, but I think he’s caught the ball when we’ve thrown it to him, and the thing that’s got to scare people, he’s going to be a difficult matchup for people speedwise.”
“It’s certainly something we’re exploring. We’ve done some things to see if we can get that thing underway, because I think if we can, it’ll stop people from defending us the way they try to defense us.”
Gilbride on Randle: “He’s always had great hands, and he’s always been a smooth route runner, and he’s always gone up and gotten any throw that was close. He shows good body control and that kind of stuff. But just in terms of making the right decisions off the coverages, not being fooled. … The way he picked up that blitz [Saturday night], that was a tremendously well-disguised blitz. … I’ll be very surprised of he doesn’t continue to play at a high level.”
Gilbride on Myers: “What we thought we’d get is an efficient pass-route runner. … He looks like he’s going to be a pretty consistently productive receiver for us. I think he’s not the big, strong, powerful, dominant run-blocker, but I saw Saturday night he’s not afraid to stick his nose in there. He’s going to be challenged in this division with some of those outside linebackers that we face, but I have no doubt that he’ll know what to do.”
Gilbride on No. 1 pick, right tackle Justin Pugh: “He’s an athlete. He’s not quite the size you like at tackle, but he does have good feet. He’s feisty, tough. … He’s got the attitudinal portion of the makeup to be a good player. Is it this year, or is it next year? … He looks like he’s got all the things to be a starter somewhere for us.”
Gilbride, offensive coordinator since 2007, chuckled when asked if he could ever have imagined Manning playing the part of a rapper back in 2004.
“No,” Gilbride said. “And after having seen it, I’m still somewhat in shock at what I saw, but as he said, I probably was underestimating his athleticism that I didn’t see it coming. But the good thing about him, nothing fazes him. He truly is unflappable. He doesn’t mind being teased about it, and so he can let himself go, knowing he’s going to be subjected to a lot of ridicule by his teammates, by his coaches.”
No ridicule if he’s the quarterback of NYTD Blue.